Digestion is an essential body function that is also interconnected with a large portion of the organs in your body. For digestion to occur, the parts of the gastrointestinal system must function together. When one of these parts becomes damaged or doesn’t function as it should, seeking professional medical guidance from a gastrointestinal specialist can help restore proper digestive processes.
If you’re unsure of how long digestion may take, here’s some information that might give you a better idea of the baseline. If you notice that your digestive system takes longer than is standard to digest your food, you would likely benefit from seeing a specialist.
On average, how long does it take for your food to digest?
- From the stomach to the small intestine — On average, the amount of time it takes for food to travel from the stomach to the small intestine takes anywhere from six to eight hours.
- From the large intestine and out through a bowel movement — During the part of the digestive process when the food enters the large intestine, it takes approximately 36 hours to exit out of the colon.
It’s worth noting that these times can vary based on several factors. They can differ based on the type of food that’s been eaten, how much of it you’ve eaten, physical activity and any metabolic disorders you may have. Certain foods like candies may travel through more quickly than other foods like proteins. Metabolic disorders can make digestion slower than normal, negatively impacting how long it takes for you to digest your food.
Don’t hesitate to reach out to Center for Digestive Health with any further questions!
Still wondering what other things you should know about digestive health services? Are you not sure why you might need care, or maybe you are looking for more information or have other digestive health questions? Please don’t wait to reach out to one of our team members for help. Our team of GI specialists has the training and experience to answer any questions you may have. They can also help you find the most effective treatments for your conditions and for common GI issues.
Contact our team today for more information or to schedule an initial appointment.