Tag: Oral digestion

An astonishing 30% of starch digestion can occur in the mouth, initiated by the enzyme known as salivary amylase. This enzyme acts on polysaccharides in the mouth, beginning the crucial chemical breakdown of complex carbohydrates during the process of mastication.

Approximately 30% of starch digestion begins right in the mouth, not the stomach. This initial breakdown process is initiated by a key enzyme in saliva, explaining the immediate chemical changes food undergoes when chewing begins. The product of starch digestion in the mouth is a simpler sugar molecule, though not yet glucose.

Over 99% of saliva is water, but the remaining fraction contains crucial enzymes that initiate the digestive process. This enzymatic action addresses the question: is saliva breaking down food a chemical change? The answer lies in the transformative work of these tiny proteins, which convert complex starches into simpler sugars.

Fact: The digestion of fat begins before food even reaches the stomach. The mouth initiates the process with an enzyme, but the bulk of the work happens later in the small intestine. So, does the mouth digest fat significantly? The answer is more complex than you might think.