Question: For how long does digestion of food take place

Bernerd Fulanda answered on 14 Jul 2017:

Dear Dremy
In general, food takes 1-3 days to move through your digestive tract. The exact time depends on the amounts and types of foods you’ve eaten. The rate is also based on factors like your gender, metabolism, and whether you have any digestive issues that could slow down or speed up the process.
At first, food travels relatively quickly through your digestive system. Within six to eight hours, the food has moved its way through your stomach, small intestine, and large intestine.
Once in your large intestine, the partially digested contents of your meal can sit for more than a day while it’s broken down even more. A Mayo Clinic study found that the average time food spends in the large intestine varies by gender: 33 hours for men and 47 hours for women.
Your digestion rate is also based on what you’ve eaten. Meat and fish can take as long as two days to fully digest. The proteins and fats they contain are complex molecules that take longer for your body to pull apart.
By contrast, fruits and vegetables, which are high in fiber, move through your system in less than a day. In fact, these high-fiber foods help your digestive track run more efficiently in general.
The quickest to digest are processed, sugary junk foods like candy bars. Your body tears through them in a matter of hours, quickly leaving you hungry again.