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  • Digestion: How long does it take?

How long does it take to digest food — from the time you eat it to the time you excrete it?

Digestion time varies among individuals and between men and women. After you eat, it takes about six to eight hours for food to pass through your stomach and small intestine. Food then enters your large intestine (colon) for further digestion, absorption of water and, finally, elimination of undigested food. It takes about 36 hours for food to move through the entire colon. All in all, the whole process — from the time you swallow food to the time it leaves your body as feces — takes about two to five days, depending on the individual.

Elizabeth Rajan, M.D.

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  • Goldman L, et al., eds. Disorders of gastrointestinal motility. In: Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 26th ed. Elsevier; 2020. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Nov. 11, 2019.
  • Normal function. International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders. https://aboutconstipation.org/normal-function.html. Accessed Nov. 11, 2019.
  • Naish J, et al., eds. The alimentary system. In: Medical Sciences. 3rd ed. 2019. Elsevier; 2019. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed Nov. 6, 2019.

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How long it takes to digest food, from beginning to end.

Merrell Readman

Everybody digests food. But what happens from when food enters your mouth to when it exits your body may not be top of mind for most of us. How long does it take for food to digest? And why are some foods more difficult to digest than others?

From your first bite to the trip to the bathroom, we got to the bottom of everything you need to know (and likely more) about the inner workings of your digestive system.

How long does food take to digest? 

Once food enters your mouth, it can take between two to six hours to hit your small intestine in a process known as gastric emptying. From there, the food will be digested for between two to six hours before going to your large intestine. This is where the food spends the longest amount of time, as it can take anywhere from 10 to 59 hours to pass, explains nutritionist Mackenzie Burgess, RDN .

"In addition to the macronutrient composition and diversity of your diet and supplements (think prebiotic fibers and targeted probiotics ), there is also individual variety from person to person when it comes to GI motility and speed,"* mindbodygreen's Vice President of Scientific Affairs Ashley Jordan Ferira, Ph.D., RDN , explains.

How long it takes to digest different foods

What you eat also affects how quickly the digestion process happens. Here's what to know about how quickly different macronutrients travel through the body:

Simple carbohydrates

When you've eaten foods like simple carbohydrates (think sugar or white bread), your body can digest them much more quickly, which is why they do not satiate you as well as more nutrient-dense foods that keep your digestive system busy for longer. "In fact digestion of simple or fast carbs starts straight away in your mouth, whereas fiber and other macronutrients remain intact," Ferira explains.

Proteins and fats

Fats and proteins move through your body at a slower rate, increasing the amount of time you feel full. "This is because proteins and fats are complex compounds that require more steps to be broken down," notes Burgess. "Fats, in particular, take longer to digest because they don't dissolve in water, which means an additional substance, bile, is needed for their digestion," she adds.

"The fiber content 1 of a food impacts how quickly it's digested," explains Burgess. "Foods higher in soluble fiber form a gel-like substance in the stomach, which slows down the digestive process. In contrast, foods high in insoluble fiber speed up the digestive process because they quickly pass unabsorbed into the large intestine, where they add bulk to stool." Both types of fiber are important to consume regularly, explains Ferira.

How digestion works

You may be surprised to learn that digestion actually begins before you even take your first bite of food. This is called the cephalic phase of digestion and is kicked off by the mere sight or smell (or even thought or taste) of food as your body prepares to eat.

Here's a peek at the role that different parts of the body play in the digestion process:

  • Mouth : Once you've taken your first bite of food, the saliva in your mouth both moistens and helps digest food. As Ferira explains, "Along with chewing, your mouth is where digestion, or the breakdown of food into smaller bits, begins. In fact, your mouth (aka oral cavity) features its own unique set of microbes known as the oral microbiome."
  • Esophagus : From our mouth, the food, beverages, and supplements we consume journey down the pharynx and esophagus to the stomach, where they are broken down further.
  • Stomach : There are unique acidic compounds and protein- and fat-digesting enzymes in the stomach. "Muscular contractions in the stomach also contribute to the digestive process," adds Ferira.
  • Small intestine : Your meal, or "bolus of digested food known as chyme," Ferira explains, will then move into the small intestine via the pyloric sphincter, where digestive enzymes (many of which are secreted by the pancreas) and bile from the gallbladder break it into even smaller pieces. These pieces are absorbed from the gut into the bloodstream to be utilized by the entire body. "A unique array of probiotic species reside in the small intestine, also interacting with our dietary inputs," Ferira says. You can expect food to travel through the muscle-lined small intestine for one to five hours depending on what you've eaten.
  • Large intestine : Immediately following the small intestine is the large intestine (aka colon), where the gut musculature gradually moves along any remaining digested and undigested compounds. Another unique habitat of gut flora microbiota reside in the large intestine (given that we nourish our body with microbe-friendly foods and supplements ). Another important act is achieved in the colon: bulk. While significant amounts of water are absorbed from the gut into the bloodstream in the small intestine, "the final water absorption activity occurs in the colon, to functionally solidify the remaining indigestible components of our diet, creating stool," Ferira explains.
  • Rectum : Finally, food reaches the end of the colon. Fiber assists in bulking up the stool that will then exit your body (via the rectum and finally, anus) at the end of your digestive tract.

Factors that affect digestion speed

Many factors can affect the speed of digestion outside of the foods you're putting into your body, from physical activity to stress. Some of these include:

  • Your stress levels
  • The types of foods you eat
  • How much you eat
  • How quickly you eat
  • The health of your gut microbiome
  • Your exercise routine
  • Your thyroid function
  • Medications you take
  • Your hydration levels
  • Your metabolic health

How to improve your digestion

There are plenty of ways to help keep your digestion ticking along smoothly. Here are a few strategies to start with:

Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables

A diet rich in fruits and vegetables will allow digestion to flow more smoothly as these ingredients are naturally rich in fiber . "Fruits and vegetables contain both soluble and insoluble fibers that are important for maintaining a healthy gut," explains Burgess. "Soluble fiber feeds gut bacteria, which then produce substances that can support a healthy gut microbiome 2 ." 

Ferira agrees, adding that, "consuming prebiotic fiber regularly directly fuels postbiotic abundance via fermentation processes in the gut. Not to mention the health benefits the wide array of phytonutrients in fruits and vegetables also deliver."

Prioritize omega-3s

Incredibly healthy omega-3 fatty acids (like EPA, DHA, and ALA) are another functional nutrient that can help move food through the body more efficiently. "Omega-3s have been found 3 to help maintain the proper balance of good bacteria in your gut and support the integrity of your gut wall," adds Burgess.

What's more, they are "antioxidant and anti-inflammatory powerhouse fats, especially the marine-derived EPA and DHA varieties ," Ferira explains.

Regular movement and physical activity are great for a number of areas of the body, and digestion just so happens to be one of them. This is because exercise can promote motility in the gut, effectively cutting down on the time it takes for food to move through the body. " Studies show that exercise may improve gut health in many ways," says Burgess.

Take probiotics

If your digestion needs a boost of daily support, adding a targeted gut health supplement like mbg's probiotic+ can be a smart strategy to help ease bloat, promote regularity, and even aid in making the digestion process that much smoother.*

Eat slowly and mindfully

Eating at your computer isn't doing your digestion any favors! Stress has been known to cause you to feel full more quickly, leading to stomach discomfort and even queasiness from slowed digestion. 

For this reason, it's important to eat slowly and savor your food so it can move smoothly through your gastrointestinal (GI) tract.

The takeaway

Seeing as digestion is a natural process that everybody completes, it can be useful to understand the ins and outs of what gets things move more smoothly. To aid digestion, focusing on eating a nutrient-dense diet with plenty of fiber. Taking an effective targeted probiotic can also help to move things along, bulk up stool, and support your overall health.*

  • https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128051306000033
  • https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23541470/
  • https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/18/12/2645

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How long it takes to digest your food and 5 tips to improve the process

  • In general, it will take four to six hours for your stomach to digest food. 
  • However, it can take between 2 to 5 days for food to move through the intestines and exit the body. 
  • You can't speed up digestion, but you can improve it by eating fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

Insider Today

There is no overestimating the importance of digestion: It helps us turn food into the water and nutrients we need to power and maintain our body's functions. 

While the overall process of digestion is similar person to person, factors such as gender, age, and medical conditions can change how quickly food is digested.

Here's what you need to know about how digestion works, how long it takes, and when you may need to speed up the process. 

How long does it take to digest food? 

It takes between four to six hours for your body to digest food, says Craig Gluckman , MD, a gastroenterologist at UCLA Health . 

This is the amount of time it takes for the food to go from your mouth to your colon, also known as the large intestine. However, it can take anywhere between two to five days for food to move through the intestines and leave the body entirely. 

There are a few factors that can influence digestion: 

  • Gender. Women tend to digest food slower than men, and certain digestive conditions are also more common in women. Irritable bowel syndrome occurs two to six times more often in women, and inflammatory bowel disease is twice as likely. 
  • Age. Digestion can naturally slow as people get older, says Gluckman. This can also increase the risk of acid reflux and constipation in older adults. 
  • The food you ate. Simple carbohydrates, like white bread, digest faster than food with complex sugars and high fat or protein, like peas and whole grains, says Gluckman.  
  • Pregnancy. Pregnant people produce higher levels of progesterone, which can slow the digestive system . As the uterus grows, it can also apply pressure to or block parts of the digestive system, like your colon, slowing the digestion process down even more. 

Understanding the digestion process 

The goal of digestion is to provide the body with the nutrients it needs to function. Much of this absorption occurs in the small and large intestines, says Marc K. Taormina , MD, a gastroenterologist at Midwest GI Health . 

Including the small and large intestines, the digestive process stretches throughout much of the body and includes these organs:

  • Mouth. The entry point of your digestive system uses the teeth and saliva to break down food into a smaller, more easily digestible form. 
  • Esophagus. The muscles contract and push the food down towards the stomach. At the bottom of it, a muscle called the esophageal sphincter relaxes to let food into the stomach before contracting again to prevent acid from going into the esophagus. 
  • Stomach. A combination of acid and enzymes further breaks down food in the stomach. 
  • Small Intestine. At 22 feet long , the small intestine is over three times the length of a person's body. Here, enzymes from the pancreas and bile from the liver break down food again. Water is digested into the small intestine's walls, and nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream. Food can stay in the small intestine for two to six hours .
  • Large Intestine. Waste leaves the small intestine and enters the five-foot-long large intestine. Waste enters as a mostly liquid but, over the course of its 36-hour journey through the large intestine, it becomes more solid. Once the colon fills with stool, it empties into the rectum. 
  • Rectum. The rectum is an eight-inch chamber that holds stool and alerts the brain that it's time to use the bathroom. 

Can you digest food faster?

You can't do much to speed up your digestion, nor should you try to. Sped-up digestion may stop you from absorbing all of your food's nutrients, says Taormina. It's important to remember that digestion speed and metabolism are two different things. Speeding up your metabolism to burn calories is a separate process.  

The only time you should try to speed up your digestion is under the doctor's advisement and guidance. This may happen if you have irritable bowel syndrome or inflammatory bowel syndrome, says Gluckman.

How to improve digestion 

While you can't speed up your digestion, you can ensure your digestive tract is working smoothly by eating a healthy diet. Here are five tips to improve your digestion: 

  • Eat more fruits and vegetables , especially apples, raspberries, and broccoli , which are good sources of fiber — a nutrient essential for gut health and known to ease constipation.  
  • Choose whole grains, like whole-grain bread, oatmeal , brown rice, and quinoa are also good sources of fiber.  
  • Drink more water , as dehydration can exacerbate constipation. Women should aim to drink at least 2.7 liters a day and men 3.3 liters. 
  • Reduce your intake of added sugars ,  like those found in cookies and pancakes, which can harm the healthy gut bacteria essential for digestion. 
  • Try probiotics , which are foods or products containing colonies of healthy bacteria naturally found in our gut. Probiotic-rich foods include kombucha, kefir, and yogurt. 

Insider's takeaway 

It takes food about four to six hours to digest through the body and into the large intestine, where it then sits for 36 hours as it makes its way to the rectum.

Factors such as age, gender, and pregnancy can decrease this speed. However, there is no reason for trying to speed up digestion unless instructed by a doctor. 

how fast can food travel through your body

  • Main content

How long does it take to digest food?

The speed at which food moves through the digestive tract depends on many factors.

Medium close up shot of woman eating tacos with friends at food truck.

When you're tucking into one of your favorite foods — perhaps a steaming bowl of ramen or spectacularly cheesy slice of pizza — you're probably not thinking about the journey each morsel is about to take through your digestive system.

Of course, what started out as a delectable meal will eventually end up at the bottom of a toilet bowl. But how long does it take to digest food, exactly?

The answer to this question is more complicated than you might think. Different types of foods are broken down and absorbed by the body at different rates, meaning some parts of the meal may be entering the large intestine when other parts are still in the stomach. It's also common for healthy people to digest food at slightly different rates, according to Colorado State University .

Scientists have conducted studies assessing "gut transit time," or how long it takes a substance to move through the whole digestive tract , using ingestible capsules that can be tracked throughout their journey. These studies suggest that it can take anywhere from 0.4 to 15.3 hours for food to leave the stomach, and from 3.3 to 7 hours for it to pass through the entire small intestine. The leftover, indigestible parts of food then enter the large intestine, where they may remain for approximately 15.9 to 28.9 hours, according to a review published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine in 2023.

Related: Why can't humans digest corn?

Foods rich in dietary fiber , protein, complex carbohydrates and fats tend to take longer to digest than foods low in these nutrients, Dr. Nina Nandy , a gastroenterologist based in Texas and American Gastroenterological Association spokesperson, told Live Science by email.

Ever wonder why some people build muscle more easily than others , or why freckles come out in the sun ? Send us your questions about how the human body works to [email protected] with the subject line "Health Desk Q," and you may see your question answered on the website!

"Fiber adds bulk to the diet, which slows down the movement of food through the digestive tract," she said. "Heavily processed foods tend to be digested more quickly as they lack this nutrient." Meanwhile, while they can process less-nutrient-dense foods fairly quickly, the stomach and small intestine take more time to break down foods rich in proteins and fats into nutrients that can be used by the body.

Similarly, complex carbohydrates — like those found in whole grains, legumes and starchy vegetables — take longer to digest than simple sugars. That's because complex carbs are made of long, complex chains of three or more types of sugar molecules, while simple sugars contain only one or two sugars. 

"The body has to break [complex carbs] down into simple sugars before absorption can happen," Nandy said. (Fiber is a complex carb that can't be broken down at all.)

Lifestyle factors also affect gut transit time. Chewing thoroughly and staying hydrated can help speed up the digestive process by increasing the food's surface area for digestive enzymes and helping to soften the food particles, respectively, Nandy said. In addition, "exercise helps increase gut motility and promotes peristalsis, which is the rhythmic contraction of digestive muscles," Nandy said. Conversely, peristalsis can slow down during periods of inactivity.

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A person's age and stress levels can also affect digestion. With age, adults tend to produce less stomach acid and digestive enzymes, while their guts become less motile, she said. "Stress and anxiety can also increase gut transit time by altering gut motility and reducing gastrointestinal blood flow," she added. Having a "nervous stomach" reflects an activation of the fight-or-flight system , which generally suppresses digestion in the stomach and small intestine while stimulating the large intestine.

And finally, certain medical conditions and medications can either speed or slow digestion. For example, diabetes is the most common cause of gastroparesis , or "delayed stomach emptying," which makes food linger in the stomach for a long time. Certain medications, including opiates and anticholinergic drugs, which suppress nerve signals responsible for involuntary muscle movements, can slow gut transit and cause constipation, Nandy said.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to offer medical advice.  

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Anna Gora

Anna Gora is a health writer at Live Science, having previously worked across Coach, Fit&Well, T3, TechRadar and Tom's Guide. She is a certified personal trainer, nutritionist and health coach with nearly 10 years of professional experience. Anna holds a Bachelor's degree in Nutrition from the Warsaw University of Life Sciences, a Master’s degree in Nutrition, Physical Activity & Public Health from the University of Bristol, as well as various health coaching certificates. She is passionate about empowering people to live a healthy lifestyle and promoting the benefits of a plant-based diet.

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Food’s journey through the digestive system.

  • + Create new collection

A look at the time it takes for food to pass through the gut from mouth to anus. In a healthy adult, transit time is about 24–72 hours.

Read the article The human digestive system for further information.

Before eating: Sights, sounds and smells of food

Digestive activity begins with the sights, sounds and smells of food. Just looking at or smelling appetising food can result in the brain sending signals to the salivary glands to make the mouth water and to the stomach to secrete gastric juice.

Chewing: Ingestion 1

Chewing mechanically mixes food with saliva from the salivary glands. Amylase in saliva chemically digests starch in the food. The mixing process is lubricated by mucin , a slippery protein in saliva. Each mouthful takes approximately 30–60 seconds.

Swallowing: Ingestion 2

The food is formed into a small ball called a bolus, which is pushed to the back of the mouth by the tongue. Involuntary muscle contractions in the pharynx then push the bolus down towards the oesophagus. This swallowing reflex takes about 1–3 seconds.

Peristalsis: Ingestion 3

In the oesophagus, the bolus is moved along by rhythmic contractions of the muscles present in its walls. For a medium-sized bolus, it takes about 5–8 seconds to reach the stomach.

Time to empty: Stomach

Food is mixed with gastric juice. Strong muscular contractions in the stomach wall reduce the food to chyme – a thick milky material. The pyloric sphincter at the lower end of the stomach slowly releases chyme into the duodenum. Emptying the stomach takes 2–6 hours.

Time to empty: Small intestine

It takes 3–5 hours from entry to the duodenum to exit from the ileum. The small intestine’s structure of folds, villi and microvilli increases the absorptive surface area and allows maximum exposure to enzymes and complete absorption of the end products of digestion.

Digestion: Duodenum

Small amounts of chyme are ejected approximately every 20 seconds from the stomach into the duodenum. The chyme is mixed with secretions from the pancreas and gall bladder. These fluids contain bicarbonate, enzymes and bile salts essential to the digestion process.

Absorption: Jejunum

Peristaltic waves of muscular contraction mix and move the chyme down the duodenum and into the jejunum. It has a huge surface area created by finger-like structures called villi. These assist with the absorption of the end products of digestion into the bloodstream.

Absorption: Ileum

By the time chyme has reached the ileum, most of the digestion processes involving carbohydrate, protein and fats have occurred. Its main function is to absorb the end products of digestion and release hormones that regulate feelings of fullness.

Elapsed time: Ileocaecal valve

Undigested remains of food are passed through a one-way muscular valve into the first part of the large intestine known as the caecum – a small pouch that acts as a temporary storage site. By the time food remains have reached this point, about 5–12 hours have elapsed.

Colon time: Large intestine

The large intestine is 1.5–1.8m in length and is divided into the caecum, colon and rectum. The colon is further divided into 4 parts – ascending colon, transverse colon, descending colon and sigmoid colon. Watch this video to find out more about the function of the large intestine .

Fermentation: Colon

Slower peristaltic movements push undigested food remains along the colon, which mix freely with the resident bacterial population. The bacteria ferment some of the food remains, producing short-chain fatty acids as well other important chemicals such as vitamin K.

Mass shift: Sigmoid colon

The liquid from the small intestine changes into a semi-solid form known as a stool. The sigmoid colon temporarily stores the stool until a mass movement empties it into the rectum. Residence time in the colon ranges from 4–72 hours, with a normal average of 36 hours.

Egestion: Rectum

The rectum’s external opening, the anus, is controlled by a set of muscles. When filled by a mass movement from the sigmoid colon, the rectum is stretched and produces the desire to defecate. If inhibited, the urge to defecate subsides but returns several hours later.

Watch this animated video: Digestion of food as a follow up to this article.

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ScienceDaily

Food’s transit time through body is a key factor in digestive health

The time it takes for ingested food to travel through the human gut – also called transit time – affects the amount of harmful degradation products produced along the way. This means that transit time is a key factor in a healthy digestive system. This is the finding of a study from the National Food Institute, Technical University of Denmark, which has been published in the renowned journal Nature Microbiology.

Food has to travel through eight meters of intestine from the time it enters the mouth of an adult person until it comes out the other end. Recent research has focused mainly on the influence of the bacterial composition of the gut on the health of people’s digestive system.

Taking this a step further, Postdoc Henrik Munch Roager from the National Food Institute has studied how food’s transit time through the colon affects gut bacteria’s role in the activity and health of the digestive system by measuring the products of bacterial activity, which end up in urine.

The effect of food’s transit time

Intestinal bacteria prefer to digest dietary carbohydrates, but when these are depleted, the bacteria start to break down other nutrients such as proteins. Researchers have previously observed correlations between some of the bacterial protein degradation products that are produced in the colon and the development of various diseases including colorectal cancer, chronic renal disease and autism.

“In short, our study shows that the longer food takes to pass through the colon, the more harmful bacterial degradation products are produced. Conversely, when the transit time is shorter, we find a higher amount of the substances that are produced when the colon renews its inner surface, which may be a sign of a healthier intestinal wall,” Henrik’s supervisor and professor at the National Food Institute, Tine Rask Licht, explains.

It is commonly thought that a very diverse bacterial population in the gut is most healthy, however both the study from the National Food Institute and other brand news studies show that bacterial richness in stool is also often associated with a long transit time.

”We believe that a rich bacterial composition in the gut is not necessarily synonymous with a healthy digestive system, if it is an indication that food takes a long time to travel through the colon,” Tine Rask Licht says.

Better understanding of constipation as a risk factor

The study shows that transit time is a key factor in the activity of the intestinal bacteria and this emphasizes the importance of preventing constipation, which may have an impact on health. This is highly relevant in Denmark where up to as much as 20% of the population suffers from constipation from time to time.

The National Food Institute’s findings can help researchers better understand diseases where constipation is considered a risk factor, such as colorectal cancer and Parkinson’s disease as well as afflictions where constipation often occurs such as ADHD and autism.

Influencing food’s transit time

Tine Rask Licht emphasizes that people’s dietary habits can influence transit time:

”You can help food pass through the colon by eating a diet rich in fibre and drinking plenty of water. It may also be worth trying to limit the intake of for example meat, which slows down the transit time and provides the gut bacteria with lots of protein to digest. Physical activity can also reduce the time it takes for food to travel through the colon.”

  • Gastrointestinal Problems
  • Colon Cancer
  • Agriculture and Food
  • Food and Agriculture
  • Gastrointestinal tract
  • Healthy diet
  • Cystic fibrosis
  • Food groups
  • Organic food

Story Source:

Materials provided by Technical University of Denmark (DTU) . Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference :

  • Henrik M. Roager, Lea B. S. Hansen, Martin I. Bahl, Henrik L. Frandsen, Vera Carvalho, Rikke J. Gøbel, Marlene D. Dalgaard, Damian R. Plichta, Morten H. Sparholt, Henrik Vestergaard, Torben Hansen, Thomas Sicheritz-Pontén, H. Bjørn Nielsen, Oluf Pedersen, Lotte Lauritzen, Mette Kristensen, Ramneek Gupta, Tine R. Licht. Colonic transit time is related to bacterial metabolism and mucosal turnover in the gut . Nature Microbiology , 2016; 1: 16093 DOI: 10.1038/nmicrobiol.2016.93

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Gastrointestinal Transit: How Long Does It Take?

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Your Digestive System & How it Works

On this page:

What is the digestive system?

Why is digestion important, how does my digestive system work, how does food move through my gi tract, how does my digestive system break food into small parts my body can use, what happens to the digested food, how does my body control the digestive process, clinical trials.

The digestive system is made up of the gastrointestinal tract—also called the GI tract or digestive tract—and the liver , pancreas , and gallbladder. The GI tract is a series of hollow organs joined in a long, twisting tube from the mouth to the anus . The hollow organs that make up the GI tract are the mouth, esophagus , stomach, small intestine, large intestine, and anus. The liver, pancreas, and gallbladder are the solid organs of the digestive system.

The small intestine has three parts. The first part is called the duodenum. The jejunum is in the middle and the ileum is at the end. The large intestine includes the appendix , cecum, colon , and rectum. The appendix is a finger-shaped pouch attached to the cecum. The cecum is the first part of the large intestine. The colon is next. The rectum is the end of the large intestine.

Human model showing the digestive system, which includes the mouth, salivary glands, esophagus, stomach, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, large and small intestines, appendix, rectum, and anus.

Bacteria in your GI tract, also called gut flora or microbiome, help with digestion . Parts of your nervous and circulatory systems also help. Working together, nerves, hormones , bacteria, blood, and the organs of your digestive system digest the foods and liquids you eat or drink each day.

Digestion is important because your body needs nutrients from food and drink to work properly and stay healthy. Proteins , fats , carbohydrates , vitamins , minerals , and water are nutrients. Your digestive system breaks nutrients into parts small enough for your body to absorb and use for energy, growth, and cell repair.

  • Proteins break into amino acids
  • Fats break into fatty acids and glycerol
  • Carbohydrates break into simple sugars

MyPlate offers ideas and tips to help you meet your individual health needs .

Girl eating a tomato with yellow peppers, broccoli, carrots, and pasta. Photo also shows a glass of water.

Each part of your digestive system helps to move food and liquid through your GI tract, break food and liquid into smaller parts, or both. Once foods are broken into small enough parts, your body can absorb and move the nutrients to where they are needed. Your large intestine absorbs water, and the waste products of digestion become stool . Nerves and hormones help control the digestive process.

The digestive process

Food moves through your GI tract by a process called peristalsis. The large, hollow organs of your GI tract contain a layer of muscle that enables their walls to move. The movement pushes food and liquid through your GI tract and mixes the contents within each organ. The muscle behind the food contracts and squeezes the food forward, while the muscle in front of the food relaxes to allow the food to move.

Photo of woman eating a strawberry.

Mouth. Food starts to move through your GI tract when you eat. When you swallow, your tongue pushes the food into your throat. A small flap of tissue, called the epiglottis, folds over your windpipe to prevent choking and the food passes into your esophagus.

Esophagus. Once you begin swallowing, the process becomes automatic. Your brain signals the muscles of the esophagus and peristalsis begins.

Lower esophageal sphincter. When food reaches the end of your esophagus, a ringlike muscle—called the lower esophageal sphincter —relaxes and lets food pass into your stomach. This sphincter usually stays closed to keep what’s in your stomach from flowing back into your esophagus.

Stomach. After food enters your stomach, the stomach muscles mix the food and liquid with digestive juices . The stomach slowly empties its contents, called chyme , into your small intestine.

Small intestine. The muscles of the small intestine mix food with digestive juices from the pancreas, liver, and intestine, and push the mixture forward for further digestion. The walls of the small intestine absorb water and the digested nutrients into your bloodstream. As peristalsis continues, the waste products of the digestive process move into the large intestine.

Large intestine. Waste products from the digestive process include undigested parts of food, fluid, and older cells from the lining of your GI tract. The large intestine absorbs water and changes the waste from liquid into stool. Peristalsis helps move the stool into your rectum.

Rectum. The lower end of your large intestine, the rectum, stores stool until it pushes stool out of your anus during a bowel movement .

Watch this video to see how food moves through your GI tract .

As food moves through your GI tract, your digestive organs break the food into smaller parts using:

  • motion, such as chewing, squeezing, and mixing
  • digestive juices, such as stomach acid, bile , and enzymes

Mouth. The digestive process starts in your mouth when you chew. Your salivary glands make saliva , a digestive juice, which moistens food so it moves more easily through your esophagus into your stomach. Saliva also has an enzyme that begins to break down starches in your food.

Esophagus. After you swallow, peristalsis pushes the food down your esophagus into your stomach.

Stomach. Glands in your stomach lining make stomach acid and enzymes that break down food. Muscles of your stomach mix the food with these digestive juices.

Pancreas. Your pancreas makes a digestive juice that has enzymes that break down carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. The pancreas delivers the digestive juice to the small intestine through small tubes called ducts.

Liver. Your liver makes a digestive juice called bile that helps digest fats and some vitamins. Bile ducts carry bile from your liver to your gallbladder for storage, or to the small intestine for use.

Gallbladder. Your gallbladder stores bile between meals. When you eat, your gallbladder squeezes bile through the bile ducts into your small intestine.

Small intestine. Your small intestine makes digestive juice, which mixes with bile and pancreatic juice to complete the breakdown of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Bacteria in your small intestine make some of the enzymes you need to digest carbohydrates. Your small intestine moves water from your bloodstream into your GI tract to help break down food. Your small intestine also absorbs water with other nutrients.

Large intestine. In your large intestine, more water moves from your GI tract into your bloodstream. Bacteria in your large intestine help break down remaining nutrients and make vitamin K . Waste products of digestion, including parts of food that are still too large, become stool.

The small intestine absorbs most of the nutrients in your food, and your circulatory system passes them on to other parts of your body to store or use. Special cells help absorbed nutrients cross the intestinal lining into your bloodstream. Your blood carries simple sugars, amino acids, glycerol, and some vitamins and salts to the liver. Your liver stores, processes, and delivers nutrients to the rest of your body when needed.

The lymph system , a network of vessels that carry white blood cells and a fluid called lymph throughout your body to fight infection, absorbs fatty acids and vitamins.

Your body uses sugars, amino acids, fatty acids, and glycerol to build substances you need for energy, growth, and cell repair.

Your hormones and nerves work together to help control the digestive process. Signals flow within your GI tract and back and forth from your GI tract to your brain.

Cells lining your stomach and small intestine make and release hormones that control how your digestive system works. These hormones tell your body when to make digestive juices and send signals to your brain that you are hungry or full. Your pancreas also makes hormones that are important to digestion.

You have nerves that connect your central nervous system—your brain and spinal cord—to your digestive system and control some digestive functions. For example, when you see or smell food, your brain sends a signal that causes your salivary glands to "make your mouth water" to prepare you to eat.

You also have an enteric nervous system (ENS)—nerves within the walls of your GI tract. When food stretches the walls of your GI tract, the nerves of your ENS release many different substances that speed up or delay the movement of food and the production of digestive juices. The nerves send signals to control the actions of your gut muscles to contract and relax to push food through your intestines.

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and other components of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) conduct and support research into many diseases and conditions.

What are clinical trials, and are they right for you?

Watch a video of NIDDK Director Dr. Griffin P. Rodgers explaining the importance of participating in clinical trials.

What clinical trials are open?

Clinical trials that are currently open and are recruiting can be viewed at www.ClinicalTrials.gov .

This content is provided as a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health. NIDDK translates and disseminates research findings to increase knowledge and understanding about health and disease among patients, health professionals, and the public. Content produced by NIDDK is carefully reviewed by NIDDK scientists and other experts.

List of Foods That Are Passed Quickly Through the Digestive System

The two types of fiber in plant-based foods help digestion by dissolving easily or passing quickly through the digestive system. Soluble fiber forms a soft gel, while insoluble fiber moves through the stomach and colon, and keeps other food or waste moving too. Finding foods to eat that aid this process will preserve your colon health and may lower your chances of developing coronary heart disease, according to the USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Eat a wide variety of fiber foods for broader nutrition and lower calories than meat, fish and poultry menu items.

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All fruits have some dietary fiber and help digestion as they pass quickly through the gastrointestinal tract. Enjoy apples, bananas, kiwis and pineapple for moderate amounts of fiber. The USDA Nutrient Database lists high-fiber fruits as foods to eat with 20 percent or greater total daily fiber values. These include Asian pears, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, peaches, domestic pears and strawberries.

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Cooked Vegetables

Not only do cooked vegetables such as high-fiber spinach, broccoli and Brussels sprouts help digestion, they have more nutritional value than raw veggies. While your body can digest raw vegetables, cooking softens their bulk, making carbohydrates, sugars, fats, proteins and soluble fiber easier to digest.

The National Institutes of Health explain that insoluble fiber content moves through your digestive system unchanged, helping the mucosa slough off dead cells and pushing or carrying waste through the intestine. Carrots, squash, cauliflower and all other vegetables contain moderate amounts of dietary fiber.

Whole-Grain Products

Whole grains such as brown rice contain carbohydrates, which are easily broken down, and fiber, to help digestion. Along with legumes, they also represent plant-based foods to eat as lowfat protein substitutes for meat.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest whole-wheat pasta, tortillas, bread, bagels, bulgur and couscous, as opposed to refined egg noodles and white breads. Other grain foods that pass quickly through the digestive system include cereals and baked goods made with whole oat, corn, rice, barley and wheat bran.

Beans and Peas

The legume family contains the highest-fiber foods to eat for digestive system health. Like some whole-grain cereals, lentils, split peas, soybeans and many cooked dry beans contain 40 percent or high portions of total daily fiber values, as per the USDA. Beans and peas that provide the greatest fiber benefit include navy, pinto, black, kidney and lima beans, as well as chickpeas and black-eyed peas.

  • USDA: Dietary Guidelines for Americans
  • National Institutes of Health: Digestive System and How It Works
  • U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Carbohydrates

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8 Ways to Naturally Digest Food Faster

Digest Your Food Faster by Following These Healthy Tips

how fast can food travel through your body

Marley Hall is a writer and fact checker who is certified in clinical and translational research. Her work has been published in medical journals in the field of surgery, and she has received numerous awards for publication in education.

how fast can food travel through your body

Luis Alvarez / Getty Images

8 Ways to Naturally Speed Up Digestion

Exercise regularly, eat more fiber, minimize fast food, drink more water, prioritize sleep, keep stress levels low, avoid overeating, chew your food, understanding the digestive process, how long does it take to digest food.

Without the digestive system, you wouldn’t be able to eat or absorb any nutrients from food. Sometimes, though, the digestive system can seem like your worst enemy. You’ve likely spent some time cursing your stomach for gurgling and cramping, shaking your fist at your bowels for moving too slow (or too fast), or groaning with discomfort from bloating and gas. 

You can alleviate most of these common digestive problems by understanding how your digestive system works and taking steps to ensure all of your food moves smoothly—and at the right pace—through your entire gastrointestinal tract. 

If you've been feeling some pain, bloating, or any kind of discomfort in your stomach, the following tips may help you speed up your digestion naturally.

How to Digest Food Faster

  • Exercise regularly
  • Eat more fiber
  • Minimize fast food
  • Drink more water
  • Prioritize sleep
  • Keep stress levels low
  • Avoid overeating
  • Chew your food

If there were a miracle drug, exercise would be it. Truly, physical activity provides so many benefits, from stress relief to strength to reduced disease risk.

In addition to those well-known benefits of exercise, moving your body can also help move food through your digestive system. And this effect is significant: One study showed that regular  cycling  and  jogging  can reduce gut transit time by 14.6 hours and 17.2 hours, respectively.  That’s no small difference! 

Additionally, people with existing constipation may benefit from a simple workout routine. Some research has found that just 30 minutes of walking and 11 minutes of at-home exercise each day can significantly improve symptoms.

Plus, inactivity has been linked to reduced gastrointestinal motility  (the ability of your body to move things through your digestive tract) and reduced transit time.  If you needed another reason to start exercising regularly, improved digestion is it.  

You probably already know that  fiber improves digestive health . In terms of digestion time specifically, fiber helps in two ways: Soluble fiber absorbs water and makes your stool easier to pass, while insoluble fiber pushes food through your digestive tract and keeps things moving.  Studies have linked a high-fiber diet to a reduced risk of inflammatory bowel conditions and digestive disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

If you don’t get a lot of fiber right now, start increasing your fiber intake gradually. Adding too much fiber to your diet at once can have the opposite effect of what you want, causing bloating, gas, and constipation.

Healthy fats , such as those found in  avocados , almonds,  chia seeds , olive oil, and fish, provide essential health benefits to your body. Other types of fats, such as those found in  fast food  and fried potato chips, may slow digestion. 

Scientists think these foods can cause constipation because they contain lots of fat, which takes longer to digest, and don’t contain much if any, fiber.  High salt content may also reduce the water content of your stool, making it more difficult to pass.

Additionally, eating mostly fast food or high-fat prepared foods may simply not leave enough room in your diet for foods that benefit digestion, such as fruits, vegetables, and  whole grains . 

Low fluid intake has been linked to constipation in both children  and adults. While hydration needs vary among individuals, experts recommend consuming 3.7 liters (125 ounces, or about 15.5 cups) of fluid daily for men and 2.7 liters (91 ounces, or about 11 cups) for women.

This sounds like a lot, but keep in mind that this recommendation includes fluid you get from foods and non-water beverages. Eating lots of fruits and vegetables can help you meet the  recommended fluid intake . 

Also, there’s no solid evidence that shows  caffeine  to be dehydrating,  especially in individuals who drink caffeinated beverages daily. Plus, caffeine may actually help speed things along in your digestive tract.

Scientists have hypothesized for decades that sleep habits could have an effect on digestion and bowel movements.  Years later, that relationship stands. Disturbed sleep seems to negatively affect next-day digestion,  with a particularly significant effect on abdominal pain  and distension (bloating).

Poor sleep has also been linked to gastrointestinal diseases, including gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), peptic ulcer disease (PUD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).  The Gastrointestinal Society, an arm of the Canadian Center for Intestinal Research, recommends high-quality sleep as a lifestyle-based treatment for poor digestion and digestive disorders.

People often experience upset stomachs, “butterflies,” or gut-wrenching pain before big events, such as an important exam, proposing to a significant other, or interviewing for a big job. This type of stress-induced tummy ache typically subsides immediately or shortly after the important event ends. Chronic stress, however, can have a long-term impact on your digestive health.

Your gut and brain communicate on a two-way street, and when stress rises, miscommunications can happen. In fact, your brain and gut share so much communication that some experts have dubbed the gut a “second brain.”

The connection between  stress  and slow digestion doesn’t end there: When you’re stressed, your body adopts a state of heightened alert. Your fight-or-flight mechanism is always on. This can cause your blood pressure to rise, cortisol levels to increase, muscles to tense up, and heart to beat faster.

While all those mechanisms are speeding up, your body slams the brakes on mechanisms that it feels aren’t as important in the moment—like digestion. When your brain thinks you’re running from a bear, it doesn’t care what’s going on in your stomach. This means chronic stress can lead to symptoms like alterations in your appetite (more hungry or less hungry), bloating, constipation, and stomach aches.

If you’re feeling particularly anxious at mealtime, you may want to try a stress-reducing tactic before you eat. One study showed that people who ate while anxious experienced increased symptoms of bloating and fullness.  Stress can also exacerbate existing digestive conditions, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

Everyone knows what it feels like to eat way too much food in one sitting—it’s not pleasant. Eating too much overloads your digestive system and bogs the process down, which can cause digestion to slow. If you tend to overeat at every meal, you may think that slow digestion is your “normal,” but you can enjoy speedy digestion (and avoid uncomfortable fullness) by eating smaller meals. 

This isn’t to say you need to eat less overall—you should certainly eat enough to support your body and lifestyle—but you might consider eating more frequent, smaller meals.

For example, if you currently eat three large meals each day and deal with slow, uncomfortable digestion, try eating five or six small meals. Or, try throwing some satiating snacks, like trail mix or lean jerky bars, into your day and see if it helps you keep your meals smaller. 

Do you tend to  scarf food down  without really chewing it? If so, your lightning-speed eating habits may be contributing to slow and uncomfortable digestion. 

The digestive process starts in your mouth, where salivary enzymes begin to break down food. Your teeth help by crushing tough outer surfaces and skins on food, mashing each mouthful into a pulp that your digestive enzymes can easily permeate. 

Chewing your food thoroughly helps your body absorb more nutrients from certain foods  and may prevent you from overeating,  which can reduce the likelihood of indigestion.

The digestive system breaks food down into nutrients the body can absorb and uses it to power muscles, bones, joints, organs, blood vessels, and the brain. The nutrients you get from food are critical to proper body functioning; they help regulate every single mechanism that happens in your body. From hormone production to heartbeats, food is the start of it all. 

Understanding your digestive system starts with knowing which organs are involved. Here’s how the digestive system works in a nutshell:  

  • Your mouth starts the process by chewing food, lubricating it with saliva, and breaking it down into smaller pieces your body can digest. 
  • Food passes through your esophagus and lower esophageal sphincter, a valve that lets food into your stomach. 
  • In your stomach, digestive enzymes and acids further break down the food. 
  • Food (which no longer really resembles food) then passes through another valve called the pyloric valve and enters the small intestine. 
  • In the small intestine, vitamins, minerals , and other nutrients are absorbed by your body. Anything that doesn’t benefit your body (i.e., waste) gets moved through the ileocecal valve into the large intestine, or colon. 
  • By the time food reaches your colon, it’s pretty much digested. At this stage, gut bacteria further process waste, producing gas and creating important substances such as vitamin B12 and vitamin K. All there is left to do is absorb water and get rid of waste, which happens when stool enters the rectum and is expelled through the anus. 

Once you chew and swallow your food, the remaining actions in the digestive process are involuntarily powered by peristalsis, a powerful and continuous contraction of the muscles along your digestive tract.  

Digestion is different for everyone, and research suggests there's a pretty big range. Complete digestion may take just 10 hours or up to 73 hours (more than three days!).

Here’s how it breaks down, approximately:

  • After you eat, it takes six to eight hours for food to pass through your small intestine and stomach. 
  • Once food enters your colon, it can take about 36 hours (but up to 59 hours) to process.

Factors Affecting Digestion Time

The duration of total digestion time depends on many factors, including:

  • Digestive health and the presence of any digestive disorders
  • Emotional state (stress and anxiety)
  • Physical activity level
  • What kind of food you ate
  • How much food you ate
  • Sleep quality

A Word From Verywell

Slow digestion and constipation are common problems, but simple lifestyle changes like the ones described above can help regulate your digestion. It might seem like a lot at first, but you can start small by choosing just one or two to begin.

For example, start by taking a daily 20-minute walk to see if that helps. Then, you can practice mindful chewing or increase your water intake. These small habits add up to big changes and you'll be taking regular bathroom breaks in no time.

Oettlé GJ.  Effect of moderate exercise on bowel habit .  Gut . 1991;32(8):941-944. doi:10.1136/gut.32.8.941

De Schryver AM, Keulemans YC, Peters HP, et al.  Effects of regular physical activity on defecation pattern in middle-aged patients complaining of chronic constipation .  Scand J Gastroenterol . 2005;40(4):422-429. doi:10.1080/00365520510011641

Kim YS, Song BK, Oh JS, Woo SS.  Aerobic exercise improves gastrointestinal motility in psychiatric inpatients .  World J Gastroenterol . 2014;20(30):10577-10584. doi:10.3748/wjg.v20.i30.10577

Iovino P, Chiarioni G, Bilancio G, et al.  New onset of constipation during long-term physical inactivity: a proof-of-concept study on the immobility-induced bowel changes .  PLoS One . 2013;8(8):e72608. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0072608

McRorie JW Jr, McKeown NM.  Understanding the physics of functional fibers in the gastrointestinal tract: An evidence-based approach to resolving enduring misconceptions about insoluble and soluble fiber .  J Acad Nutr Diet . 2017;117(2):251-264. doi:10.1016/j.jand.2016.09.021

Viladomiu M, Hontecillas R, Yuan L, Lu P, Bassaganya-Riera J.  Nutritional protective mechanisms against gut inflammation .  J Nutr Biochem . 2013;24(6):929-939. doi:10.1016/j.jnutbio.2013.01.006

Taba Taba Vakili S, Nezami BG, Shetty A, Chetty VK, Srinivasan S.  Association of high dietary saturated fat intake and uncontrolled diabetes with constipation: evidence from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey .  Neurogastroenterol Motil . 2015;27(10):1389-1397. doi:10.1111/nmo.12630

Kavouras SA. Anastasiou CA.  Water physiology: Essentiality, metabolism, and health implications .  Nutrition Today . 2010;46(6):S27-S32. doi:10.1097/NT.0b013e3181fe1713 

Boilesen SN, Tahan S, Dias FC, Melli LCFL, de Morais MB.  Water and fluid intake in the prevention and treatment of functional constipation in children and adolescents: is there evidence? .  J Pediatr (Rio J) . 2017;93(4):320-327. doi:10.1016/j.jped.2017.01.005

Dietary Reference Intakes for Water, Potassium, Sodium, Chloride, and Sulfate . The National Academies Press; The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. doi:10.17226/10925.

Maughan RJ, Griffin J.  Caffeine ingestion and fluid balance: a review .  J Hum Nutr Diet . 2003;16(6):411-420. doi:10.1046/j.1365-277x.2003.00477.x

Killer SC, Blannin AK, Jeukendrup AE.  No evidence of dehydration with moderate daily coffee intake: a counterbalanced cross-over study in a free-living population .  PLoS One . 2014;9(1):e84154. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0084154

Lohsiriwat S, Kongmuang P, Leelakusolvong S.  Effects of caffeine on anorectal manometric findings .  Dis Colon Rectum . 2008;51(6):928-931. doi:10.1007/s10350-008-9271-y

Goldsmith G, Levin JS.  Effect of sleep quality on symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome .  Dig Dis Sci . 1993;38(10):1809-1814. doi:10.1007/BF01296103

Gwee KA.  Disturbed sleep and disturbed bowel functions: implications for constipation in healthy individuals .  J Neurogastroenterol Motil . 2011;17(2):108-109. doi:10.5056/jnm.2011.17.2.108

Khanijow V, Prakash P, Emsellem HA, Borum ML, Doman DB.  Sleep dysfunction and gastrointestinal diseases .  Gastroenterol Hepatol (N Y) . 2015;11(12):817-825.

Canadian Society of Intestinal Research.  Sleep .

American Psychological Association.  Stress effects on the body .

Ochoa-Repáraz J, Kasper LH.  The second brain: Is the gut microbiota a link between obesity and central nervous system disorders? .  Curr Obes Rep . 2016;5(1):51-64. doi:10.1007/s13679-016-0191-1

Harvard Health Publishing.  Understanding the stress response .

Geeraerts B, Vandenberghe J, Van Oudenhove L, et al.  Influence of experimentally induced anxiety on gastric sensorimotor function in humans .  Gastroenterology . 2005;129(5):1437-1444. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2005.08.020

Edman JS, Greeson JM, Roberts RS, et al.  Perceived stress in patients with common gastrointestinal disorders: Associations with quality of life, symptoms and disease ,management .  Explore (NY) . 2017;13(2):124-128. doi:10.1016/j.explore.2016.12.005

Cassady BA, Hollis JH, Fulford AD, Considine RV, Mattes RD.  Mastication of almonds: effects of lipid bioaccessibility, appetite, and hormone response ,  Am J Clin Nutr.  2009;89(3):794-800. doi:10.3945/ajcn.2008.26669

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By Amanda Capritto, ACE-CPT, INHC Amanda Capritto, ACE-CPT, INHC, is an advocate for simple health and wellness. She writes about nutrition, exercise and overall well-being.

What's Hot

How long does it take to absorb nutrients from food.

Juliette Steen

Associate Editor - Food, HuffPost Australia

how fast can food travel through your body

When you think of the digestive process, you might picture the (pretty creepy) plastic human body in the Healthy Harold van with their stomach lighting up. Or perhaps you see a diagram of a mishmash of worm-like intestines, like the image below.

Although we eat (and get rid of waste) every day, not everyone has a clear idea of what's actually happening in the digestive system, if at all. In reality, the process of digesting food and absorbing its nutrients is much longer and more complex than we believe.

Here's what happens as soon as you put food in your mouth.

Here's a creepy diagram you can use to understand the digestive process.

The digestive process:

  • Stage one: begins in the mouth via chewing, saliva and enzymes;
  • Stage two: food travels to the stomach via the esophagus;
  • Stage three: enters the stomach, where acids begin to break down food;
  • Stage four: food enters the small intestine, where it is further broken down and many nutrients are absorbed;
  • Stage five: passes through to large intestine, where other nutrients are absorbed, with the remaining solids finally making their way to the colon;
  • Stage six: solid waste is stored in the rectum and egested.

How long does it take to digest food?

"Digestion starts to happen immediately," accredited practising dietitian Chloe McLeod told HuffPost Australia.

"Some carbohydrates will be absorbed in the mouth as the food is chewed and broken down by enzymes. Enzymes in the stomach further break the food down, before most of the absorption taking place in the small intestine."

It normally takes 6-8 hours for food to pass through your stomach and small intestine, and to enter the large intestine, where it becomes fully digested.

"From there onward, it takes 40 hours for the waste to actually be excreted. It is a bit of a process, so what you're eating for breakfast today isn't going to be fully digested until the end of the day. What you eat for dinner is being digested overnight while you're asleep."

The exact time it takes for food to be digested depends on which nutrients the food contains and the quantity of the meal.

Fats and proteins take longer to digest than plant foods.

"Plant-based foods such as fruit and vegetables will usually move through more quickly than high-protein or fatty foods," McLeod said.

"Fat actually slows down digestion, so if the meal is higher in fat (whether it's healthy or unhealthy fats) it will take longer to digest. Really high-fibre meals take a bit longer to digest, as well, as the fibre is bulking everything out and slowing the transit time down."

How long does it take to absorb nutrients from food?

As we digest food, our body transports and utilises various vitamins, minerals, protein, carbohydrates and fats at different points along the digestive tract. The absorption process begins around 3-6 hours after eating.

"Nutrients get absorbed as the food is broken down, with the majority of nutrients being absorbed in the small intestine, where they're then transported into the blood stream," McLeod explained.

"In particular, sugars will be digested quickly and absorbed through the stomach wall and the wall of the small intestine, to then be utilised by the body.

"Various enzymes break down carbs, fat and protein. For example, bile acid breaks down fat, pancreatic juices help break down carbohydrates. Some nutrients are also absorbed via the large intestine."

Aim for variety when it comes to food, so you get a range of vitamins and minerals.

Some of the vitamins and minerals are absorbed by what's called 'active transport' across intestinal membranes.

"So they will attach to another compound and be transported across a passage. Whereas other nutrients will passively diffuse through the walls," McLeod said.

"For example, as fat is digested, it is broken down into small compounds in the small intestine before it is absorbed through the intestinal wall. The fatty acids then bind to a protein called albumin and are transported to the liver for energy or turned into longer chain fatty acids.

"Some fats form into triglycerides and are then moved into the blood stream. Any unused fat ends up being stored in adipose tissue."

For carbs, they are transported into the blood stream, and then to the muscles and stored as glycogen to be used for energy.

"Excess consumption also ends up with conversion to fat and stored in the adipose tissue."

Pretty cool, eh?

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Does intermittent fasting have benefits for our brain?

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Intermittent fasting has become a popular dietary approach to help people lose or manage their weight . It has also been promoted as a way to reset metabolism, control chronic disease, slow ageing and improve overall health .

Meanwhile, some research suggests intermittent fasting may offer a different way for the brain to access energy and provide protection against neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease .

This is not a new idea – the ancient Greeks believed fasting enhanced thinking . But what does the modern-day evidence say?

Read more: I want to eat healthily. So why do I crave sugar, salt and carbs?

First, what is intermittent fasting?

Our diets – including calories consumed, macronutrient composition (the ratios of fats, protein and carbohydrates we eat) and when meals are consumed – are factors in our lifestyle we can change. People do this for cultural reasons, desired weight loss or potential health gains.

Intermittent fasting consists of short periods of calorie (energy) restriction where food intake is limited for 12 to 48 hours (usually 12 to 16 hours per day), followed by periods of normal food intake. The intermittent component means a re-occurrence of the pattern rather than a “one off” fast.

Food deprivation beyond 24 hours typically constitutes starvation. This is distinct from fasting due to its specific and potentially harmful biochemical alterations and nutrient deficiencies if continued for long periods.

4 ways fasting works and how it might affect the brain

The brain accounts for about 20% of the body’s energy consumption .

Here are four ways intermittent fasting can act on the body which could help explain its potential effects on the brain.

The goal of many intermittent fasting routines is to flip a “ metabolic switch ” to go from burning predominately carbohydrates to burning fat. This is called ketosis and typically occurs after 12–16 hours of fasting, when liver and glycogen stores are depleted. Ketones – chemicals produced by this metabolic process – become the preferred energy source for the brain.

Due to this being a slower metabolic process to produce energy and potential for lowering blood sugar levels, ketosis can cause symptoms of hunger, fatigue, nausea, low mood , irritability, constipation, headaches, and brain “fog”.

At the same time, as glucose metabolism in the brain declines with ageing, studies have shown ketones could provide an alternative energy source to preserve brain function and prevent age-related neurodegeneration disorders and cognitive decline .

Consistent with this, increasing ketones through supplementation or diet has been shown to improve cognition in adults with mild cognitive decline and those at risk of Alzheimer’s disease respectively.

Read more: Does it matter what time of day I eat? And can intermittent fasting improve my health? Here's what the science says

2. Circadian syncing

Eating at times that don’t match our body’s natural daily rhythms can disrupt how our organs work. Studies in shift workers have suggested this might also make us more prone to chronic disease .

Time-restricted eating is when you eat your meals within a six to ten-hour window during the day when you’re most active. Time-restricted eating causes changes in expression of genes in tissue and helps the body during rest and activity.

A 2021 study of 883 adults in Italy indicated those who restricted their food intake to ten hours a day were less likely to have cognitive impairment compared to those eating without time restrictions.

older man playing chess

3. Mitochondria

Intermittent fasting may provide brain protection through improving mitochondrial function, metabolism and reducing oxidants.

Mitochondria’s main role is to produce energy and they are crucial to brain health. Many age-related diseases are closely related to an energy supply and demand imbalance, likely attributed to mitochondrial dysfunction during ageing .

Rodent studies suggest alternate day fasting or reducing calories by up to 40% might protect or improve brain mitochondrial function . But not all studies support this theory.

4. The gut-brain axis

The gut and the brain communicate with each other via the body’s nervous systems. The brain can influence how the gut feels (think about how you get “butterflies” in your tummy when nervous) and the gut can affect mood, cognition and mental health.

In mice, intermittent fasting has shown promise for improving brain health by increasing survival and formation of neurons (nerve cells) in the hippocampus brain region, which is involved in memory, learning and emotion.

medical clinician shows woman a sheet of brain scans

There’s no clear evidence on the effects of intermittent fasting on cognition in healthy adults. However one 2022 study interviewed 411 older adults and found lower meal frequency (less than three meals a day) was associated with reduced evidence of Alzheimer’s disease on brain imaging.

Some research has suggested calorie restriction may have a protective effect against Alzheimer’s disease by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation and promoting vascular health.

When we look at the effects of overall energy restriction (rather than intermittent fasting specifically) the evidence is mixed. Among people with mild cognitive impairment, one study showed cognitive improvement when participants followed a calorie restricted diet for 12 months.

Another study found a 25% calorie restriction was associated with slightly improved working memory in healthy adults. But a recent study , which looked at the impact of calorie restriction on spatial working memory, found no significant effect.

Read more: Yes, intermittent fasting can boost your health, but how and when to restrict food consumption is crucial

Bottom line

Studies in mice support a role for intermittent fasting in improving brain health and ageing, but few studies in humans exist, and the evidence we have is mixed.

Rapid weight loss associated with calorie restriction and intermittent fasting can lead to nutrient deficiencies, muscle loss, and decreased immune function, particularly in older adults whose nutritional needs may be higher.

Further, prolonged fasting or severe calorie restriction may pose risks such as fatigue, dizziness, and electrolyte imbalances, which could exacerbate existing health conditions.

If you’re considering intermittent fasting , it’s best to seek advice from a health professional such as a dietitian who can provide guidance on structuring fasting periods, meal timing, and nutrient intake. This ensures intermittent fasting is approached in a safe, sustainable way, tailored to individual needs and goals.

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  • Cognitive function
  • Alzheimer's disease
  • Brain health

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The Alarming Findings Inside a Mass Shooter’s Brain

An attack by an army reservist prompted a search for answers about whether the soldier’s service could have been a factor..

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Last fall, an Army reservist killed 18 people at a bowling alley and restaurant in Lewiston, Maine, before turning the gun on himself.

Dave Philipps, who covers military affairs for The Times, had already been investigating the idea that soldiers could be injured just by firing their own weapons. Analyzing the case of the gunman in Lewiston, Dave explains, could change our understanding of the effects of modern warfare on the human brain.

On today’s episode

how fast can food travel through your body

Dave Philipps , who covers war, the military and veterans for The New York Times.

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COMMENTS

  1. How Can Diarrhea Travel So Quickly Through The Body When Digestion

    Diarrhea happens when there is an imbalance in water secretion and absorption within the body. This excess water causes the stool to pass through quicker than normal. My fifth-grade textbook said that it takes more than 24 hours to complete digestion. The food is slowly pushed down through our gut, breaking it into its building blocks so that ...

  2. Digestion: How long does it take?

    After you eat, it takes about six to eight hours for food to pass through your stomach and small intestine. Food then enters your large intestine (colon) for further digestion, absorption of water and, finally, elimination of undigested food. It takes about 36 hours for food to move through the entire colon. All in all, the whole process ...

  3. Bowel Transit Time Test: How Long Does Your Digestion Take?

    A stomach that functions properly will empty in 2 to 5 hours. Food generally takes 2 to 6 hours to move through the small intestine and 10 to 59 hours to move through the colon. If you've ...

  4. How Long Does It Take to Digest Food?

    In general, food takes 24 to 72 hours to move through your digestive tract. The exact time depends on the amount and types of foods you've eaten. The rate is also based on factors like your ...

  5. How Long It Takes To Digest Food, From Beginning To End

    Summary. Food takes about 2-6 hours to reach your small intestine; 2-6 hours to reach your large intestine; and 10-59 hours to pass. So all and all, the entire process can take from 14-71 hours. Gut motility, diet, and supplements can can affect your personal digestion time.

  6. How Long Does It Take to Digest Food? About 4 to 6 Hours

    Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can help improve your digestion. In general, it will take four to six hours for your stomach to digest food. However, it can take between 2 to 5 days ...

  7. How long does it take to digest food?

    These studies suggest that it can take anywhere from 0.4 to 15.3 hours for food to leave the stomach, and from 3.3 to 7 hours for it to pass through the entire small intestine. The leftover ...

  8. How Long Does It Take to Digest Food

    Dr. Lee says the entire digestive process can take several hours. Food generally stays in your stomach between 40 and 120-plus minutes. Then add another 40 to 120 minutes for time spent in the ...

  9. How Long Does It Take to Digest Food?

    Food can take hours to days to travel through the digestive tract. It can take anywhere from 10 hours to 3 days to digest your food. Digestion is a complex process that involves many different parts of the body. Easily digestible foods will take less time to move through your digestive tract. Some foods, like greasy or fatty foods, take longer ...

  10. Food's journey through the digestive system

    Swallowing: Ingestion 2. The food is formed into a small ball called a bolus, which is pushed to the back of the mouth by the tongue. Involuntary muscle contractions in the pharynx then push the bolus down towards the oesophagus. This swallowing reflex takes about 1-3 seconds.

  11. From Food to Poo: How Long Does Digestion Take?

    Digestion is how your body turns food into fuel. On average, the process takes 24 to 72 hours, but how long it takes for your body to digest food will depend on factors like: what you eat. how ...

  12. Food's transit time through body is a key factor in digestive health

    June 27, 2016. Source: Technical University of Denmark (DTU) Summary: The time it takes for ingested food to travel through the human gut - also called transit time - affects the amount of ...

  13. Digestion: Duration, process, and tips

    Fast facts on digestion: The body typically digests foods within 24 to 72 hours. Digestion begins from when food enters the mouth. Once in the stomach, the food is mixed with stomach acid. Once in ...

  14. Pooping After Eating: Is Food Going Right Through Me?

    When food hits your stomach, your body releases certain hormones. These hormones tell your colon to contract to move food through your colon and out of your body. This makes room for more food ...

  15. Gastrointestinal Transit: How Long Does It Take?

    50% of stomach contents emptied. 2.5 to 3 hours. Total emptying of the stomach. 4 to 5 hours. 50% emptying of the small intestine. 2.5 to 3 hours. Transit through the colon. 30 to 40 hours. Remember that these are estimates of average transit times, and there is a great deal of variability among individuals and within the same person at ...

  16. Your Digestive System & How it Works

    The movement pushes food and liquid through your GI tract and mixes the contents within each organ. The muscle behind the food contracts and squeezes the food forward, while the muscle in front of the food relaxes to allow the food to move. The digestive process starts when you put food in your mouth. Mouth.

  17. List of Foods That Are Passed Quickly Through the Digestive System

    The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest whole-wheat pasta, tortillas, bread, bagels, bulgur and couscous, as opposed to refined egg noodles and white breads. Other grain foods that pass quickly through the digestive system include cereals and baked goods made with whole oat, corn, rice, barley and wheat bran.

  18. 8 Ways to Naturally Digest Food Faster

    View All. 8 Ways to Naturally Speed Up Digestion. Exercise Regularly. Eat More Fiber. Minimize Fast Food. Drink More Water. Without the digestive system, you wouldn't be able to eat or absorb any nutrients from food. Sometimes, though, the digestive system can seem like your worst enemy. You've likely spent some time cursing your stomach ...

  19. How Long Does It Take To Absorb Nutrients From Food?

    Enzymes in the stomach further break the food down, before most of the absorption taking place in the small intestine." It normally takes 6-8 hours for food to pass through your stomach and small intestine, and to enter the large intestine, where it becomes fully digested. "From there onward, it takes 40 hours for the waste to actually be excreted.

  20. How Long Does It Take for Water to Pass Through Your Body?

    Unlike foods, water can be "digested" in as little as 5 minutes. Excess water leaves your body through urination and feces but is also excreted by sweating. Your body uses water for many of ...

  21. How Food Moves Through Your Body

    When you eat, food enters your digestive tract. The digestive tract is a series of organs that form a pathway from your mouth to your anus. As food moves down this pathway, it is processed and changed to waste. After food is changed to waste, it is pushed out of your body in a bowel movement. The stomach breaks down food into a liquid mixture.

  22. What is the shortest possible transit time for food to pass ...

    In a normal person: without any prior surgeries or GI diseases, about 60 90 minutes from the mouth thru the small intestine to reach the colon and then another 24-36 hour... Read More Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone ...

  23. Here's How Fast Food Can Affect Your Body

    A quick swing through the drive-thru can seem like a great option, but there's a definite downside. In order to serve up food so quickly, cheaply and consistently, many fast food restaurants ...

  24. Does intermittent fasting have benefits for our brain?

    The brain accounts for about 20% of the body's energy consumption. Here are four ways intermittent fasting can act on the body which could help explain its potential effects on the brain. 1. Ketosis

  25. The Alarming Findings Inside a Mass Shooter's Brain

    An attack by an Army reservist prompted a search for answers about whether the soldier's service could have been a factor. March 13, 2024, 6:00 a.m. ET. Hosted by Sabrina Tavernise. Featuring ...

  26. How to plan for successful fasting during Ramadan

    During Ramadan, your body needs a variety of nutritious food to deal with the stress of fasting during the day. Here's how to prepare the body for a full-day fast.

  27. | THE CLARK'S

    Parasites can range from tiny amoeba that are not visible to your naked eyes, up to 35-foot long tapeworms! They lay eggs in the body and given the right environment, each one can lay hundreds of thousands or millions of eggs daily!! Their eggs can enter into blood circulation, travel to various organs in the body and cause diseases.