Physiological response of the human pancreas to enteral and parenteral feeding.

Purpose Of Review: Normal digestive physiology is a highly orchestrated process, integrating the mechanical breakdown of food, the secretion of digestive juices, the control of motility, and the efficient absorption of nutrients. As enteral and parenteral feeding techniques bypass many of these control mechanisms, nutritional utilization can be expected to be disturbed. This review examines recent publications that have investigated this question in clinical practice.