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Over 90 percent of people with CF have an impaired pancreas leading to the inability to produce enzymes that help to digest food. Some people with CF have a working pancreas that can produce enzymes. Normally, food proteins are digested by stomach acid and enter the small intestine where pancreatic and gall bladder secretions are added.
Types of Secretions:
(1) Bicarbonate is a non-acidic solution to neutralize the stomach acid.
(2) Pancreatic digestive enzymes aiding in absorption of fats, sugars and proteins from the gut. These work best in a non-acidic environment and may become inactive in acidic environments.
(3) Bile, produced in the liver and stored 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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