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Your Digestive System and How It Works

An evidence based overview of how your digestive system works, from the NIDDK, and why gut health is foundational to overall wellness.

About This Resource

Understanding how your digestive system works is a foundational step in a root cause approach to health. This resource draws from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) to explain digestive function in clear, accessible terms.

Why We Share It

At Nepute Wellness, gut health is one of the first areas we assess because it influences far more than just digestion. This resource helps you understand the foundation that makes gut health so important.

Why Gut Health Is Foundational

At Nepute Wellness, gut health is one of the first areas we assess. Research consistently demonstrates that the digestive system influences far more than just digestion: it affects immune function, mental health through the gut brain axis, nutrient absorption, hormone balance, and inflammation throughout the body.

The NIDDK provides excellent foundational information about how the digestive system works, and we share this resource because understanding the basics helps you understand why we take gut health so seriously.

How Digestion Works

Digestion begins in the mouth and involves a coordinated process through the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, and supporting organs (liver, pancreas, gallbladder). Each stage serves a specific purpose in breaking down food, absorbing nutrients, and eliminating waste.

The small intestine is where most nutrient absorption occurs. This is also where the gut microbiome is most concentrated and where disruptions may have the greatest impact on overall health.

The Root Cause Connection

Many patients come to Nepute Wellness with symptoms that seem unrelated to digestion: fatigue, brain fog, skin problems, hormonal imbalances, or chronic inflammation. Yet research published in Nature Reviews Gastroenterology and Hepatology has demonstrated that gut health may be a root cause factor in many of these conditions.

This is why “Test, Don’t Guess” often includes gut health assessment. Understanding what is happening in the digestive system may reveal root causes that would otherwise go unaddressed.

Supporting Your Digestive Health

The NIDDK recommends several foundational strategies: eating a balanced diet rich in fiber, staying hydrated, managing stress (which directly affects gut function), and working with healthcare providers to address persistent digestive concerns.

At Nepute Wellness, we build on these foundations with targeted approaches including microbiome testing, food sensitivity assessment, and personalized nutritional counseling.

Source: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), NIH. Public domain material used with attribution.

Root cause, not symptom management: your gut health may be the key to understanding your overall wellness.

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Knowledge Is Power

Wisdom Is Applying It To Your Life.

The digestive system influences far more than just digestion: it affects immune function, mental health, nutrient absorption, hormone balance, and inflammation throughout the body.
Valdes AM et al. BMJ, 2018
Many symptoms that seem unrelated to digestion, like fatigue, brain fog, and skin problems, may have gut health as a root cause factor.
Nepute Wellness

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Your Digestive System and How It Works

Your Digestive System and How It Works

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

The Seven Directives (Reveal, Reset, Remove, Recharge, Rebuild, Reboot, Refuel) form an action framework. We Reveal through testing, Reset foundations, Remove obstacles, Recharge energy systems, Rebuild damaged tissues, Reboot optimization, and Refuel with nutrition. Each directive guides specific interventions in your treatment plan.
We accept all major credit cards, debit cards, HSA/FSA cards, and cash. Online bookings use secure payment processing. For in-office exams, the $50 deposit is paid online, and the remaining balance is paid in-office on exam day. We can provide payment plans for larger packages – contact us to discuss options.
Functional medicine has been practiced for decades, with roots in systems biology and integrative medicine. The Institute for Functional Medicine was founded in 1991. Dr. Eric Nepute has been practicing functional medicine approaches for over 20 years, combining it with chiropractic care and advanced diagnostics.

Plan for approximately 60 to 90 minutes for your first visit, depending on which examination tier you’ve selected. The Basic exam focuses on neuromusculoskeletal assessment, while the Moderate and

Yes. Hormonal imbalances are addressed through comprehensive testing to identify root causes such as nutrient deficiencies, gut health issues, stress, or metabolic dysfunction. Treatment may include nutritional support, lifestyle modifications, targeted supplementation, and addressing underlying factors affecting hormone production and balance.

Sleep disturbances are often a symptom of deeper neurological or biochemical imbalances rather than an isolated problem. At Nepute Wellness, we investigate root causes that may be disrupting your s

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