How Protein is digestion? Protein is digested in the stomach, and protein is absorbing by the small intestine as amino acids.
How Protein is digesting?
Protein digestion takes place in the stomach and small intestine. The complex protein bonds are first breaking down by the acid and then further digestion by enzymes called as Proteinases or Proteases.
Stomach Protein digestion
Once the masticated food reaches the stomach, the hydrochloric acid presents in the stomach start attacking the very complex protein chain and break the bond. The stomach also has pepsinogen, which interact with stomach acid to create a pepsin enzyme that plays a vital role in protein digestion.
Factors influencing Protein digestion
- How well the food is chewed
- Acidity of the food in the stomach
- Amount of the protein presents in the food
- Quantity of enzymes available for protein digestion
Small intestine Protein digestion
Acidic chyme (food) from the stomach enters the duodenum (first part of the small intestine). Duodenum contains trypsin and chymotrypsin; two protease enzymes secreted by the pancreas that helps protein and fat digestion.
These enzymes carryout further breakdown of protein by the process called hydrolysis; hydrolysis means the insertion of a water molecule between any two amino acids. It helps to break down this bond and frees the amino acids.
Protein absorption (Amino acid absorption) in the Small intestine
The simple amino acids formed due to the breakdown of proteins in the digestion process can easily get into the intestinal lining. These amino acids reach the bloodstreams via tiny veins called capillaries.
Amino acids in the blood stream are transport to the tissues via red blood cells and liquid blood plasma. These amino acids available in the blood stream are use for the creation or to replace damaged one in the cell structure.
Wastes from Protein digestion
The breakdown of dietary proteins during digestion releases two types of waste products.
- Nitrogenous waste product that contains a nitrogen atom, this waste product contains urea, uric acid, creatinine and hippuric acid. Urea is the most common waste product contributing to 80% of total nitrogenous waste. Urea is forming in the liver and removes from the body by the kidney as urine along with other waste products.
- Non-nitrogenous – waste product that does not contain a nitrogen atom, this waste product contains only carbon dioxide and water.
Excess protein intake
If one consumes excess protein than actual requirement, then these extra amino acids are converting to glucose for energy need or convert to fatty acids & stored or excrete as waste.
Insufficient protein intake
If one has insufficient protein intake, also you should know that our body does not have any protein storage facility. Your body can start using skeletal muscles as an emergency source of protein by breaking down it to get required amino acid.