Food in intestines how long

This article was medically reviewed by Jason R. Our stories are reviewed by medical professionals to ensure you get the most accurate and useful information about your health and wellness.

For more information, visit our medical review board. 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. Visit Insider's Health Reference library for more advice. Sarah Fielding is a freelance writer covering a range of topics with a focus on mental health and women's issues.

She is also the co-founder of Empire Coven , a space for highlighting trailblazing women across New York. HEALTH 5 science-backed tips to reduce bloating, pain, and gas — and prevent it from occurring again. How long is it before a meal reaches the large intestine? The answer to such commonly-asked questions is not necessarily simple.

First, there is considerable normal variability among healthy people and animals in transit times through different sections of the gatrointestinal tract. Second, the time required for material to move through the digestive tube is significantly affected by the composition of the meal. Finally, transit time is influenced by such factors as psychological stress and even gender and reproductive status.

Lee cautions, though, that these times are estimates. How long it takes to digest food varies depending on:. People also start developing medical conditions, such as high blood pressure , diabetes and atherosclerosis. Medications for these conditions can delay digestion. That means you may feel hungrier more often when taking these medications, even if you had enough to eat. Your perception of these sensations is also highly individual.

Lee adds. Complete digestion of food takes anywhere between 24 to 72 hours and depends on several factors, including the type of food eaten and the presence of digestive issues. This article looks at the digestive process and potential digestive problems and recommends ways to improve digestion. In many cases, the food moves through the stomach and small intestine within 6 to 8 hours.

It then passes to the large intestine colon. Once food reaches the large intestine, it may remain there for up to a day or more as it undergoes further breakdown. In fact, there are three separate stages of digestion:. Chewing food breaks it down into smaller particles and mixes them with saliva.

An enzyme present in saliva, called amylase, acts on carbohydrates in the food to break them down. In the stomach, an enzyme called pepsin helps to break down proteins into smaller particles. Stomach acid also plays an important role in preventing food-borne illness as it kills any bacteria or viruses that may have been present in the food. Nutrients and water that have been removed from the digested food pass through the walls of the small intestine.

They enter the bloodstream and travel to various areas of the body where they are used to repair and build. The unabsorbed and undigested food that remains then moves to the large intestine. Here, some more nutrients and water are absorbed. The remainder is stored in the rectum until it leaves the body through a bowel movement. To enjoy a healthy digestive system and to prevent constipation and diarrhea , try the following:.

Fiber-rich foods, including fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains, help move food through the digestive system more rapidly. They also help prevent constipation, feed gut bacteria, and help with weight loss. Processed and fast foods are often high in fat, making them difficult to digest.