During digestion, food that you’ve eaten moves through your gastrointestinal (GI) tract, where it’s gradually broken down, allowing nutrients to be absorbed. Liquids typically leave your stomach quickly. For example, after you drink a glass of water, it’s estimated that only 50 percent Trusted Source of it will be left in your stomach after 10 minutes. Foods and beverages rich in carbohydrates and proteins are broken down more easily in your stomach and, as a result, leave your stomach faster.
Key Takeaways:
- Food spends 40 to 120 minutes in the stomach, then a similar amount of time in the small bowel.
- Liquids and simple carbohydrates take a lot less time to digest than proteins or fats.
- Hunger cues vary by individual, and can be affected by hormones and medication.
“It’s all about your body’s digestion of food and several other factors that affect how long the process can take. To get a better sense of those factors and how long it takes for you to digest food, we spoke with gastroenterologist Christine Lee, MD.”
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