Chapter 3 - Protein – The Body’s Building Blocks

actually be able to digest it and break it down into its component amino acids for you to be able to use. Proper food combining is an important aspect in maximizing your body’s ability to use the foods you eat, including protein.

Protein must be exposed to a heavily acid environment in order to break down those incredibly long, convoluted molecules into their amino acid building blocks. The only environment in the human body with sufficient acid to break those proteins down is found in the stomach. Even in that harsh, acidic environment, according to Harvey and Marilyn Diamond, authors of the internationally acclaimed book, “ Fit For Life,” it can take proteins from six to eight hours to be digested well enough to be properly absorbed through the intestines and into the body. And any dilution of the acid in the stomach only impairs complete digestion of the proteins.

This very important acid environment in the stomach can often be compromised by antacids like Tums or Rolaids, any of those“ purple pills” that are supposed to be so great for chronic indigestion, by improper food combining, insufficient nerve flow to the stomach’s acid-secreting lining or excess fluid consumption with meals.

So let’s contrast protein digestion with carbohydrate digestion. Carbohydrates, unlike proteins, require an alkaline environment to be broken down into their component molecules. This is just the opposite of an acid environment such as we find inside of the stomach. The part of the digestive tract that provides this alkaline environment is the duodenum. This is the very first part of the small intestine, just beyond the stomach. I mention this so you’ll have the groundwork to understand the process that I’m about to describe, the concept on which the book, “ Fit For Life,” was based.

When we eat a piece of steak, for instance, the stomach recognizes it as protein and sends messages to the nervous system to keep the protein there in the stomach for six to eight hours – in an acid environment – so that it can let its acid break down the proteins for adequate digestion.

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