A digestive disorder characterized by lack of proper digestion or enzyme function; closely related to or synonymous with apepsia.
From Greek a- (without) + pepsis (digestion, from peptein, 'to cook or digest'). This medical term was coined in the 19th century as clinical nutrition and gastroenterology developed.
Apepsy and related conditions were mysterious killers before modern medicine understood they were caused by enzyme deficiencies, nutritional lacks, or intestinal diseases—people would literally starve while eating because their bodies couldn't break down food.
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