What happens to food in your body?

Have you ever wondered what happens to your sandwich after you eat it? Your body turns it into energy to play, think and grow. This process is called digestion and it is like a long trip through a tube with several stops.

The mouth: where it all begins

Teeth cut and crush food into little pieces, and saliva softens it and starts breaking it down. That is why chewing well matters: it makes the rest of the trip easier.

The esophagus and the stomach

When you swallow, food goes down a tube called the esophagus, which squeezes like a wave. It reaches the stomach, a muscular bag that mixes it with juices until it becomes a mush. It stays there for a few hours.

The small intestine: the big station

The mush moves into the small intestine, a very long coiled tube several meters in length. Here the food is broken down completely and nutrients pass into the blood through its walls. The blood delivers them around the body: carbohydrates give energy, proteins help build muscles and minerals strengthen bones.

The large intestine and the exit

What the body cannot use, such as fiber, reaches the large intestine, which absorbs the remaining water. The rest leaves the body as poop. The whole trip can take between one and three days.

Digestion helpers

The liver and the pancreas make juices that help break food down, especially fats. Also, trillions of friendly bacteria live in the gut and help us digest.

How to look after your digestion

Eat slowly, chew well, drink water, have fruit, vegetables and whole grains, and wash your hands before eating.

Experiment: the food journey

Put a piece of bread in a bag with a little water and squash it with your hands: this imitates chewing and the juices in the stomach. You will see it turn into mush.

💡 Your small intestine is several meters long.