question about digesting food

Question
When we digest food, do we use all the things that make our foods; like vitamins, minerals, protein, etc, etc.? I read that our cells use sugar only. If that is true, what about everything else we can get from food?

Answer
Hi,

I could write for days on what the entire body does with each amino acid, mineral, vitamin, carbohydrate and protein molecule.

Basically most of what we eat is absorbed into your body for the following basic functions.

1) Sugars in the form of carbohydrate are used to fuel energy like running, breathing and even digesting food.

2) Protein is used for cell repair for both muscles that you can see externally and internally. Also for cells that make up all your organs.

3) Vitamins and minerals help to also repair but also are involved in many complex reactions and processes. For example B vitamins help to metabolize carbohydrate, so if you have no B vitamins, all the sugar you eat would not be converted to energy to help you move around etc..

4) Some food are used solely for absorption and transportation of food thru your colon, they are fiber related and just help push food thru your colon. Different parts of the colon absorb different  food, mineral, vitamins etc..

5) You blood cells transport a lot of things around , but the intern need energy, iron and some protein to do this.

6) Your organs like liver, pancreas, spleen all have many functions as well. And they need certain vitamins, minerals to perform their duties, and also have an effect on many things that you eat. Sugar is controlled by insulin, which is part of the pancreas processes.

You are one big chemical reaction with many different actions. That抯 why you need to eat a balanced diet to make sure all bodily processes are working together.

Thanks.

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