How long does it take for food to be digested and what is the most favorable combination of foods. Everything you need to know about how different foods are digested

We asked Irina Manina, a candidate, to talk about vitamins medical sciences, allergist-immunologist at the Institute of Allergology and Clinical Immunology.

To begin with, let us recall a common truth: in order for our body to have a harmonious metabolism, we absolutely need vitamins. Their name alone speaks for itself: vita means “life.”

Some vitamins are synthesized in our body, but we get most of them from the outside - from food or medications. But what are the rules for receiving them? Let’s talk about this in detail. We will debunk the most persistent myths that relate to vitamin preparations, and you yourself will draw your own conclusion: what to eat, what to take and how to make the most of it healthy image life within one's own family.

Belief No. 1. A vitamin complex is better than a single drug

If you have been diagnosed with a particular disease and in order to treat it you need to compensate for the deficiency of some vitamin or microelement, then it is better to take a single drug - that is, one specific essential vitamin. Monopreparations are absorbed better than vitamin complexes. Paired drugs are possible - for example, calcium with: one is necessary for building bones, the second helps the first to be absorbed.

Well, if you are healthy and vitamins are necessary for the prevention of diseases, then you balanced will do vitamin complex. The body will take from it what it needs, and simply will not include unnecessary substances. metabolic processes.

Belief No. 2. It is impossible to get the required amount of vitamins from food.

Nothing is impossible. If you eat a varied and nutritious diet, then you get the necessary amount of vitamins and microelements. The question is what does it look like? balanced diet? This means eating 5 times a day with a wide variety of foods, including a significant percentage of seasonal vegetables and fruits. In the 70–80s, such a universal diet was formed for children attending kindergarten: for a week they were given vegetables and fruits, cereals, and seaweed, and eggs, etc. Now nutritionists are developing a nutrition program for children, only calculating the required number of calories.

Maximum healthy diet, having the strength and time, you can develop it yourself or (which certainly guarantees positive result) with the help of a nutritionist. He will tell you which ones seasonal products, the richest in vitamins, you can get the maximum benefit. For example, in summer it is better to “extract” vitamin C not from overseas oranges, but from spinach, cabbage, sorrel and fresh berries.

Belief No. 3. If you eat fruits and vegetables and drink dietary supplements, you may overdose on vitamins

Possible if you have almost completely switched to chemically synthesized food. Mostly bodybuilders do this: their diet may include a protein shake (with vitamins), and vitamins for the prevention of diseases, and a few more vitamins - because their legs are cramping. In this case, liver damage (up to toxic hepatitis) and skin reactions are possible.

Taking vitamin supplements and eating fruits and vegetables, on the contrary, is very, very recommended. And here's why: the body absorbs vitamins obtained biologically (that is, from vegetables, fruits, nuts, etc.) much better than those obtained with the participation of chemical reactions. Thus, fruits and vegetables seem to open the gates for absorption vitamin supplements. For example, vitamin C is absorbed much better if you eat it with a piece of orange (lime, lemon), vitamin A will help best effect together with vegetable oils.

Belief No. 4. You should go to warm countries for vitamins

A person’s metabolism depends on the natural and climatic conditions in which the person was born and raised. For example, the first complementary foods that we give our children are apple or pumpkin puree, chicken meat, etc. In southern countries, children's first complementary foods may include avocado, banana and other “exotics.”

Since childhood, we have become accustomed to certain products, while residents of other latitudes have become accustomed to others. Therefore, an extensive vitamin shock from other latitudes can result in a “blow to the liver” or cause allergic reaction. Of course, this does not mean that every first tourist risks their health. But allergy sufferers and people who have certain problems with the digestive system should be especially careful when changing their diet.

Belief #5: You can only get Vitamin D by lying on the beach.

As you know, vitamin D is necessary for calcium received from food or supplements to be absorbed as efficiently as possible.

Vitamin D enters the body with food (it is found in liver, eggs, fish, etc.), and is also synthesized in the skin under the influence of ultraviolet irradiation. Vitamin D, which comes from food and is produced in the skin, is converted into active form in the liver and kidneys.

With age, the ability to produce vitamin D in the skin decreases significantly, which is why the need for it increases.

Will it be learned or not?

Vitamins obtained chemically are more difficult for the body to absorb than natural ones. And if the package of vitamins says that each tablet contains daily norm of this or that substance, be prepared that they will be absorbed on average by half.

How much vitamins are absorbed by the body depends both on the quality of the supplement itself and on the condition of the body. If you have problems with your stomach, intestines or endocrine system, vitamins can simply “pass through” without being absorbed. In this case, taking vitamin preparations should be agreed with your doctor.

Fat-soluble vitamins(A, E, D) it is advisable to take with food containing vegetable oils, or 20-30 minutes after a meal, when active digestion is in progress. Water-soluble vitamins (C, B, folic acid), which are quickly eliminated from the body, are recommended to be consumed between meals.

To digest foods, the human body spends different quantities time. The duration is affected by the type of food, its texture, composition and the way it is combined with other substances. Easily digestible food provides a person with quick energy; digested slowly - a long-lasting feeling of satiety. Unconsciously choosing unsuccessful combinations of products complicates the work of the stomach, which can provoke complications.

How does digestion happen?

Digestion nutrients- an important process. With its help, the necessary microelements and vitamins enter the body. When food is digested, the necessary energy is released. The digestion process includes the following stages:

1. In the mouth, food is crushed by the teeth. Saliva is released, which begins the breakdown of nutrients.
2. The crushed food enters the pharynx, then the esophagus, and then into the gastrointestinal tract.
3. The human stomach continues to break down nutrients. With the help of muscular walls, food is retained in the stomach, then the gastric muscles push part of the food into the intestine.
4. The glands of the mucous membrane secrete gastric juice that processes foods. The processed parts of substances pass from the stomach to the area of ​​​​the small intestine, which forms loops in abdominal cavity. The first loop is the duodenum, connected to the liver, which secretes bile, and the pancreas, which produces pancreatic juice.
5. Food elements are broken down in the cavity of the small intestine. There, the breakdown products are absorbed into the blood.
6. The undigested part of the food moves from the thin to the colon, where it first accumulates and then is disposed of from the body.

Duration of absorption

Each type of product has its own digestion time. Knowing this time is important to keep your health in good shape.

Carbohydrate foods are absorbed most quickly.

With the help of knowledge you can prepare useful and delicious dishes. Nutritionists divide foods according to digestion time into the following 4 groups:

• Carbohydrates. They have the fastest digestion speed - up to 45 minutes.
• Protein. It takes about 2 hours to digest them.
• A combination of fats and proteins. Absorption takes longer - up to 3 hours.
• Food that is poorly digested and takes a long time - from 3 hours, or does not dissolve at all and passes through the body in “transit”.

Nutrition rules

• There is no need to mix foods that take different times to digest.
• Food should be chewed, crushed and treated with salivary enzymes.
• It is important what temperature the food is. The gastrointestinal tract processes cold food faster, absorption is impaired, and hunger appears faster.
• When adding fats and oils, the duration of digestion increases by 2.5-3 hours.
• Boiled and fried products lose some beneficial properties due to heat treatment; the stomach works 1.5 times longer.
• If the food is not yet digested, adding liquid reduces the content. gastric juice.
• When drinking water on an empty stomach, it immediately enters the intestines.
• At night, the body, including the gastrointestinal tract, rests, so evening foods are digested in the morning.

What foods are not digestible or are poorly digested?

Often the stomach does not digest food at all. Indigestion occurs when consuming foods such as:

• water;
• black tea;
• any coffee, including with milk;
• paper;
• starch;
• gelatin;
• yeast.

The food indicated in the table takes a long time to digest:

Reasons why food is poorly digested in adults and children

Products dissolve easily and quickly if there is no heat treatment and no sugar or fats are added. Reasons for indigestion or prolonged absorption:

• simultaneous consumption of food, the processing of which requires different amounts of time;
• adding fats or oils.

In these cases, the body cannot digest nutrients normally. Fats create a film that repels gastric juice and prolongs the time it takes to process food. The person feels heaviness in the stomach and has no appetite. A simple combination of products according to heat treatment time and restriction in fats and oils helps to improve overall well-being.

An important point is the age of the person. Basically, in an adult, food is digested from 15 minutes to several hours, in children infancy The stomach is still poorly developed; it can only absorb milk - breast milk or artificial milk from the formula. Digestion in the gastrointestinal tract in a child under one year of age lasts up to 3 hours. This explains the need for frequent feeding.

Some people experience diarrhea after eating. They assimilate food, but it is not digested. This dangerous symptom for the body. When diarrhea is a consequence of eating stale food, it goes away within 2 days. If symptoms persist, you should discuss this with your doctor, as loose stools Severe dehydration may occur.

Olives or olives with pits are very useful. In them high content vitamins, microelements, antioxidants. It is recommended to eat 10 fruits on an empty stomach, as well as olive pits. This helps to get rid of problems with the gastrointestinal tract. Eating olives normalizes metabolic processes. Regular olive food (fruits and oil) has a positive effect on the heart and blood vessels.

Chief physician medical center“Big family”, immunologist, allergist Ivan Sergeevich Stroilov (@dr.stroilov) told BeautyHack why vitamin complexes- are useless, a visit to the solarium is mandatory in early spring, and ascorbic acid in tablet form, only 5% is absorbed.

Are synthetic vitamins absorbed?

There is an opinion that synthetic vitamins poorly absorbed. But if you look at the drugs sold in pharmacies, 90% are synthetic. And it is absorbed normally. The question is different. If we are talking about tablet complexes that contain vitamins A to Z (“Vitrum”, “Centrum”), the effectiveness approaches zero.

There are two groups of vitamins: water-soluble and fat-soluble. The first includes ascorbic acid, vitamins B, P, H. Fat-soluble vitamins have a complex structure and are not absorbed without fat - that’s why carrot juice, rich in carotene, is served with cream in restaurants. This group includes: A, D, E, F, K. The point here is not the origin of the vitamins, but the peculiarities of their intake.

I am a proponent of monovitamins. No complexes! If it is vitamin D, then it should be sold in a fat-soluble capsule without any additives. Innovations on water based, like "Aquadetrim", do not work - marketing, nothing more. It’s the same story with A and E. Subject to quality production and a good base, synthetic vitamins will be absorbed no worse than natural ones.

Injections or tablets?

It all depends on the vitamin and its characteristics. Good old ascorbic acid in tablet form is practically useless. Firstly, vitamin C begins to be destroyed instantly upon contact with air or under the influence of UV rays. Secondly, after enzymatic action in the stomach and duodenum, it will be absorbed by no more than 5%. Another thing - injection form. Once in the blood from a sealed ampoule, it is absorbed remarkably well.

B vitamins can also be taken orally. But with injections you will feel the results faster.

Vitamins B6, B12, B1 are the worst absorbed - they are most often sold in ampoules.

In order to get the effect of the tablet form of any vitamin, daily dosage the preparation should contain about 300% - in best case scenario Only a third of this will be absorbed. Pay attention to what is indicated on the packaging. Manufacturers usually write: “One or two tablets cover the daily requirement of the vitamin.” But consider the milligrams. If daily norm vitamin – 2 mg, and the pill contains 2 mg, which means you need to take 3 tablets, not one!

There are no antagonist vitamins!

There are no vitamins that inhibit the action of each other. Water-soluble ones will not be absorbed without water, fat-soluble ones - without fats. In the 70s of the last century, substances were discovered that were similar in structure to vitamins, but had the opposite effect. They were called antivitamins. They are divided into two groups. The first group includes substances that combine with vitamins and inhibit their biological function. For example, eggs contain avidan, which binds to biotin (vitamin H). As a result, an avidan-biotin complex that is absolutely useless for the body is formed, which does not dissolve in water, is not absorbed in the intestines and does not work as a coenzyme.

The second group includes structural analogues of vitamins, in which an important group is replaced by another, which is why they lack activity. Every vitamin has an antivitamin - this fact really needs to be taken into account. But in themselves they do not interfere with the assimilation of each other.

Vitamin deficiency occurs only in underdeveloped countries

Vitamin deficiency - severe pathological condition, characterized by exacerbation chronic diseases, fatigue, irritability, dermatitis, bleeding gums, acne on all parts of the body, sleep disturbances, hair loss.

It occurs during a long-term absence (from several months) or insufficient amounts of certain vitamins in the diet.

IN in rare cases vitamin deficiency may cause serious illnesses: rickets, beriberi, pellagra. But in our latitudes this disease practically does not occur.

We have almost all year round food basket the same: cereals, eggs, milk, vegetables and fruits. This is enough to provide the body with the necessary macro- and micronutrients.

Those who are overly fond of diets, excluding fats from the diet, or eat irregularly, may experience hypovitaminosis. A slight deficiency of vitamins is observed in late winter - early spring.

Most often we are talking about vitamin D - lack sunlight makes itself felt. In this case, you need to include more in your diet fatty varieties fish, vegetable oils, vegetables. I recommend going to the solarium - one or two minutes twice a week. In the USSR, at the end of winter in kindergartens, children were put on “Spanish pilot” style glasses and led around a lamp emitting ultraviolet light. It was practically the same as a solarium - an excellent prevention of vitamin D deficiency.

Rules for choosing vitamins

Before engaging in vitamin therapy, it is better to consult a doctor and do a blood test for vitamins to find out whether the body really lacks them. At good nutrition in reception additional drugs, most often, there is no need.

When choosing vitamins, give preference to a single drug - multivitamin complexes are not effective.

Pay attention to the dosage and daily requirement body in a certain vitamin - its content in the pill should be three times higher.

Fat-soluble vitamins are not absorbed without fat and if they are sold in aqueous solutions, such drugs are useless.

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 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.

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 foods and the time of assimilation. Doctors do not recommend mixing meals by throwing new batch"fuel" up to complete processing old. 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.

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 time digestion, no heat treatment, fats and sugar are not mixed.
• Same digestion time, added sugar or butter, spices.
• Different digestion times, different processing and cooking methods, added oils or fats.

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 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 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 whole body, including 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 digests in approximately 2.5 hours, 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, digestion time ground beef will be reduced if, when preparing cutlets from it, you add pureed vegetables, such as zucchini or carrots. 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 long does it take to digest 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 much is digested? sauerkraut 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. 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 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 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, 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.

Attitude to food different people noticeably different. For some, this is simply a way to replenish lost energy resources, while for others it is pleasure and enjoyment. But one thing remains common: few people know what happens to food after it enters the human body.

Meanwhile, the issues of digestion and assimilation of food are very important if you want to have good health. Knowing the laws according to which our body is structured, you can adjust your diet and make it more balanced and literate. After all, the faster food is digested, the more efficiently the digestive system works and the metabolism improves.

We tell you what you need to know about food digestion and absorption useful substances and the time that the body needs to digest certain foods.

How does metabolism work?

First, we need to define such an important process as food digestion. What is it? Essentially, it is a set of mechanical and biochemical processes in the body that convert food consumed by a person into substances that can be absorbed.

First, food enters the human stomach. This is the initial process that ensures further absorption of substances. Then the food goes into small intestine, where it is exposed to various food enzymes. So, it is at this stage that carbohydrates are converted into glucose, lipids are broken down into fatty acids and monoglycerides, and proteins are converted into amino acids. All these substances enter the bloodstream, being absorbed through the intestinal walls.

Digestion and subsequent absorption of food is difficult process, which meanwhile does not last for hours. In addition, not all substances are actually absorbed by the human body. This needs to be known and taken into account.

What does food digestion depend on?

There is no doubt that digestion of food is a complex and complex process. What does it depend on? There are certain factors that can either speed up or slow down the digestion of food. You definitely need to know them if you care about your health.

Thus, the digestion of food largely depends on the processing of food and the method of its preparation. Thus, the digestion time of fried and boiled food increases by 1.5 hours compared to raw food. This is due to the fact that the original structure of the product is modified and some important enzymes are destroyed. This is why preference should be given raw foods, if possible, eat them without heat treatment.

In addition, temperature affects the digestion of food. Cold food, for example, is digested much faster. In this regard, between hot and warm soup, it is preferable to choose the second option.

The food mixing factor is also important. The fact is that each product has its own absorption time. And there are also foods that are not digested at all. If you mix products with at different times digestion and consume them at one meal, the time of their digestion will noticeably change.

Absorption of carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are broken down in the body by digestive enzymes. Amylase from the salivary and pancreatic glands is key to this process.

Another important term when we talk about carbohydrate absorption is hydrolysis. This is the conversion of carbohydrates into glucose absorbed by the body. This process directly depends on the glycemic index of a particular product. Let's explain: if glycemic index glucose is 100%, this means that the human body will absorb it 100%, respectively.

Even if the caloric content of foods is equal, their glycemic index may differ from each other. Consequently, the concentration of glucose that enters the blood during the breakdown of such food will be different.

As a rule, the lower the glycemic index of a product, the healthier it is. He contains less calories and charges the body with energy for a longer period. Thus, at complex carbohydrates, which include grains, legumes, a number of vegetables, have an advantage over simple ones (confectionery and flour products, sweet fruits, fast food, fried foods).

Let's look at examples. 100 grams of fried potatoes and lentils contain 400 kilocalories. Their glycemic index is 95 and 30, respectively. After digestion of these products, 380 kilocalories (fried potatoes) and 120 kilocalories (lentils) enter the blood in the form of glucose. The difference is quite significant.

Absorption of fats

It is difficult to overestimate the role of fats in the human diet. They must be present, because this valuable source energy. They have higher th calorie content compared to proteins and carbohydrates. Cro Moreover, fats are directly related to the intake and absorption of vitamins A, D, E and a number of others, since they are their solvents.

Many fats are also a source of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are extremely important for the full growth and development of the body and for strengthening the immune systemA. Together with fats, a person receives a complex biologically active substances that have a beneficial effect on work digestive system and metabolism.

How are fats digested in the human body? IN oral cavity they do not undergo any changes, since there are no enzymes in human saliva that break down fats. In the stomach of an adult, fats also do not undergo significant changes, since there is no special conditions for this. Thus, the breakdown of fats in humans occurs in upper sections small intestine.

The average daily optimal fat intake for an adult is 60–100 grams. Most fats in food (up to 90%) belong to the category of neutral fats, that is, triglycerides. The remaining fats are phospholipids, cholesterol esters and fat-soluble vitamins.

Healthy fats, which include meat, fish, avocados, olive oil, nuts, are used by the body almost immediately after consumption. But trans fats, which are considered unhealthy foods (fast food, fried foods, sweets), are stored in fat reserves.

Protein absorption

Protein is very important substance for human health. It must be present in the diet. As a rule, it is recommended to eat proteins for lunch and dinner, combining them with fiber. However, they are also good for breakfast. This fact is confirmed by numerous scientific studies, during which it was found that eggs are a valuable source of protein - an ideal option for a tasty, satisfying and healthy breakfast.

Protein absorption is influenced by various factors. The most important of these are the origin and composition of the protein. Proteins can be plant or animal. Animals include meat, poultry, fish and a number of other products. Basically, these products are absorbed by the body 100%. What can't be said about squirrels? plant origin. Some numbers: lentils are absorbed by the body by 52%, chickpeas by 70%, and wheat by 36%.