Speed ​​of food digestion. How long does it take to digest and absorb various foods? Digestion in the stomach in children and adults

The enzymes listed above break down complex chemical substances to simpler ones, which are absorbed through the intestinal wall and reach all organs and tissues with blood and lymph. It is this part of the food that is absorbed through the intestines that should be considered digested. The remains of simple food are excreted in feces - this is its undigested part, mainly cellulose, elastic threads, etc.

Digestion and absorption of food are difficult process and depend on many factors like variety and suitable combination individual species food, proper cooking and serving, good mood and a feeling of pleasure when eating food, slow thorough chewing of food, according to the German proverb, is the most best puree cooked in the mouth, etc.

Issues related to the physiology of nutrition and food absorption were very well developed by I. P. Pavlov.

When chewing food, it is crushed into very small particles and thus prepared for the action of digestive juices. If food is swallowed in large pieces, digestion is disrupted. M. Demol described the disease, calling it a “disease of dysmastification” (poor chewing of food), manifested by the formation of a significant amount of gas in the intestines, bloating and colicky pain. A significant proportion of people who eat quickly and chew food poorly develop gastritis and get intestinal disorders. It is also very important to take care of your teeth and keep them in good condition.

Saliva contains substances that protect the gastric mucosa. Salivary glands secrete the enzyme ptyalin, which breaks down starch into dextrin. Depending on the type of food you eat, saliva can be very different. When consuming dry food (crackers, biscuits), more saliva is produced. Sour food causes the release of more alkaline saliva, which is a protective mechanism. In case of irritation with an alkaline mixture nerve endings The oral mucosa secretes a large amount of watery saliva, poor in amylase. Saliva is secreted by direct irritation of the oral mucosa, as well as by a neuro-reflex pathway. It is enough to smell the smell of baked meat or another pleasant smell of food for it to start. copious discharge saliva.

Food is retained in the stomach for 4-5 hours, where it continues to be stirred by gastric peristalsis. The secreted gastric juice contains diluted hydrochloric acid. For some diseases (gastritis, peptic ulcer) more hydrochloric acid is released, and in older people and in some forms chronic gastritis the amount of hydrochloric acid decreases (hypo- or even achlorhydria).

Under the influence of hydrochloric acid and water, proteins swell and loosen, and the enzyme pepsin decomposes complex proteins of meat, fish, eggs, etc. into peptides. In addition, the acidic contents irritate the duodenal mucosa, which secretes secretin. Secretin irritates the pancreatic gland and juice containing three enzymes is poured into the duodenum: lipase, necessary for the breakdown of fats, diastase, for the breakdown of sugars, and trypsin, for the breakdown of proteins. Peptidases are secreted in the intestine, which continue the breakdown of peptides into their constituent amino acids. Bile juice, secreted by the liver, is involved in the breakdown of fats in the intestines to glycerol and fatty acids. Thus, in the intestine, carbohydrates break down into monosaccharides (glucose, fructose, galactose), proteins into amino acids, and fats into glycerol and fatty acids. The resulting simple compounds can penetrate the intestinal walls.

In the large intestine, water and various mineral salts are absorbed and feces are formed. The lining of the colon produces a little mucus, and there is a continuous sloughing of cells that are expelled in the bowel movements.

Intestinal peristalsis plays an important role in good digestion and proper absorption of various nutrients. If the intestines are irritated by any inappropriate food or causing painful condition bacteria cause diarrhea and food is not utilized. Other people may have weak peristalsis and suffer from constipation. It has been established that approximately 90-95% of their content is absorbed from meat proteins, 96-98% from milk, fish and eggs proteins, 70-75% from rye bread proteins, and wheat bread 58-60%. It is generally accepted that animal products are digestible by 95%, and plant products by 80-90%.

Half a liter of milk satisfies the daily needs of an adult for animal protein and, in addition, supplies the body with 15 g of high-quality fats, vitamins A and D, calcium, phosphorus and other mineral salts.

Of all types of animal products, meat is the most valuable. Veal and beef, game and poultry are richer in proteins than pork. Rich in proteins and entrails. Fish has the same biological value like veal and beef. However, fish is much easier for the body to digest and therefore does not cause the same feeling of fullness. After eating fish, a person soon begins to feel hungry again. If you consume vegetables, flour and breaded products along with fish, the food then becomes more complete, as it is enriched with mineral salts and, in particular, microelements and vitamins. Eggs also contain easily digestible proteins and valuable vitamins.

Bran bread made from full-grade flour has great biological value, as it contains more mineral salts and vitamins. Rice, cereals, semolina and buckwheat contain a lot of carbohydrates, as well as vegetable proteins. The starch in these types of foods is much easier to digest when they are served boiled.

Fats significantly improve taste qualities various dishes. However, they should not be consumed in large quantities, because they make it difficult for food to be digested.

This is especially important in childhood, when the ratio between fats, proteins and carbohydrates should be 1:1:4.5.

Of all types of fats, they are the easiest to digest and absorb. butter, which contains about 18% water. Vegetable oils(sunflower, nut and coconut) are pure fats and do not contain any impurities. Pork and beef tallow are also almost pure fats.

Fruits and vegetables also have different digestibility depending on their type, and especially on the way they are prepared and combined with other types of food. Fruit acids and aromatic substances stimulate the glands of the digestive tract and promote the digestion and absorption of food. They are the source of two of the most important vitamins- provitamin A and vitamin C. Vegetables, especially white and cauliflower, like root vegetables, also contain plant proteins. In addition, they deliver indigestible cellulose and pectin to the body, which have a very beneficial effect on intestinal motility, facilitating the evacuation of its contents.

WITH biological point In view of this, raw fruits and vegetables are of much greater value. When canned and frozen, they lose some of their mineral salts and vitamins, most of which, however, are preserved.

The digestibility of food largely depends on the method of its culinary processing, as well as on the ratio of individual nutrients in it. For example, meat and vegetable broths, which contain extractive and aromatic substances, stimulate the digestive glands and promote the digestibility of food.

Same product prepared in different ways, remains in the stomach for varying periods of time. For example, mashed potatoes leaves the stomach quickly, while fried potatoes do so only after a few hours. Fried fish it also stays in the stomach much more than boiled.

The appearance of food also has a significant impact on its digestibility. It is known that a beautifully set table and pleasant aroma food stimulates the glands of the digestive tract to a greater extent.

The digestibility of food also depends on its total number consumed per day, as well as on the amount of raw plant food, rich in cellulose.

Of great importance for the digestibility of food are the so-called. adaptive strictly individual mechanisms. If a person is accustomed to consuming a lot of meat, his body can absorb twice as much protein as, for example, the body of a vegetarian. This explains why Eskimos can use 250 g or even more fat and the same amount of protein per day without getting any diseases, while residents of tropical countries can absorb huge quantities fruits and vegetables.

The digestibility of food also depends on the diet: with more frequent meals digestible large quantity food.

Sometimes, without being a doctor, it is worth delving into the details of the digestion process, assessing how long food passes through the gastrointestinal tract, and comparing the absorption of foods by duration. Why know how to digest food quickly? The body is good at this matter, let it deal with it itself. Because the unconscious choice of unsuccessful combinations makes the stomach harder and provokes complications. Let's see why it is important to know the digestion time of food.

How long does it take for a person to digest food?

Fuel consumed in the form of food is essential for the functioning of the body. Without the necessary nutrients, cell development, restoration and protection are impossible. The foods you eat go a long way before they become building blocks needed by the body, but the energy required for processing and the time it takes to digest food greatly depend on the food class it belongs to.

The answer to the question of how long food is digested in the stomach may surprise you with its range: from half an hour to 6 hours. How long does it take for food to enter the intestines? After 7-8 hours of progress along small intestine with parallel breakdown, food passes into the large intestine, where it can remain for about 20 hours. Let’s summarize how long it will take for food fuel to be processed into feces (we apologize for the terminology “not for the table”): around 1.5 days.

Digestion time in the stomach:


It is worth separating the concepts of “digestion” and “assimilation”. The first determines how long food remains in the stomach, undergoing processing in the form of splitting into simple chemical compounds. The second involves the absorption of the obtained elements and their use to replenish energy needs, regenerate cellular tissues, and maintain the viability of organs and systems.

The completion date of protein processing differs significantly from the indicators of how much carbohydrates and fats are absorbed over the same period. For the first, the splitting process coincides with the moment of digestion, facilitating further absorption; for the second, digestion spreads to the intestines ( complex carbohydrates), delaying penetration into the blood.

It is important to understand how much food is in the stomach, to distinguish between the time of digestion of food and the time of assimilation. Doctors do not recommend mixing meals by throwing new batch"fuel" until the old one is completely recycled. In our article, digestion will also mean complete assimilation for ease of orientation.

What is absorbed most quickly (table)

The period indicating how long it takes for food to enter the intestines after processing in the stomach is the rate of digestion. Products sometimes differ in directly opposite characteristics regarding this parameter.

A table of food digestion by time will help systematize indicators and divide food into groups.

Category Products Time
Fast absorption (carbohydrates) Berries, fruit and vegetable juices, fruits(except banana, avocado), vegetables

No more than 45 minutes.

How long does it take to digest fruits - 35-45 minutes

Average digestion (proteins with a small amount fat) Eggs, seafood, poultry, dairy products (except cottage cheese and hard cheese)

About 1-2 hours.

How long does it take for fish to be digested - 1 hour

Long-term absorption (complex carbohydrates) Potatoes, cottage cheese, hard cheese, cereals, mushrooms, legumes, baked goods, nuts

Approximately 2-3 hours.

How long does it take to digest porridge - 2 hours

Not digestible Canned fish, stewed meats, pasta (from durum varieties), tea and coffee with milk, animal meat, mushrooms

More than 3-4 hours or it simply disappears.

How long does pork take to digest - up to 6 hours

It became clear how much food is digested in the stomach. The table reflects approximate product grouping vectors, presenting the overall picture. However, certain ways of processing and mixing ingredients can affect the absorption of food. Let us highlight three stages of complicating life in the gastrointestinal tract:

  • Same digestion time, no heat treatment, no added fats or sugar.
  • Same digestion time, added sugar or butter, spices.
  • Different digestion times different processing and cooking methods, whether oils or fats are added.

In the third situation, it will be especially difficult for the body to assimilate the incoming fuel due to fats, which create a film that repels gastric juice, and the lengthening of the processing time of the “material.” As you can see from the table, meat and mushrooms take the longest to digest. Take this into account when planning a menu, especially for children: quickly digestible food is preferable for a child

The feeling of heaviness and lack of appetite will tell you how long the food is actually being digested. A simple combination of components according to the processing time and pacification of fanaticism from fats will improve overall well-being.

A competent analysis of data on how much food is digested will allow you to build an infallible nutrition system that is ideal for the body. There are a number of general rules, following which will greatly facilitate the work of the gastrointestinal tract:

1. Try not to mix products of different time parameters so as not to burden the stomach.

2. Aim to create recipes and combinations within the same time group.

3. Adding oils increases the duration of food digestion by an average of 2-3 hours.

4. Diluting undigested food with any liquid will reduce the concentration. gastric juice, will complicate the processing of the “material” and clog the intestines with undigested residues susceptible to fermentation.

6. Boiled and fried foods lose some useful properties and lose their original structure, so the digestion time increases by 1.5 times.

7. Cold food is processed faster and can lead to obesity due to disruption of the absorption process. The feeling of hunger returns faster, the processes of absorption and utilization are disrupted, and the intestines undergo rotting processes. Especially this rule concerns protein foods, which must be digested for at least 4 hours, and when cold leaves the body in 30 minutes.

8. Keep in mind that the most favorable time for processing “material” is lunchtime, so the thirst for mixing incompatible categories can be quenched without consequences. Breakfast and dinner are not characterized by such activity, so try to select foods that have the same digestion time and rapid absorption.

9. When asked whether food is digested during sleep, the answer will be a call to simple logic. Night time is a period of rest and recovery for the entire body, including the gastrointestinal tract. Eating too much before going to bed is tantamount to filling your stomach with useless rotten food, since the body will only digest and absorb the fuel fermented overnight in the morning.

Despite the visual isolation and independence of the gastrointestinal tract, the indicators of how many hours food is digested in the stomach sometimes directly depend on our conscious choice. Make it easier for your body to work.

How the stomach digests food: video

Best time for different foods

The indicator of how many hours food is digested in the stomach directly depends on the nature of the material itself. This topic has already been touched upon in the above table “Digestion time of foods in the human stomach”; now let’s look at the categories in more detail.

Cereals and legumes

  • Let's take cereals. Buckwheat - digestion time will stop at 3 hours.
  • The digestion time of rice in the stomach is 3 hours.
  • Digestion time for millet porridge is 3 hours.
  • How long does pearl barley take to digest? Also 3 hours.
  • Digestion time oatmeal is 3 hours.
  • How long does it take to digest oatmeal in water (from flakes)? Only 1.5 hours.
  • Is corn digestible in the human body? Yes, if there is enough weight in the body to secrete the necessary enzymes. The procedure will take 2.3 hours (corn grits).
  • Let's move on to legumes. How long does it take to digest lentils? The answer is 3 hours.
  • How long does it take to digest peas (dry) - 3.3 hours.
  • The digestion time of green peas will stop at 2.4 hours.
  • How long does it take for beans to be digested in the stomach? At least 3 hours.

Many people are interested in how much is digested rice porrige in the stomach - the same as regular rice - 3 hours. The absorption time of semolina porridge is slightly less - 2 hours. Boiled corn takes approximately 2.5 hours to digest, depending on the ripeness of the cob. And the most easily digestible cereals, as you probably already understood, include one familiar from childhood - an ideal, quickly digestible porridge for children and adults.

Meat

  • How long pork is digested depends on the part: tenderloin - 3.3 hours, loin - 4.3 hours.
  • The digestion time for lamb converges to 3.3 hours.
  • How long does it take to digest chicken breast? About 3.2 hours.
  • How long does it take for duck meat to be digested? Approximately 3.3 hours
  • How many hours meat (beef) is digested does not depend on the part. Approximately 3.3 hours.
  • How long do dumplings take to digest in the stomach - 3.3 hours.
  • The digestion time for lard can exceed a day.

The speed of digestion of meat in the stomach also depends on the method of its preparation. For example, the time it takes to digest ground beef will be reduced if you add pureed vegetables such as zucchini or carrots when preparing ground beef patties. But jellied pork feet will take a very long time to digest - more than 5 hours. Chicken jellied meat is digested a little faster - about 3-3.5 hours.

Seafood

  • How long fish takes to digest depends on the variety: low-fat (cod) takes 30 minutes, fatty (herring, salmon, trout) - 50-80 minutes. Hake is quickly digested in the stomach - no more than 2 hours.
  • How long does it take to digest shrimp? About 2.3 hours.
  • The absorption of sea cocktails will take approximately 3 hours.

When creating a menu, do not forget about such a factor as compatibility various products.

Vegetables

  • How long does it take to digest potatoes? Young - 2 hours.
  • How much is digested? fried potatoes? It's already 3-4 hours. Boiled - only 2-3 hours. How long does it take to digest a baked potato? Young - about 2 hours.
  • How are carrots digested raw? In 3 hours. The question of why carrots are not absorbed without oil is not entirely correct: vitamin A is poorly absorbed because it is fat-soluble. With oil, carrots take longer to digest, but the benefits are greater.
  • How long does it take to digest fresh cabbage (white cabbage) - 3 hours.
  • How long does it take for sauerkraut to be digested in the stomach? About 4 o'clock.
  • How long does it take to digest boiled beets? This will take approximately 50 minutes.
  • How long does it take to digest a cucumber? On average 30 minutes (like tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, herbs).
  • The corn vegetable cannot be digested for longer than 45 minutes (cook without oil).

Now you know which vegetables are poorly digested: cabbage, fried potatoes, and celery root will also take a long time to digest. The rate of absorption of lean cabbage soup also depends on the time of absorption of cabbage and will be approximately 3 hours. Why else can soup take a long time to digest: tough meat for the broth, using too fatty a piece of meat for the broth, great content vermicelli and long-digesting cereals.

Fruits

  • Consider the kiwi. Digestion time will be 20-30 minutes.
  • How long does it take to digest an orange - 30 minutes.
  • How long do tangerines take to digest - also 30 minutes.
  • Let's take grapefruit. Digestion time is 30 minutes.
  • How long does it take for an apple to be digested? The process will take 40 minutes.
  • How long does it take to digest a banana? Approximately 45-50 minutes.
  • Wondering how long it takes to digest pineapple? The answer is 40-60 minutes.
  • How long does it take to digest a mango? About 2 hours.

There are other types of fruits that take a long time to be absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract. For example, do you know how long it takes to digest persimmons in the human stomach? Almost 3 hours! Therefore, you should not eat this product at night.

Animal products

  • How long does it take for milk to be digested? - 2 hours.
  • How long does it take for cottage cheese to be digested? Approximately 2.5 hours. Is the cottage cheese low-fat? About 2.4 hours.
  • How long does cheese take to digest - 3.3 hours.
  • I wonder how long it takes for kefir to be digested? From 1.4 to 2 hours (low-fat - fatty).
  • The digestion time for fermented baked milk will be 2 hours.
  • How long does it take to digest yogurt? Approximately 2 hours.
  • For gourmands: how long does ice cream take to digest? The process takes 2.3 hours.
  • How much is digested? boiled egg- 2.2 hours. A egg white? The same indicators.
  • How long scrambled eggs are digested depends on the volume. A dish of two hard-boiled eggs - 2-3 hours.
  • How long does it take to digest an omelet? A little over 2 hours.

Flour products


  • The time it takes for bread to be digested in the stomach depends on the type of flour: from 3.1 hours (wheat) to 3.3 hours (rye).
  • The question of how long the bread takes to digest is difficult. The product contains a lot of fiber (100 grams = 4 loaves of rye bread), which takes a long time to digest.
  • How long does it take to digest pasta? Approximately 3.2 hours.

Sweets (honey, nuts, chocolate)

  • How long does it take for marshmallows to be digested - 2 hours.
  • The digestion time for chocolate will be 2 hours.
  • How long does it take to digest halva? Approximately 3 hours.
  • Peanuts, like other nuts, take an average of 3 hours to digest, but the process can be speeded up if the product is crushed and soaked.
  • Let's take dried fruits. Digestion time varies from 2 hours (raisins, dates) to 3 (prunes, pear).
  • The digestion time for honey is 1.2 hours.

Liquids

  • Coffee with milk is not digestible, since tannin and milk proteins form an indigestible emulsion.
  • The digestion time of tea in the stomach will be about an hour.
  • How long does water stay in the stomach? Together with food - about an hour. Liquid drunk on empty stomach, immediately enters the intestines. About 350 ml is absorbed at one time (applies to water and food).
  • How long does it take for soup to digest? Vegetable broth - 20 minutes, meat broth - depends on the base and ingredients, difficult to determine.

The time food spends in the human stomach is an extremely variable value, but it can easily be brought under control. Follow simple rules meal, combine ingredients that are appropriate in time to avoid overloading the gastrointestinal tract and causing fermentation, choose right time. It's easy to be healthy.

Contents of the article:

How long does it take for food to be digested in the human stomach? Many people don’t think about this, and this is a very important point. If you choose the right products, you can ease the work of the stomach, and, conversely, unsuccessful combinations can lead to health problems.

Digestion of food, general figures

How long does it take for food to be digested in the stomach? How many hours does it take? It depends on the food that the person consumed, but if we take average values, then from 0.5 to 6 hours. But there are two different processes. This is the “digestion of food by the stomach,” the amount of time a bolus of food remains in the stomach. And the second concept is “food absorption,” that is, its complete processing, when it is broken down into chemical elements. The absorption of digested foods can last much longer: it moves through the small intestine for at least 7-8 hours, where it is broken down, and remains in the large intestine for up to 20 hours, that is, everything takes more than a day.

We told you how much food is digested in the stomach in adults; in children everything is a little different. Thus, newborn babies who feed on milk absorb it quite quickly - after 2-3 hours. In young children, the digestion process proceeds 2 times faster. Only by the age of 6 or 7 years does the stomach increase in volume and finally form, and these processes begin to slow down. By the age of 10-12, a child’s digestion is still different, about 1.5 times the norm. But by the age of 15, foods are digested like adults. How long does it take for older people to digest food in their stomach? If we're talking about about an elderly person (70-80 years), then his digestion lasts longer, about 2 times.

Categories of food digestion

How long does it take for a person to digest food in the stomach? There are four main categories:

  1. Foods that are digested fairly quickly.
  2. Requires an average amount of time.
  3. Food that takes a long time to digest.
  4. Food that can take a very long time to digest and is almost not digested.

Which products belong to which category:

CategoriesProductsDigestion time
FirstAll fruits (except bananas, avocados), juices from vegetables and fruits, berries and kefir.These products are digested very quickly, it takes no more than an hour, but more often 35-45 minutes.
SecondGreens, vegetables, dairy products (except cottage cheese and hard cheeses), dried fruits.They will be digested in 1.5–2 hours.
ThirdNuts, seeds, all porridges or cereals in other dishes, hard cheese, cottage cheese, boiled legumes, mushrooms, baked goods made from premium flour. Food enters the stomach and remains there for at least 2-3 hours.
FourthTea with milk and coffee with milk, pasta (if it is not made from durum wheat or whole grain flour), meat, poultry, fish, canned food.They are digested for a very long time, more than 3-4 hours, and sometimes they are simply excreted from the body.

Rules for creating a diet

We figured out how long it takes to digest this or that food. Why is this necessary? To properly plan your diet. When thinking over the menu for the coming week, it is advisable to follow the following rules:

  1. Try to include foods from categories 1 or 2 in your diet. They are absorbed much faster. This means that your digestive system is not overloaded, the body spends less energy on digestion, it is spent on something else, no less important.
  2. People who have gastrointestinal diseases are also better off choosing light food, which is absorbed much faster, that is, from categories 1 and 2.
  3. In the evening, it is also advisable to eat food that belongs to these categories. At night, the human body rests, including its gastrointestinal tract, so some of the food will remain in the stomach until the morning, and by then it will have already had time to ferment.
  4. You shouldn't eat foods from category 4 too often.
  5. If you are creating a menu, try not to mix foods that differ greatly in digestion time, as you will overload the stomach.
  6. Remember that if you put different oils in your food, for example, eat a salad with sunflower oil, the period of food digestion increases by about 2-3 hours.
  7. If you heat-treat foods, that is, boil or fry them before eating, their original structure changes, as does the digestion time, it increases by 1.5 times.
  8. Many people like to wash down their food. If the food has been diluted with any liquid, then the concentration of digestive gastric juice is reduced, so processing the food may also take longer

How long does it take for a particular food to be digested?

Sometimes it is important to know exactly the time of digestion of food in the stomach, namely, exactly how many hours a particular food is digested. Let's talk about this in more detail, in the form of tables.

Digestion of water and other liquids

Digestion of fruits and berries

Digesting vegetables

Name of vegetablesTime
PotatoHow long depends on the cooking method: boiled potatoes - 2-3 hours (new ones - 2 hours), fried potatoes - 3-4 hours.
Raw carrot no oil50-60 minutes
White cabbageFresh cabbage – 3 hours, sauerkraut – 4 hours.
Boiled beets50 minutes
Cucumber, tomatoes, pepper, lettuce, greens30 minutes
Mixed vegetable salads30-40 minutes, if you add vegetable oil to them - 1 hour
Zucchini, cauliflower, pumpkin, broccoli,45 minutes
CornBoiled – from 40 to 50 minutes, canned – several hours
Turnips, parsnips50 minutes

Meat and fish, eggs

Products nameDigestion time
Fish Depends on the type of fish: cod - about 30 minutes, if it is salmon, herring, trout or fatty fish longer, from 45 to 60 minutes, fish canned food - about 3 hours.
Chicken 1.5 – 2 hours
Turkey2 hours
Pork3.5 – 5 hours
Beef 3-4 hours
Meat lamb3 -3.5 hours
SaloTo a piece of lard overcooked 5-6 hours needed
DumplingsThey will take 3-3.5 hours
Eggs It will be completely digested in 45 minutes, the yolk – 45 minutes, the white – 30. A boiled egg will be digested in 2 to 2.5 hours, omelet, scrambled eggs - 2 or 3 hours
RabbitAbout 3 hours
Beef liver3 hours

Dairy and fermented milk products

Cereals and bakery products

What does digestion depend on?

We told you how long it takes a person to digest food. But these are general figures, in the human body everything is much more complicated, food that enters the body can be digested faster or slower, it depends on the quantity of food, the quality, and many other factors. What exactly affects the digestion process:

  1. A person’s well-being, the performance of his gastrointestinal tract, whether gastric juices are secreted correctly, and so on.
  2. Is he hungry or full? If a person a good appetite, then the food will be absorbed better. When does he eat not because he is hungry, but because... That you need to pass the time somehow or due to other reasons, food takes longer to digest.
  3. Amount of food eaten. Many experts say that you should not overeat. If you have eaten a lot, the body is overloaded with work, and the food is digested worse.
  4. Metabolic speed. It depends on the person’s gender and age. From the age of 25, metabolic processes begin to slow down.

There are other factors that influence these processes, including the method of culinary processing of products, the characteristics of the human body, his habits, and so on.

If you want to stay healthy, you should follow basic nutritional rules, including the rule about correct selection food. Try to eat dishes that stay in the stomach for the same amount of time, eat light foods, don’t wash down your food, and then you will have much more less problems with health.

Why know how to digest food quickly? The body is good at this matter, let it deal with it itself. Because the unconscious choice of unsuccessful combinations makes the stomach harder and provokes complications. Let's see why it is important to know the digestion time of food.

How long does it take for a person to digest food?

Fuel consumed in the form of food is essential for the functioning of the body. Without the necessary nutrients, cell development, restoration and protection are impossible. Eaten foods go a long way before becoming building blocks needed by the body, but the energy costs for processing strongly depend on the food’s belonging to a certain class.

The answer to the question of how long food is digested in the stomach may surprise you with its range: from half an hour to 6 hours. How long does it take for food to enter the intestines? After 7-8 hours of moving through the small intestine with parallel splitting, the food passes into the large intestine, where it can remain for about 20 hours. Let’s summarize how long it will take for food fuel to be processed into feces (we apologize for the terminology “not for the table”): around 1.5 days.

It is worth separating the concepts of “digestion” and “assimilation”. The first determines how long food remains in the stomach, undergoing processing in the form of breakdown into simple chemical compounds. The second involves the absorption of the obtained elements and their use to replenish energy needs, regenerate cellular tissues, and maintain the viability of organs and systems.

It is important to understand how much food is in the stomach, to distinguish between the time of digestion of food and the time of assimilation. Doctors do not recommend mixing meals, adding a new batch of “fuel” until the old one is completely processed. In our article, digestion will also mean complete assimilation for ease of orientation.

What is absorbed most quickly (table)

The period indicating how long it takes for food to enter the intestines after processing in the stomach is the rate of digestion. Products sometimes differ in directly opposite characteristics regarding this parameter.

A table of food digestion by time will help systematize indicators and divide food into groups.

No more than 45 minutes.

How long does it take for fruit to be digested? – minutes

How long does it take for fish to be digested – 1 hour

Approximately 2-3 hours.

How long does it take to digest porridge – 2 hours

More than 3-4 hours or it simply disappears.

How long does pork take to digest – up to 6 hours

It became clear how much food is digested in the stomach. The table reflects approximate product grouping vectors, presenting the overall picture. However, certain ways of processing and mixing ingredients can affect the absorption of food. Let us highlight three stages of complicating life in the gastrointestinal tract:

1. Same digestion time, no heat treatment, no added fats or sugar.

2. Same digestion time, add sugar or butter, spices.

3. Different digestion times, different processing and cooking methods, added oils or fats.

A competent analysis of data on how much food is digested will allow you to build an infallible nutrition system that is ideal for the body. There are a number of general rules, following which will greatly facilitate the work of the gastrointestinal tract:

1. Try not to mix products of different time parameters so as not to burden the stomach.

2. Aim to create recipes and combinations within the same time group.

3. Adding oils increases the duration of food digestion by an average of 2-3 hours.

4. Diluting undigested food with any liquid will reduce the concentration of gastric juice, complicate the processing of the “material” and clog the intestines with undigested residues susceptible to fermentation.

6. Boiled and fried foods lose some of their beneficial properties and are deprived of their original structure, so the digestion time increases by 1.5 times.

7. Cold food is processed faster and can lead to obesity due to disruption of the absorption process. The feeling of hunger returns faster, the processes of absorption and utilization are disrupted, and the intestines undergo rotting processes. This rule especially applies to protein foods, which must be digested for at least 4 hours, and when cold, leave the body in 30 minutes.

8. Keep in mind that the most favorable time for processing “material” is lunchtime, so the thirst for mixing incompatible categories can be quenched without consequences. Breakfast and dinner are not characterized by such activity, so try to select foods that have the same digestion time and rapid absorption.

9. When asked whether food is digested during sleep, the answer will be a call to simple logic. Night time is a period of rest and recovery for the entire body, including the gastrointestinal tract. Eating too much before going to bed is tantamount to filling your stomach with useless rotten food, since the body will only digest and absorb the fuel fermented overnight in the morning.

Despite the visual isolation and independence of the gastrointestinal tract, the indicators of how many hours food is digested in the stomach sometimes directly depend on our conscious choice. Make it easier for your body to work.

Best time for different foods

The indicator of how many hours food is digested in the stomach directly depends on the nature of the material itself. This topic has already been touched upon in the above table “Digestion time of foods in the human stomach”; now let’s look at the categories in more detail.

  • Let's take cereals. Buckwheat – digestion time will stop at 3 hours.
  • The digestion time of rice in the stomach is 3 hours.
  • Digestion time for millet porridge is 3 hours.
  • How long does pearl barley take to digest? Also 3 hours.
  • The digestion time for oatmeal is 3 hours.
  • How long does it take to digest oatmeal in water (from flakes)? Only 1.5 hours.
  • Is corn digestible in the human body? Yes, if there is enough weight in the body to secrete the necessary enzymes. The procedure will take 2.3 hours (corn grits).
  • Let's move on to legumes. How long does it take to digest lentils? The answer is 3 hours.
  • How long does it take to digest peas (dry) – 3.3 hours.
  • The digestion time of green peas will stop at 2.4 hours.
  • How long does it take for beans to be digested in the stomach? At least 3 hours.
  • How long pork is digested depends on the part: tenderloin - 3.3 hours, loin - 4.3 hours.
  • The digestion time for lamb converges to 3.3 hours.
  • How long does it take to digest chicken breast? About 3.2 hours.
  • How many hours meat (beef) is digested does not depend on the part. Approximately 3.3 hours.
  • How long do dumplings take to digest in the stomach – 3.3 hours.
  • The digestion time for lard can exceed a day.
  • How long it takes to digest fish depends on the variety: low-fat (cod) takes 30 minutes, fatty (herring, salmon, trout) - minutes.
  • How long does it take to digest shrimp? About 2.3 hours.
  • The absorption of sea cocktails will take approximately 3 hours.
  • How long does it take to digest potatoes? Young – 2 hours.
  • How long does it take to digest fried potatoes? It's already 3-4 hours. Boiled - only 2-3 hours.
  • How are carrots digested raw? In 3 hours. The question of why carrots are not absorbed without oil is not entirely correct: vitamin A is poorly absorbed because it is fat-soluble. With oil, carrots take longer to digest, but the benefits are greater.
  • How long does it take to digest fresh cabbage (white cabbage) – 3 hours.
  • How long does it take for sauerkraut to be digested in the stomach? About 4 o'clock.
  • How long does it take to digest boiled beets? This will take approximately 50 minutes.
  • How long does it take to digest a cucumber? On average 30 minutes (like tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, herbs).
  • The corn vegetable cannot be digested for longer than 45 minutes (cook without oil).
  • Consider the kiwi. Digestion time will be minutes.
  • How long does it take to digest an orange – 30 minutes.
  • Let's take grapefruit. Digestion time is 30 minutes.
  • How long does it take for an apple to be digested? The process will take 40 minutes.
  • How long does it take to digest a banana? Approximately minutes.
  • Wondering how long it takes to digest pineapple? The answer is minutes.
  • How long does it take to digest a mango? About 2 hours.

Animal products

  • How long does it take for milk to be digested? – 2 hours.
  • How long does it take for cottage cheese to be digested? Approximately 2.5 hours. Is the cottage cheese low-fat? About 2.4 hours.
  • How long does cheese take to digest – 3.3 hours.
  • I wonder how long it takes for kefir to be digested? From 1.4 to 2 hours (low-fat - fatty).
  • The digestion time for fermented baked milk will be 2 hours.
  • How long does it take to digest yogurt? Approximately 2 hours.
  • For gourmands: how long does ice cream take to digest? The process takes 2.3 hours.
  • How long does it take for a boiled egg to be digested – 2.2 hours. What about egg white? The same indicators.
  • How long scrambled eggs are digested depends on the volume. A dish of two hard-boiled eggs – 2-3 hours.
  • How long does it take to digest an omelet? A little over 2 hours.
  • The time it takes for bread to be digested in the stomach depends on the type of flour: from 3.1 hours (wheat) to 3.3 hours (rye).
  • The question of how long the bread takes to digest is difficult. The product contains a lot of fiber (100 grams = 4 loaves of rye bread), which takes a long time to digest.
  • How long does it take to digest pasta? Approximately 3.2 hours.
  • How long does it take for marshmallows to be digested – 2 hours.
  • The digestion time for chocolate will be 2 hours.
  • How long does it take to digest halva? Approximately 3 hours.
  • Peanuts, like other nuts, take an average of 3 hours to digest, but the process can be speeded up if the product is crushed and soaked.
  • Let's take dried fruits. Digestion time varies from 2 hours (raisins, dates) to 3 (prunes, pear).
  • The digestion time for honey is 1.2 hours.
  • Coffee with milk is not digestible, since tannin and milk proteins form an indigestible emulsion.
  • The digestion time of tea in the stomach will be about an hour.
  • How long does water stay in the stomach? Together with food – about an hour. Liquid drunk on an empty stomach immediately enters the intestines. About 350 ml is absorbed at one time (applies to water and food).
  • How long does it take for soup to digest? Vegetable broth - 20 minutes, meat broth - depends on the base and ingredients, it’s difficult to determine.

Time table for how long it takes for food to be digested in the human stomach

Different characteristics of the digestive system depend on the age category of the person. While still in the mother's belly, the baby's first digestive mechanisms begin to function.

Such facts are truly unique. Typically, during life, digestion in the stomach of an adult becomes slower. But it should be noted that the direct pattern of movement of nutrients through the gastrointestinal tract is similar at all ages. How long the process of digesting food will take depends on the age category of the person, the state of the body, and the immediate characteristics of the digestive system.

The relationship between food digestion and age

The stages of digestion and assimilation are completely opposite concepts. How much food is digested in the stomach depends on various reasons. It is difficult to say exactly how long food stays in the stomach. Since under the influence of acids incomplete absorption occurs necessary substances in the small intestine. Residues that cannot be digested are passed out in the form of feces. How long it takes for food to be digested in a person’s stomach can only be determined when all the internal passages, which cannot be forced, are exhausted.

Mature people and children digest food differently, and the time spent on intestinal labor also varies. For example, infants feed exclusively on mother's milk or a substitute similar in structure to mother's milk. This is primarily due to the fact that only milk proteins can be absorbed in their unformed bodies. When creating a diet, you need to understand why food stays in the stomach. These processes are influenced by a number of nuances:

  • Temperature ready meals. In terms of time, cold foods are digested much more slowly than hot ones. Warm food is digested much better in the stomach.
  • Heat treatment also plays a role in how many hours the consumed food will be digested. When boiling or frying, as a rule, the structure of the food consumed is modified, and some of the enzymes are broken down. Due to these modifications, nutrients may take longer to digest.
  • How many hours it takes for food to be digested in a person’s stomach depends on the duration of the meal. The best time for digestion is in the middle of the day. At the stage of early and evening meals, a person, as a rule, needs to spend more of the body’s capacity on a similar process.
  • The composition of the food is the most significant factor affecting the immediate process of digestion. Since it has been found that a variety of dishes require different time for direct digestion. There are types of foodstuffs that are completely indigestible, or this procedure It will take a lot of strength and capabilities of the body. Consequently, how many hours the food is digested in the human stomach depends on what kind of foods are in the body.

The influence of hot and cold dishes on the digestive processes

Experts recommend giving preference to consuming exclusively warm dishes. This position is explained primarily by the peculiarities of the structure and activity of the mucous membranes of the human body. If a violation of the thermal regime occurs, then soft tissue injury occurs, resulting in negative processes, contributing to the development of oncology.

This happens because it takes much less time for food to be digested. What is typical is that the feeling of satiety comes late, therefore, the person suffers constant feeling hunger. Compressing the time to digest food contributes to a significant increase in the processes of putrefaction in the intestines, and the absorption function is disrupted.

Using hot food the person also applies irreparable harm body. Because the high temperatures consumed foods can burn the esophagus, which can lead to necrosis of the mucous membrane. Such phenomena lead to direct tissue swelling and swallowing dysfunction. Subsequently, such modifications in the body lead to the development of ulcers, during the healing of which a direct narrowing of the esophagus occurs.

Important! Reviews from experts indicate that excessively cold dishes provoke excess weight.

Table of food absorption in the stomach

How long does it take for food to be digested in the human stomach table:

Speed ​​of food absorption

Today, balanced separate nutrition is the most scientifically based and medically indicated type of nutrition. The theoretical basis of this dietary regime is widely presented in the press, on television and on the Internet. But when a person decides to try this system, he proceeds to practical application, then an important technical problem arises - the question of the rate of absorption of certain products.

Unfortunately, too little attention is paid to this issue, although it is fundamental in this food system. After all, separate intake does not mean sequential consumption of food separated in time, but the intake of one group of foods after complete digestion (assimilation) of another. At the same time, the speed and time of absorption of different products can vary significantly.

Digestion and absorption of food

Food is vital for our body, from it it receives the nutrients necessary for life, nutritional and biological valuable substances. But in order to get them, you first need to digest the food, breaking it down into chemical components, and then assimilate it. This is a long process starting with enzymatic and machining food in the oral cavity and ending in the distant parts of the intestine. In terms of time, the “journey of food” in our body, schematically, looks like this: from half an hour to 6 hours, food is digested in the stomach, then up to 7-8 hours it continues to travel in the small intestine, simultaneously continuing to be broken down and absorbed, and only then, everything that not digested, it enters the large intestine, where it can remain for up to 20 hours.

Digestion and absorption time of foods

Of course, although it is customary to call this the time or speed of digestion (absorption) of food, in fact it is the time of processing of food directly in the stomach. What is actually important for separate power supply, which, unlike some other systems, does not strictly refer to the separation of complete cycles of digestion and assimilation. However, enough words, let's move on to the technical side:

Liquids

1. Water is absorbed almost instantly if there is no other food in the stomach. (To be more precise, it goes to the intestines)

2. Fruit and vegetable juices take 10 to 30 minutes to digest

3. Broths, depending on saturation, minutes

4. Milk up to 2 hours

Vegetables

1. Cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, lettuce, greens minutes (the same vegetables seasoned with oil for up to an hour and a half)

2. Green bean, cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, corn - cooked ones are digested in 40 minutes, and seasoned with oil 50.

3. Carrots, parsnips, beets, turnips - will be digested in minutes

4. Sweet potatoes, potatoes, Jerusalem artichoke, pumpkin, chestnuts, yams - in 1 hour

Fruits and berries

1. Watermelon and berries are digested in 20 minutes

2. Citrus fruits, melon, grapes and other juicy fruits in 30 minutes

3. Pears - apples, apricots - peaches, cherries - cherries and other fruits will be digested in 40 minutes

4. Fruit and fruit-vegetable salads until minutes

Cereals, cereals and legumes

1. Buckwheat, polished rice, millet will be digested in 1 hour to 80 minutes.

2. Oatmeal, barley, corn flour, 5 hours

3. Regular peas and chickpeas, lentils, beans (white, red, black) - are digested in an hour and a half.

Nuts and seeds

1. Pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, and melon pear seeds are digested in up to 120 minutes.

2. Peanuts, hazelnuts, almonds, pecans, Walnut- digested in minutes.

1. The yolk is digested in 30 minutes

Milk products

1. Fermented milk drinks- 1 hour

2. Cheese cheese, low-fat cottage cheese and homemade cheese- 1,5 hour

3. Milk and fat cottage cheese- 2 hours

4. Fatty hard cheeses, such as Dutch and Swiss, will require 4 to 5 hours to digest.

Fish and seafood

1. Small and not fatty fish digested in 30 minutes

2. Oily - from 50 to 80 minutes

3. Protein from seafood will be absorbed in 2-3 hours

Bird

1. Chicken and skinless chicken - 90 to 120 minutes

2. Turkey with skin removed, a little over 2 hours

How long does food take to digest and what is the most favorable combination of foods?

When choosing food products in the supermarket and preparing food from them, we first of all think about the calorie content of the food, its chemical composition and expiration date, but we don’t ask ourselves: how long does it take for food to be digested? Meanwhile, the process of assimilation of different nutrients occurs in different ways. And our well-being and health depend on how food is digested. The digestion time of food for different foods is different, and therefore mixed food can create heaviness in the stomach, intensify the processes of fermentation and putrefaction, and clog the body with toxins. But first things first…

Digestion of food: how does it happen?

The food we eat, once ingested, is a source of nutrients needed for growth, energy, metabolic processes. The body is a real chemical laboratory where food must be broken down into chemical components, and then used for its intended purpose. The digestion time of food in different parts of the gastrointestinal tract varies significantly.

Food passes through the digestive system, undergoing a number of transformations, mechanical and enzymatic, in each section:

  1. In the mouth, food is crushed and moistened with saliva. In saliva, the enzyme amylase begins the breakdown of carbohydrates.
  2. Several enzymes are already “working” in the stomach, aimed at digesting proteins and fats and curdling dairy products. Hydrochloric acid helps splitting, simultaneously destroying microbes and neutralizing some poisons. Absorption of nutrients does not occur in the stomach. The products are there for a maximum of 3-4 hours.
  3. Enzymes continue to work in the duodenum, breaking down food into even smaller components, turning it into mush. This is where the absorption of substances into the intestines partially begins.
  4. In the small intestine there is already an active process of absorption of the chemical components of food, which enter the blood, are cleansed in the liver and are transported to their destination (cells). All these processes take 7-8 hours.
  5. The remaining nutrients are absorbed in the large intestine. Here, the remains of undigested food (slags) can remain for up to 20 hours.
  6. Through the rectum, waste products are removed from the large intestine from the body.

The gastrointestinal tract pushes food through digestive tract with the help of periodic contractions of smooth muscles, this process is called peristalsis. It is not difficult to calculate how much time the body spends on digesting food. The entire digestion process takes approximately 24 hours. From several kilograms of food eaten per day and 2-3 liters of liquid drunk, undigested residues are removed.

Important! Even before eating, a conditioned reflex “wakes up”: saliva is released in response to the feeling of hunger, and gastric juice is released in response to tasty smells. Enzymes also begin to be released at a certain time if you eat food strictly according to the clock.

Digestion in the stomach

A person prone to overeating throws different foods into his body as if it were a furnace. But firewood burns for approximately the same time, and to digest different foods you need different period. Knowing how much a particular product is processed, you can intelligently approach the creation of a menu, selecting food that decomposes in approximately the same time.

Important! Proteins, fats and carbohydrates need different times to break down. Try not to eat too often, knowing that the previous portion is still in the stomach. If you add difficult-to-digest foods to your diet, your stomach will be heavy. Also, stop eating at least 4 hours before bed.

Product groups by digestibility time

All products can be divided into four groups according to the duration of their processing by the stomach. How long does it take to digest what we eat?

Group 1. This includes mainly carbohydrates, processing time: minutes. These are broths, light salads, natural juices, as well as fresh (raw) vegetables and fruits.

Group 3. These are products containing starch and complex carbohydrates, processing time: 2-3 hours. This includes nuts, legumes, cottage cheese, hard cheese, potatoes and cereals.

Group 4. This list includes foods that take longer to digest than others or are not digested at all. This includes coffee, canned food, stewed meat, mushrooms, bread and pasta.

Food digestion table

On this page we will look at the digestion time of various foods. I think many people will be interested in this and every person should have an idea about it.

Knowing the digestion time of foods is very important to maintain your health. If you know the digestion time of food, you will be able to prepare dishes that will be digested normally in your stomach and will not poison the body with toxins from undigested food residues.

Rules for good digestion

For good digestion the following should be taken into account key points:

☀ It is completely unacceptable to throw foods that require different amounts of time to digest into the stomach, as if into a “furnace” - by doing this you expose it to additional and unjustified stress. For example, a dish of potatoes with pork will take about an hour to digest, while potatoes eaten separately would be digested and go to the intestines within an hour.

☀ It is optimal to mix food of the same digestion time (vegetable salad, apples with pears, carrot-beet juice) - this will only slightly extend the time the food stays in the stomach due to the complexity of selecting enzymes for processing compared to mono nutrition. This version of the “hodgepodge” is the most gentle for the body.

☀ Adding oils, even to salads, lengthens the time spent in the stomach at once, due to the effect of enveloping food, and the impossibility of its rational processing with juices and enzymes.

☀ You should not drink water, tea or other liquids if there is undigested food- by doing this you dilute the gastric juice, complicate the digestion of food and increase the load on the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, along with the liquid, undigested foods inevitably “slip” into the intestines, which will rot or ferment in it for a long time.

☀ If you drink water on an empty stomach, it immediately passes into the intestines.

☀ Chew your food thoroughly - this also speeds up the digestion process due to better grinding and the beginning of enzyme processing in the oral cavity.

☀ Consume protein food only when warm - warm food digests in the stomach for about 2-3 hours (which is the optimal time for the breakdown of proteins), and only after that it enters the small intestine, where the stage of breakdown of nutrients from food continues.

☀ Cold food in the stomach is digested much faster, so the proteins do not have time to digest properly and are sent straight to the small intestine, resulting in bacteria in meat products(proteins), begin to multiply and cause gastrointestinal discomfort intestinal tract(bloating, gas, constipation).

Digestion time and food combinations.

It is very important to know the digestion time of food and the combination of foods for a healthy diet. And it is not necessary to observe separate meals by the hour for this. It will be enough to know what to eat from one plate first, and what later. After all, food in the stomach does not mix.

Time it takes for the body to digest food.

(Quoted in Stanley S. Bass, “Product Compatibility and proper diet" Chapter 6 from the book by Peter Kalder, Bernie Siegel " Ancient secret fountain of youth")

The process and time of digestion of food in the human stomach.

In fact, the human body needs little. But we humans come up with many delicious recipes, and at the same time we do not take into account food combinations and try to get maximum pleasure from these masterpieces. Fortunately or unfortunately, I don’t even know, but the human body has been able to adapt to our food desires, although more and more often we see how we ourselves suffer from these habits. It turns out that the absorption of food by our body depends not only on the products themselves, but also on how and with what we prepare them.

At the end of the article you will find several useful tips O proper nutrition, be sure to check it out.

So, what does food digestion depend on?

Conventionally, three categories of food mixing can be distinguished:

For clarity, let’s consider products or food conditionally divided into groups according to the time of its digestion.

First group; absorption time no more than 45 minutes. These include mainly various carbohydrates.

  • - Fruits: watermelon, melon, orange, grapefruit, grapes - 30 min.
  • - Cherry, apple, peach, pear, sweet cherry, apricot - about 40 minutes.
  • - Vegetables: raw mixed vegetables min.
  • - Broths and mixed salads with fruit - about 30 minutes.
  • - Fruit and vegetable juices are absorbed in minutes.

The second group consists of protein products with a small amount of fat. Digestion time is no more than 2 hours.

  • - Egg (completely) - 45 minutes
  • - Fish (not fatty varieties) - 30 minutes
  • - Fish (salmon, trout, herring, fatty fish) – minutes
  • - Chicken (without skin)

The third group includes products that contain complex carbohydrates and starch, the absorption time is about 2-3 hours.

  • - potato;
  • - porridges from all types of cereals;
  • - mushrooms;
  • - cottage cheese from whole milk;
  • - seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, sesame) - about 2-3 hours;
  • - nuts, almonds, peanuts (raw), pecans - 2.5-3 hours;
  • - legumes.

The fourth group, the digestion time of these products is more than 3-4 hours, while many of them are excreted from the body without being digested.

  • - Coffee and tea with milk;
  • - Fish and canned fish;
  • - Meat and various stews, pates, etc. (lamb and beef 3-4 hours, pork 5-6 hours).
  • - Hard cheese from whole milk.
  • - Pasta made from durum wheat.

Table of time for digestion of food in the stomach.

Below is a table in which you can see a list of products and their absorption time.

How long does food take to digest in the stomach?

Each of us wants to live happily ever after. And if you also had good health, then life would be simply ideal. To fulfill these desires, it is important to know how much food is digested in the human stomach, table. It will be convenient to navigate in time next appointment food.

How food is digested

During different periods of a person's life, the digestive system works differently. Moreover, it begins its work even before his birth, and gradually slows down with age. The pattern of food promotion through the gastrointestinal tract is the same at all ages. Without further details, it looks like this: mouth - stomach - small intestine - colon- rectum. Oregano is important in self-care: medicinal properties and contraindications for women to lose weight and be healthy.

How much time is spent on this process largely depends not only on age, but also on general condition person, the characteristics of his digestive system and the condition of each internal organ in particular. How long does it take for food to be digested in the human stomach, the table shows average time data. That is, in some people this process will happen faster, in others it will happen more slowly.

What can affect digestion time:

Temperature of food consumed. Cold food is digested much faster than hot food. The best time to digest warm food is considered.

Methods of processing products. Raw, unprocessed foods take longer to digest minimum time, and foods take a long time to prepare and stay in the stomach for a long time.

Activity of the digestive system. She is most active in the middle of the day, that is, during lunch. This is probably why breakfast and dinner take more easy reception food.

The correct combination (compatibility) of products. To ease the plight of the stomach digesting your lunch, it must contain foods that are eliminated from the body in approximately the same time.

Example! To digest baked pork, your stomach will need to spend up to 5 hours, and kefir will only need minutes to leave. What kind of weight loss plot can you read before bed, read on the waning moon.

How much food is digested in the human stomach, table of main products

Food is a source of energy, useful microelements, vitamins, and nutrients. However, for the body to obtain the required components, it requires Preliminary processing food, which begins immediately after it enters the oral cavity. The very first stage of processing is soaking food with saliva. After the food bolus enters the stomach, gastric juice comes into play, then the products are transported to the intestines. Next, the liver is engaged in the production of enzymes that make it possible to neutralize possible toxins, but retain all necessary substances. Of particular interest is how long food remains in the human stomach and how long the process of its digestion lasts.

Period of stay of various foods in the stomach

Taking into account what product or drink a person has thrown into the digestive system, the time the food remains in the stomach is determined. The average period of residence of elements in this organ ranges from a couple of minutes to six hours. If we consider a simple warm water, taken on an empty stomach, it will almost immediately enter the intestines. In general, food is divided into four categories according to digestion:

  • The first group includes carbohydrates that enter the stomach most quickly - these are vegetables, fruits and squeezed fresh juices, plus berries and kefir.
  • The second category includes foods with an average digestion period - these are proteins, that is, dairy products (not cheese or cottage cheese), vegetables, seeds, dried fruits, all kinds of nuts, and herbs.
  • The third category is products of long-term absorption, which include fats and fats in combination with proteins. We are talking about cereal porridges, legumes, mushrooms. This group also includes cottage cheese and hard cheeses.
  • The fourth group is food that is practically indigestible, which includes meat, all types of fish, pasta, canned products, teas, coffee with added milk.

Depending on the composition of the food, the time of digestion of food in the human stomach changes:

  • Protein foods require the most effort to digest; if it is cow meat, the process will take at least four hours. It will take at least five and a half or six hours to process lamb or pork. As the table on the processing of basic products shows, fish only need an hour to digest, nuts and seeds at least three. Dairy products will remain in the organ for two hours.
  • The situation is better with fruits and boiled vegetables; it will take 30–40 minutes to process them, although the rule does not apply to potatoes; they will be processed for at least two hours.
  • The shortest digestion time for foods when it comes to raw vegetables, vegetable or fruit juices– they only need 15 to 20 minutes to process. The period of residence of vegetable lard, not seasoned with oil, in the stomach is from half an hour to forty minutes, but if there is an oil component, it is at least an hour.

Why does digestion time change?

In addition to the composition great importance food processing also occurs - even during eating. The smaller the pieces and chewing more thoroughly, the better the absorption and the faster the movement of the food bolus into the intestines. More thoroughly chewed food is better moistened by enzymes produced by the oral cavity, which facilitates the further functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Important and drinking regime– while eating or immediately after eating, it is undesirable to take liquids, since gastric juice is diluted, and the period of food remaining in the stomach is accordingly prolonged. The digestion period will also depend on:

  • Food Processing – The longer the cooking time, the more time it will take to process the food.
  • Temperature of the dish - the hotter it is, the longer the digestion process.
  • Meal time - during lunch hours the digestive system is more active, while in the morning and evening the processes are slower.
  • Mixing food - each product has its own period of processing by the digestive system. If the composition is incorrect when preparing a dish, it will become more difficult to digest.

Digestion time table

The table compiled by nutritionists demonstrates quite clearly how much food is digested in the human stomach. We have already looked at some products above, now let’s talk about those that are used quite often when creating a menu:

  • Vegetable broth will be digested in 15 or 20 minutes.
  • It will take half an hour for an orange or grapes, about 40 minutes for apples, pears or peaches.
  • Zucchini and a variety of cabbage will be processed in 45 minutes.
  • All root vegetables, including turnips and carrots, will need about 50 minutes to process.
  • It will take 45 minutes to process the eggs.
  • The digestion of sunflower and pumpkin seeds will take about three hours.
  • The stomach can digest dietary poultry meat in more than two or three hours.
  • The body can process a variety of nuts in three hours.

For porridge, including buckwheat, rice, and millet, it will take about two hours.

One of the main topics of separate nutrition is the duration of digestion of individual foods. If you combine them correctly, you can get quite good result in a short time and become really slim, getting the maximum benefit from the food you receive.

In fact, the time of digestion of food in the human stomach, the table of which is presented below, is a very important point in a healthy diet, since many vital functions depend on it. important processes that occur in our body. Thus, if you approach this issue wisely, you can get an excellent weapon to combat overweight and getting maximum benefit.

Experts conditionally divide food products into four main groups, depending on the speed of digestion of the products:

  • Very fast-passing carbohydrate foods;
  • Average time for digestion of protein foods;
  • Long-term absorption, which applies more to fatty and protein-fat foods;
  • Excessively long absorption and almost complete failure to assimilate.

In order to understand what time it takes for food to be digested in a person’s stomach, a table is not necessarily needed; you can even use logic and deduction, but let’s take a look at the research processes.

Digestion time of food in the human stomach: table

This table allows you to roughly understand and imagine how long food will spend in the stomach before it enters the intestines.