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Over 90 percent of people with CF have an impaired pancreas leading to an inablilty to produce enzymes, the chemicals that digest food. Some people with CF have at least one CFTR mutation that allows some production of functional CFTR protein: Their pancreases will be able to produce enzymes. Normally, food proteins are digested by stomach acid and enter the duodenum, a specialized portion of the small intestine that allows pancreatic and gall bladder secretions to mix with the food.Three Types of Secretions • Bicarbonate creates an alkaline solution to neutralize the stomach acid.
• Pancreatic digestive enzymes aid in the beakdown and absorption of fats, sugars and proteins from the gut. These work best in an alkaline environment and may become inactive in an acidic environment.
• Bile, produced in the liver and concentrated in the gall bladder, helps with fat digestion and eliminates waste products.
| | Select from the menu above to view an animation on how digestion occurs in the stomach or in the duodenum. |
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