Shining a Light on the Mystery of Digestion
By
Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Posted December 21, 2023
If you’ve ever wondered how long your food takes to go from your mouth to your behind, you’re NOT alone.
It’s something most folks are curious about.
In fact, I’ve had many folks ask me that precise question recently. But the answer is more complex than you might imagine.
Foods are broken down and absorbed by the body at different rates based on composition.
This means that some of the meal you just ate may be headed to the big intestine while other parts are still being broken down in the stomach.
Also, we’re all individuals, and the rate at which we digest our food can differ slightly.
But for all of us, from the moment you start to chew your food, digestion starts.
The speed at which you digest depends on many things, such as…
- the foods you eat,
- the health of your gut,
- your metabolism,
- and the medicines you take.
A recent study confirmed that food can take between 0.4 to 15.3 hours to leave the stomach and between 3.3 and 7 hours to move through the whole small intestine.
The extra parts of the food that haven’t been broken down yet are then taken to the large intestine, where they may stay for another 15.9 to 28.9 hours.
When you do that math, the total travel time can be anywhere from 20 to 40 hours.
A fast transit time isn’t necessarily better than a slower one. The big concern is not with speed but how well food is digested.
If you find a lot of undigested food in your stool, it IS cause for concern. Otherwise, the trip your meals take from food to non-food has a lot of variability.
P.S. Try this tasty hack to SUPERCHARGE your gut health.
Written By Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Nearly 25 years ago, failed mainstream medical treatments left Dr. Olson in constant pain – and his health in ruins. And that’s when he did something REVOLUTIONARY. He began his career in medicine – and dedicated his life to uncovering the true, underlying causes of disease.
Through his innovative medical practices in Tennessee and Colorado, Dr. Olson has helped cure countless seniors from across America of arthritis… heart disease… diabetes… and even cancer. All without risky prescription drugs or painful surgeries.
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