Digestion

[JMave]

I'm not really sure what this topic about digestion is in so I thought it would be best to post it here. I study biology on qutie a basic level and after learning about enzyme denaturation at high temperatures, I was just wondering if say after we ate our food and stuff then we drink a hot cup of coffee down or something that's warm. Just wanted to know if our enzymes in the stomach would get denatured and we wouldn't get any protein digestion. Or what if we drink like soft drinks and because its cold, our enzymes get quite inactive and our digestion becomes less efficient. This is just a thought I had for a few months now so I just thought I'd ask somebody xD

Cheers
Jmave

[mith]

Your coffee will travel down your esophagus and it will absorb the heat. Plus your stomach actively secretes more enzymes so this will not be a problem.

[MrMistery]

food travels relatively fast down your esophagus so heat absorption on that level is renegotiable if you ask me. Also, pepsin is a relatively stable enzyme as far as temperature is concerned. And, as Dave said, it is continuously secreted...

[MichaelXY]

But also consider the specific heat of human tissue is around 3.5J/g The Delta T betweem the coffee and the body is around 40 deg. I would think the coffee temp would be reduced fairly quick.

[MrMistery]

assuming your numbers are correct, I agree. You can realize this by keeping coffee in your mouth: it is "Chilled" very quickly

[volcob]

the temperature of the coffee that we drink is not considered a "high temperature" you cant put a 100 degree C of that stuff in your mouth

higher temperature actually helps the alimentary track and the digestive tract on the peristalsis