Distributed digestion.

Abstract

It is proposed the classical theory of digestion, that all dietary protein is broken down to amino acid before absorption, be abandoned as disproved. Evidence reviewed elsewhere has shown that a large part of the intake is in the form of high molecular mass protein which passes through the bloodstream rapidly and is taken up by the tissues throughout the body, there to be finally broken down by way of smaller polypeptide intermediates which may have important pharmacological roles as agents in cell function.