Home Stomatitis What you need to do to digest fatty foods. How to digest food faster

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What you need to do to digest fatty foods. How to digest food faster

The body needs unloading, especially after the holidays. So that after the feast you don’t gain extra pounds, you need to speed up your metabolism. This will help you get rid of calories and cleanse your intestines. How to speed up digestion? What foods should you eat to feel light?

How to speed up digestion without drugs?

How to speed up food digestion?

Slow digestion can not only affect weight gain, but also lead to unpleasant symptoms in the form of constipation, heaviness or bloating.

There are several ways to speed up food digestion:

Give up a sedentary lifestyle. Movement helps normalize blood circulation, including in the intestines, which is important for rapid digestion of food.
Drink more fluids. You need to drink up to two liters of water per day. You need to drink in small sips. Instead of ordinary water After meals, you can drink warm green or black tea. A decoction of chamomile or mint is also suitable. Herbal teas will relieve heaviness and normalize digestion.
Have breakfast every day.
Sleep at least 8 hours. Go to bed no later than 23:00. Healthy sleep helps the body recover.

To speed up the digestion of food, you need to lead an active, healthy lifestyle. Be sure to refuse bad habits and avoid stress.

Foods that speed up digestion

For normal digestion of food, the body needs proteins, fiber, fatty acid, carbohydrates, as well as vitamins and microelements. The diet should be varied and balanced.

The menu should include foods that help speed up digestion. These include fruits and vegetables, as they contain large amounts of fiber.

Rapid digestion of food also occurs when consuming the following foods:

Spicy seasonings. Pepper, mustard and horseradish promote the production of gastric juice.
Low-fat fermented milk products.
Broccoli. Contains all necessary vitamins and microelements.
Grapefruit or lemon. Accelerates the breakdown of fats.
Ginger. Improves gastric secretion.

The digestive system breaks down food into small parts, allowing your body to get the maximum amount of energy and nutrients. Different kinds food is digested at different rates. Although the speed digestive system depends on individual characteristics body, however, there are ways to speed up this process. After reading our article, you will learn ways to speed up the digestion of food.

Steps

Change your lifestyle

Exercise regularly. Increased physical activity Helps food pass through the digestive system faster. This helps speed up the digestion process and promotes better absorption of food.

Rest. Sleep gives your digestive organs time to rest, increasing your ability to digest food quickly and efficiently. By making some changes to your sleep routine, you will reap some benefits for your digestive system in the long run.

Drink fluids. Drinking fluids, especially water or tea during or after meals, helps stimulate digestion. The liquid will help speed up the process of breaking down food and give your body the moisture it needs.

Eliminate or limit your intake of dairy products. Overall, yogurt is good for people. But if symptoms of lactose intolerance occur, yogurt should be excluded from the diet along with other dairy products. It is not known exactly how dairy products cause constipation or stomach upset, but they do slow down the digestion process. Lactose intolerance can cause bloating, gas, and indigestion, which can slow down the digestion process.

Eliminate or limit your consumption of red meat. Red meat can cause constipation and make it difficult to have regular bowel movements, which is important for digesting food quickly. There are many reasons negative influence red meat on the digestive process.

Red meat contains a large amount of fat, so the body needs more time to digest it.
Red meat is rich in iron, which can lead to constipation.

Change your eating habits

Eat small, frequent meals throughout the day. Don't overload your digestive system, but instead eat small meals throughout the day to speed up the digestion process. Try to eat 4-5 small meals a day. Try eating every three hours to curb excessive hunger.

Choose fresh rather than processed foods. Highly processed foods are more difficult for the body to digest. Instead, choose fresh foods that are free of preservatives and other chemical substances. Eat fruits, vegetables, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, beans, nuts, seeds and other foods that help ease digestion.

Chew your food thoroughly. The chewing process starts the digestive system, but it is often underestimated. Proper chewing increases the surface area of the ground pieces of food several times and allows enzymes to break down more food in your body. Breaking down more surface area of food with saliva is a great start to efficient digestion.

Use of additives

Consider taking probiotics. Probiotics are bacteria that help maintain the natural balance of microorganisms in the intestines. There is evidence that taking probiotic supplements can help the digestive process by keeping beneficial bacteria in the gut. Probiotics are also found in some foods, so if you don't want to take a supplement, you can still get probiotics by simply including certain foods in your diet.

Take enzyme supplements to improve digestion. Over-the-counter enzyme supplements can help improve digestion by supplementing the body's natural enzymes. Enzymes break down food into its component parts and allow the body to better absorb it. If these supplements are effective, they will help speed up the digestion process.

Drink tinctures. Tinctures (often alcoholic) are made from various herbs, barks, and roots that help the digestion process. Alcohol acts as a solvent for the plant extract and also helps preserve its beneficial properties longer. Taking tinctures before or after meals can speed up the digestion process. However, tinctures have not been scientifically proven to have beneficial effects on the digestive system, and not enough research has been conducted to establish their effectiveness.

You difficulty digesting food? Is digestion difficult and slow? We explore causes (diseases and bad habits), remedies and what to do to relieve symptoms when they arise.

First of all, calm down, digestive problems are a very common disorder: suffice it to say that in Russia 20-30% of visits to the doctor are due to difficulties with digesting food!

In most cases, to eliminate digestive disorders, it is enough to follow simple tips, such as improving your lifestyle or limiting certain foods and drinks; but in other cases, digestive difficulties may mask gastrointestinal or even extraintestinal disease.

Main causes of slow and difficult digestion

Digestive disorders such as heartburn, acidity and heaviness are very common nowadays in the Western world, and are mainly a consequence of lifestyle and diseases such as food or drug intolerance.

Let's look at them in more detail.

Bad habits that slow down digestion

Analyzing the points listed above, it is obvious that the main reasons for slow digestion are derived from personal habits, roughly speaking, poor lifestyle. Let's look at what aspects negatively affect the digestive system.

When you skip meals or eat a large portion at once, it exposes gastrointestinal tract excessive stress, and taking into account the fact that digestion occurs much slower and more labor-intensive than usual.

Also fried foods significantly extend the digestion time, especially those that are 100% soaked in oil.

Alcohol is important factor, which delays gastric emptying (the effect depends on the dose: the more, the longer it takes to empty the stomach).

Cigarette smoke also slows down the secretion of acid in the stomach.

In addition, sedentary behavior may increase gastric emptying time and intestinal transit time.

Difficult to digest foods

Often those who follow healthy image life, may complain of digestive disorders associated with the consumption of certain foods or medications:

All starchy foods: You may have difficulty digesting pizza, bread, and cakes that are made using Saccharomyces Cerevisiae yeast or brewer's yeast. The cause may be yeast intolerance. Often, certain sources of carbohydrates with a high glycemic index, such as pasta or rice, can also slow down digestion, especially if they are combined with foods containing a lot of fat: in these cases, it is recommended to eat whole grain foods, as well as keep sugar levels under control in blood .
Milk: People who are lactose or milk protein intolerant often experience bloating, abdominal pain and diarrhea after drinking cow's milk. You may suspect intolerance when indigestion is accompanied by nausea, dizziness, or constipation. A solution may be to use vegetable drinks such as soy, rice or almond milk.
Meat: It is difficult for all people to digest, especially fatty meats (veal, lamb and pork). The fats contained in it make digestion difficult and increase the time it takes for the stomach to empty.
Fish: As with meat, some types of fish can cause poor digestion. Risk areas include eel, mackerel, salmon and tuna.
Onion and garlic: They weaken the tone of the lower esophageal sphincter, the valve that separates the esophagus and stomach. Their use should be avoided in case of reflux and dyspepsia.
Spices: In particular, mint and pepper, which increase the heat and acidity.
Cabbage and tomatoes: Vegetables in general, being rich in fiber, speed up the emptying of the stomach and hence do not cause digestive problems. Only some of them, in particular, cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and turnips) can cause gas and bloating. Some people also complain of intolerance to tomatoes, the consumption of which is accompanied by hives, nausea, and fluid retention.

Taking medications and digestive disorders

Some medications can cause digestive problems, but these tend to occur with long-term treatment:

Potassium salts, are suitable for the treatment of hypertension, dehydration and replenishment of potassium deficiency. High doses of potassium salts can cause ulcers, stomach upset and nausea.
Alendronates, used to treat osteoporosis, can cause esophageal ulcers, diarrhea, nausea and abdominal pain.
Antibiotics cause fermentation in the intestines and bloating because they kill intestinal flora.
Digitalis, used for heart disease, often causes lack of appetite, nausea and vomiting.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin, are one of the most common causes of gastritis and peptic ulcers, because they reduce the protective power of the gastric mucosa and increase the secretion of acidic substances.

Psychological factors - how anxiety and depression affect digestion

Scientists have discovered a close connection between digestive disorders and anxiety in people who evoke somatic emotions. Stress and emotional stress may cause difficulty digesting food, as in the case of hysterical dyspepsia, but the mechanisms are still little known.

Hormonal changes: pregnancy, cycle and menopause

Underlying hormonal changes menstrual cycles, can interfere with digestive processes: an imbalance between estrogen and progesterone causes excessive bowel movement, often leading to episodes of constipation, diarrhea and digestive difficulties.

Hormonal changes, along with intense levels of stress, are responsible for poor digestion during menopause and pregnancy.

In particular, during pregnancy, the level of progesterone increases, which has a relaxing effect on the muscles and, accordingly, loss of tone of the lower esophageal sphincter. This makes it easier for stomach contents to rise into the esophagus. In addition, the intestinal muscles do not contract strongly enough, the intestinal contents move slowly and constipation occurs.

Difficulty digesting food appear at the beginning of pregnancy, but the situation worsens from the fourth month, when the stomach begins to grow and the fetus puts pressure on the stomach and intestines. There are very few remedies against digestive difficulties during pregnancy, since such medications, due to their high calcium content, cannot be used by pregnant women.

Diseases and symptoms associated with poor digestion

Digestive disorders occur more often after eating and are often associated with banal gluttony.

But, sometimes the same symptoms can be associated with problems of the esophagus, stomach, liver and biliary tract, for example, if they occur in old age digestive disorders half an hour after a meal, “intestinal ischemia” can be suspected.

On the contrary, an ulcer duodenum gives symptoms directly during meals, and nausea before meals may indicate hepatobiliary dysfunction. Poor digestion is often associated with eating a large dinner after fasting all day.

Often discomfort occurs regardless of food intake, for example during sleep: in the case of people suffering from reflux disease. In this case, it may be useful to raise the head of the bed by 10 cm.

Below we explain, what diseases can cause digestive problems, and what symptoms they manifest.

Stomach diseases

Reflux disease, hernia hiatus aperture	The reason is the rise of stomach contents into the esophagus. This occurs due to decreased tone of the lower esophageal sphincter.	Excess acidity, bitterness in the mouth, halitosis, pain and burning in the stomach area, insomnia, high blood pressure and tachycardia.
Ulcer	Caused by the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, which destroys the gastroduodenal mucosa, making the stomach walls susceptible to the action of gastric juice	Heartburn, pain in the upper abdomen.

Intestinal diseases

Irritable bowel syndrome (so-called “ulcerative colitis”)	It is believed that the cause of this condition is an imbalance of intestinal flora, but it is not yet clear how this can cause digestive disorders	Bloating, flatulence, diarrhea, side pain
Celiac disease	Reduces the absorption function of sugar and nutrients; nutrients are not absorbed, remain in the intestinal lumen, ferment and form gas	Bloating, flatulence, diarrhea

Diseases of the liver, pancreas and biliary tract

Extraintestinal diseases

Digestive disorders can also cause diseases outside the gastrointestinal tract, such as diabetes mellitus, thyroid disease, inflammation of the adrenal glands and blood vessels, heart and kidney failure.

In all these cases, intestinal transit slows down, bloating and constipation develop, because the effect of the autonomic system decreases. nervous system(part of the nervous system responsible for intestinal motility).

Dyspepsia is a diagnosis of exclusion

If the symptoms are constant or periodic and persist for at least 3 months, then we can talk about functional dyspepsia. This is a diagnosis of exclusion, that is, they talk about it when the doctor excludes everything else. causes of indigestion.

Symptoms of dyspepsia: feeling of heaviness after eating, nausea, vomiting, frequent belching, drowsiness.

Consequences of slow digestion - constipation and bloating

Complications of slow digestion vary depending on the reasons that caused it. If the underlying cause of indigestion is stomach disease, such as an ulcer or reflux disease, then delayed gastric emptying leads to increased secretion of gastric juice. In case of ulceration of the mucous membrane, prolonged presence of food in the stomach can lead to perforation of the stomach wall with bleeding.

Slow digestion in the intestines suggests a slowdown in peristalsis and, consequently, the development of constipation. If digestive waste remains in the intestines for a long time, it mechanically irritates the intestinal walls and causes them to swell.

Slow digestion causes obesity

According to some experts, slow digestion can lead to weight gain: mainly due to constipation and water retention, rather than due to the accumulation of fat deposits.

However, this question is not so clear-cut, because all the foods we eat are well digested and absorbed from the intestines, regardless of the length of the journey, and with slow digestion we absorb the same number of calories as with normal digestion. Rather, the opposite situation may occur - when the stomach remains full for a long time due to slow digestion, the brain does not receive the stimulus of hunger, therefore, as a rule, such people eat less and lose weight.

Effective remedies for digestive problems

Slow and prolonged digestion of food can be, as we have seen, a consequence of disease of the stomach, intestines or, in some cases, may have an extraintestinal cause, but it can also be a consequence of improper food intake.

First digestive aid- this is maintaining a healthy lifestyle in food. Eat slowly, chew properly, reduce stress, move more - in most cases, following these recommendations will solve all digestive problems.

You can also add herbs to tea or use chewable tablets to stimulate bowel function and digestion. These drugs are most effective for functional disorders.

If digestive difficulties persist, it is necessary to consult a doctor and do research to find out the causes of intestinal disorders.

What to eat and what foods to avoid - nutrition rules

What to include in your diet to help slow digestion? In principle, you can eat anything that does not cause bloating and heartburn, the main thing is to make your meals too large and high in protein and lipids.

Other useful tips:

Eat a balanced diet, in which nutrients will be divided equally between all meals, so as not to burden digestion.
For exacerbation of digestive disorders, it may be helpful to reduce main meals and introduce two snacks in the middle and afternoon so as to more evenly distribute the load on the gastrointestinal tract.
Avoid Products that are difficult to digest, such as fried and fatty meats, the types of fish mentioned above, fats that slow down stomach emptying and cause a feeling of heaviness.
Avoid flour, milk and dairy products, in case of intolerance to these products.
When Digestive problems due to reflux It may be useful to exclude garlic, onions, and spicy foods from the diet.
If you are suffering from bloating, avoid cruciferous vegetables.
Avoid alcohol to speed up gastric emptying and from smoking to reduce burning and acidity.
Maintain the correct weight- this reduces pressure on the abdomen, especially when you sleep, this can reduce episodes of reflux of gastric contents into the esophagus.

Strategy - food diary

To find out which foods cause digestive problems, you must learn to recognize the signals that our body sends. In this light, it is useful to keep a food diary in the following form:

By filling out this chart every day for a week, it will be easier for you to understand which foods cause digestive problems, including the timing of their consumption.

Natural remedies - herbal teas and tablets.

To improve digestion we can use natural herbs in the form of teas or chewable tablets, which should be taken before meals two or three times a day.

Herbs that help us digest food better.

Proper digestion is the key to a healthy body, which requires a balanced complex of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates from foods. If the established mechanism fails, the negative state immediately affects the person’s well-being. To prevent the situation from becoming critical, it is important to respond to the first symptoms and carry out therapy on time.

When the stomach does not accept food, doctors talk about dyspepsia. Normally, the organ calmly digests food in a volume of 2–3 liters, dividing the incoming mass into fats, proteins, and carbohydrates. When a hunger signal is received, the glands located in the mucous membrane begin to actively produce hydrochloric acid, a substance that breaks down food. The digestion process takes from 2 to 5 hours. When the described mechanisms are disrupted, food is processed slowly, the stomach becomes bloated and heavy.

Symptoms of dyspepsia

If the stomach does not cope with its function, the following changes in condition occur:

Present constant feeling overflow.
Worries about nausea, heartburn, vomiting, belching. Possible “hunger” pains.
Due to the release of bile after eating, a burning sensation occurs in the chest area.
Even regardless of food intake, a painful spasm and heaviness appear in the upper abdomen. Discomfort may spread to the spine.
Due to the fact that food is delayed for digestion a long period, appetite worsens, saturation quickly occurs.

The so-called “lazy” stomach is diagnosed mainly in adults. The disease can develop in one of the following ways:

Ulcerative– a combination of heartburn, night or hunger pain, belching.
Dyskinetic– discomfort and heaviness are accompanied by a feeling of fullness.
Non-specific– a combination of the above types is observed.

Causes of poor digestion

Gastric dysfunction can be caused by various factors:

Lack of a balanced diet, correct mode nutrition.
Dry snacks, fast food abuse, overeating.
Constant stress.
Immunity to certain products.
The predominance of fatty, spicy, spicy foods in the diet.
Regular consumption of alcohol, which stimulates the production of hydrochloric acid.
Hormonal disbalance. The reason that food is not digested in the stomach is a violation of secretory function.
Late snacks as a result of which the main organ of the gastrointestinal tract does not have time to rest.

A poorly functioning tract may also be a consequence of insufficient metabolism, infection with bacterial flora, or decreased juice concentration. Regardless of the cause, you should not delay treatment for too long. It is important that the problem is solved comprehensively with correction of diet and lifestyle.

Video: About the most important thing: “Offended stomach”

Why does the stomach not digest food?

Belching rotten eggs, diarrhea and other symptoms of functional dyspepsia develop against the background of impaired motor activity. As a result of the loss digestive organ ability to cut properly, foods are poorly crushed and remain in the stomach longer.

Normally, the processed mass gradually moves through the gastrointestinal tract towards the colon. When activity decreases, fermentation processes are launched and the composition of the gastric and intestinal flora is disrupted. The consequence of such changes is a deterioration in the general condition.

How to help your stomach digest food

In order for food to begin to be processed in full again, you need to approach the problem responsibly (do not ignore the doctor’s recommendations). A set of all therapeutic measures is planned based on the collected medical history and research results. In some cases, the first step is fasting, then a medication regimen is prescribed.

Medicines

Different groups of drugs are indicated for the treatment of indigestion:

To eliminate diarrhea and cramps in the intestines, sorbents are used that envelop the mucous membrane of antacids. Almagel, Enterosgel, Smecta are recommended. They are also indicated when the cause of dyspepsia is poisoning.
So that the stomach can effectively digest food, use fermented drugs: Imodium, Linex, Mezim, Creon.
If the main symptom of dyspepsia is unbearable heartburn, you need to take acid-reducing drugs Gastracid, Gaviscon. Maalox, Ranitidine, Flemoxin also work well.
To loosen pain syndrome , recovery muscle tone use the drugs Spazmalgon, Drotaverine.

Additional therapy is planned when a “lazy” stomach is a consequence of depression, long-term stress. The main place is given to drugs to normalize the psycho-emotional state.

Folk remedies

You can help your stomach heal with the following recipes:

Drink made from cumin or marjoram. The medicine should be made every two days, pouring a glass of boiling water over the dry component and infusing the resulting product for 20 minutes. The product is taken once per day in a volume of 100 ml.
Fennel fruits (one pinch is enough) are brewed in 250 ml of boiling water and placed on low heat for 10 minutes. To ensure that incoming food is digested in a timely manner, the cooled and strained infusion is drunk in small sips throughout the day.
To prevent nausea, pour a teaspoon of dill grains into a glass boiled water and leave in a warm place for half an hour. Drink ready-made product Need after meals in a volume of 30 ml.
Elecampane roots crushed in a coffee grinder are poured cold water and stand for at least 9 hours. The finished infusion is drunk three times a day before meals, 100 ml. Therapy is carried out in a course lasting one and a half to two weeks.
A collection is prepared from chamomile, mint, sage, and yarrow. A tablespoon of herbs is brewed in a glass of boiling water and drunk a quarter of an hour before meals. Frequency: three times a day. With regular use, it is possible to get rid of cramps forever.

If your stomach doesn’t work well or doesn’t digest food at all, you can use a recipe based on aloe and honey. The number of components is 370 and 600 grams, respectively; an additional half liter of red wine is added to the mixture. The medicine is ready for use after a week. They drink it twice a day, 10 grams. Duration of therapy is at least 21 days.

Another effective remedy prepared by combining licorice and buckthorn roots, mustard, anise, and yarrow. All components are taken in equal quantities, 15 grams are measured and the mixture is poured with 400 ml of just boiled water. After infusing for half an hour, the medicine is drunk in the morning and evening before meals. Reception continues for two weeks.

Exercises

If the stomach begins to have difficulty digesting food, doctors recommend not only certain drug regimen, but also special gymnastics that help restore the tone of the gastrointestinal tract. You need to perform therapeutic exercises two hours before meals. The result of regular training is the strengthening of the muscle frame in the diaphragm and abdominal wall. At the same time, the perineal tissues are involved in the process, so there is a complex positive effect. The initial and final stages of each session should be breathing exercises.

Video: Exercises that improve digestion

You should follow this sequence:

Take a lying position, straighten your arms along your body.
Alternately bend lower limbs. Number of approaches – 12. It is important that breathing is uniform.
In the same position, alternately raise the straightened legs, maintaining the pace and adhering to the number of repetitions indicated above.
Sitting down with your legs extended, choose a comfortable position for your arms and begin to lower and raise your torso. The first priority is to monitor your breathing. The exercise is done 3-4 times.
Sitting, proceed to horizontal sliding of the legs along the floor, working knee joints. It is important to bring the straightened limbs as close as possible to the surface. The number of repetitions is similar to the previous point.
Take a knee-elbow position and slowly bring your bent arms closer to your legs, simultaneously arching your back, then return back. All movements are slow, you need to do at least 8 repetitions. The distance between the knees is selected according to the width of the foot.
Sit on a chair and straighten your legs. The arms extended forward while inhaling are spread to the sides. As you exhale, bend towards your legs. As with the previous exercises, perform the movements slowly, maintaining uniform breathing. The number of repetitions is from 2 to 4.
Take a standing position with your hands on your belt, your feet shoulder-width apart. The main movement is bending forward and backward. One - inhale, two - exhale. 4 repetitions are planned.
Proceed to bending the torso left and right. An average pace is allowed; even breathing is important.
While maintaining a standing position, spread your arms to the sides, while simultaneously tilting your torso. As one hand reaches toward the opposite foot, the other rises. The optimal number of repetitions is at least 4.
They move on to turning their torso, while simultaneously placing their outstretched arms at their sides.
With your feet shoulder-width apart, take a deep breath, raising your arms up to your sides. Slowly releasing air through the mouth, return to the starting position.

Complementary exercises breathing exercises- This is mainly training the abdominal muscles, which are directly involved in the digestive process.

Video: Yoga exercises for heaviness in the stomach and increased gas formation

Prevention

Preventing dyspepsia is much easier than curing the disorder. For the proper functioning of the stomach and intestines, a number of principles are followed:

The diet is carefully controlled, excluding heavy, fatty, spice-rich foods.
They plan to lose weight or cleanse the body without using too strict diets.
Draw up nutritional plans with the correct ratio of fats, proteins, carbohydrates.
Include fruits and vegetables in the menu as priority products.
Food is minimally salted.
Reconsidering life position, excluding an acute reaction to stress and troubles.
The functioning of the main systems and organs is regularly checked - they pass preventive examinations once a year.
If possible, give up bad habits, including smoking, drinking alcohol, cooking from processed foods, and overeating.

TO preventive measures also include limiting caffeine consumption and avoiding late evening and night snacks. Neglecting breakfast also has a negative impact on the body’s condition.

Drinking water with lemon and generally sprinkling lemon juice on food helps digestion.

Accept cold and hot shower and take a walk, jump rope)

The Indian dietary supplement Liv52 or the enzymes contained in Mezim Forte and Pancreatin tablets will help speed up the digestion of food.

And if without medications, then moderate, without fanaticism, will help speed up digestion. physical activity, including having sex.

Eat Mezim Forte after meals. In practice, he digests almost everything.

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 do not ask the question: 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. Digestion time in different departments The gastrointestinal tract is significantly different.

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

In the mouth, food is crushed and moistened with saliva. In saliva, the enzyme amylase begins the breakdown of carbohydrates.
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.
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.
Already in the small intestine active process absorption of chemical components of food, which enter the blood, are purified in the liver and flow to their destination (cells). All these processes take 7-8 hours.
The remaining nutrients are absorbed in the large intestine. Here, the remains of undigested food (slags) can remain for up to 20 hours.
Through the rectum, waste products are removed from the large intestine from the body.

The gastrointestinal tract pushes food through the digestive tract using periodic contractions of smooth muscles, a process 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! “Wakes up” even before eating conditioned reflex: saliva is secreted in response to 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.

Table of digestion times for individual foods in the stomach

The table shows that the body digests carbohydrates the fastest. Next in ascending order are proteins and fats.

Important! Water without impurities does not need to be digested. It passes almost immediately into the intestines, which takes minutes. In addition, it is an important component of our body, because every cell in the body consists of 80% water.

In addition to the types of foods, other factors also play an important role in the speed of digestion.

What affects the duration of food digestion?

Temperature. Hot foods take longer to digest than cold ones. For example, okroshka requires less time to be digested by the stomach than borscht or oven-baked casserole.
Meal time. Food is most actively processed during the day, during lunch. Food taken at breakfast and dinner takes longer to reach the intestines.
Treatment. In boiled and fried foods, the enzymes characteristic of them are destroyed during the cooking process. raw food, and the stomach absorbs them one and a half times longer.
Combination. Their processing depends on how and with what a person mixes products. For example, an apple takes half an hour to digest, and hard cheese takes five hours.
And the body processes a soft-boiled egg faster than a hard-boiled one.

Important! There is no need to eat until the stomach is empty of the previous portion of food. Then the problem will solve itself excess weight and without heavy and strict diets it is easy to lose those hated kilograms.

Separate Power Basics

Often tasty and healthy food are mutually exclusive concepts. Even so-called haute cuisine often consists of products with different times of absorption by the body. Therefore, a restaurant menu suitable for special occasions, should not be made your daily food.

It is useful to eat foods with the same digestion time at one time. And only after complete absorption of the nutrients received by the body, begin to next appointment absorption of food. A diet that contains mixed foods with different digestion times leads to “cluttering” of the gastrointestinal tract, since some foods have already been digested, while others have not yet been digested.

With such inconsistent nutrition, the processes of fermentation and putrefaction begin, which are accompanied by bloating, belching and flatulence. Next, waste accumulates in the intestines. Over time, they will interfere with the absorption of food, as the intestinal walls become clogged. Digestive disorders are also possible.

The principles of separate nutrition are based on the following rules:

a single serving should contain compatible products that are consumed at the same time;
the interval between meals should be at least 2 hours (the only exception is fruit);
Do not mix solid food with drinks;
liquid foods should be consumed before meals, not after them;
Chew food slowly and thoroughly, and do not swallow in chunks.
You should definitely add dry herbs and a variety of spices to your food, as they promote the production of enzymes.

All this will help the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, good health, lightness. This way you will avoid overeating and diseases associated with the digestive system.

We often try to pamper ourselves by including foods that have little or no compatibility in our diet. But eating tasty food does not mean eating right. Here you need to think through the menu in order to combine business with pleasure. Unfortunately, we do not always have enough time, energy and desire for this. However, in order not to make your body sick, you should take the time to develop a balanced daily menu.

Professional skills: diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and biliary system.

7 ways to speed up digestion after a heavy meal

Festive feasts and well-deserved rest outside the home are often associated with the fact that we eat more than we should and receive several thousand calories at once.

The consequences of such a “holiday for the stomach” are often disastrous: unpleasant feeling full stomach, bloating, constipation, extra pounds.

Therefore, it is useful to know what helps our body in digestion.

How to speed up digestion

Movement is very important. Although you usually don't want to get off the couch and move with a full stomach, it's better to go for a short walk. In this way, we will stop putting pressure on the stomach, and most importantly, we will supply the intestines with blood and make it easier to work with, which, of course, will speed up all digestion. We should feel relief within the first ten to fifteen minutes.
Digestion is also helped by using the right seasonings when cooking. The list is very long, in it you can find, for example, chili pepper, juniper, marjoram, lovage, ginger, cumin or cinnamon. Hot spices speed up the digestibility of food, metabolism, and promote fat burning.
A classic way to improve digestion is a cup of warm tea after a meal. Unlike various cold drinks, which are more likely to cause harm, black or green tea improves the secretion of gastric juice and speeds up the digestion of fats. In addition, its taste is neutral and therefore does not interrupt the aftertaste of food.

With all drinks, be careful not to overdo the quantity. A cup or glass is still normal, but if you pour a liter of healthy liquids into yourself for a relatively short term, problems and feelings of heaviness will only intensify.

10 Replies to the article 7 ways to speed up digestion after a heavy overeat

Of all the recommended remedies, I give preference only to movement. And not just a walk, but an energetic walk. I don’t drink liquids, because why dilute the concentration of gastric juice. After an energetic walk, a warm hour - yes.

It is better not to eat or drink immediately after a heavy meal. It's better to turn on music and dance or play active games.

When overeating, movement is very important, walking is best. I remember my grandmother treated overeating with her own methods, which relieved the severity very quickly. She took the spindle and twisted it on the navel, slightly pressing it. 2-3 movements and the grandchildren forgot what heaviness in the stomach is.

Thanks for the tips, I prefer #1

I agree with the above: drinking after a meal is not recommended for at least 40 minutes. This will further increase the heaviness of the stomach and stretch it beyond its intended limit. Best of all, I can't and don't want to move through!

This state often happens after festive feasts. And it’s really hard to cope with the heaviness in the stomach.

This doesn’t happen often, but I usually take a Mezim or Pancreatin tablet. But, of course, there’s no better way to convey it. I don’t argue, there is nothing better than active movements!

The best remedy for overeating is abstinence and then you won’t have to force the body with different techniques

Water with lemon juice also helps me. Apparently, this also happens because I have low stomach acidity.

You can drink it after meals and during meals. Neither water, nor juice, nor tea can dilute gastric juice.

If you remember anatomy, a section of physiology, the stomach is created exclusively for solid food, and liquid passes through special gutters or folds of the stomach. You can wash down food, BUT only AFTER it has gone through the process of digestion (chewing) in the mouth (otherwise it disrupts the digestion process, since saliva provides perception taste sensations, lubricates and glues chewed food, facilitating swallowing. In addition, saliva cleanses the oral cavity, has a bactericidal effect, and protects teeth from damage. Under the influence of salivary enzymes, the digestion of CARBOHYDRATES begins in the oral cavity. Well, 2nd, the chewing process itself is a good exercise for the jaws and teeth), and the drink should not be hot or cold (there is nothing to say about ice). I don’t remember, unfortunately. what happens when you drink a hot drink (well, the fact that the tongue and esophagus can be burned is understandable to a fool), but from ice-cold drinks strong contractions occur that can push food into the intestines, where, YES, it will rot.

As for not overeating, that’s the same The best way this is to try not to put more than 500 grams into yourself, approximately the same volume as the stomach of an adult of average height in a calm state. Immediately after a hearty lunch, stand on treadmill also stupid. I agree with a quiet walk.

But I (to be honest, I also sometimes overeat) prefer to act according to Ayurvedic advice - after a hearty lunch, you need to lie on your LEFT side, which promotes rapid digestion of food and allow yourself to lie down for 15 minutes. After which I leisurely do light physical labor (washing dishes, I clear the table), and put the mental one aside for about an hour, my brain doesn’t work well when my stomach is full))), so during lunch at work I eat only 1-2 servings of light vegetable salad without mayonnaise, trying not to exceed grams.

I believe that everyone is the master of their own body and what is good for someone is not a fact that it will be ideal for me, so I chose the path of harmony of soul and body, I listen to my feelings and give my body what it wants, within reason. limits. Any violence against own body I don’t admit it, but I also don’t allow him to relax, so that I am the master of my body, and not vice versa.

HOW QUICKLY DOES OUR STOMACH DIGEST FOOD?

Hello friends! As practice has shown, not all people are interested in the question of how long food is digested in the stomach. And, I want to tell you that due to the lack of a clear understanding of the importance of this issue, many people, without noticing it, drive their health into a dead end.

The point is that different foods require different “attention” from our digestive system. But, so as not to beat around the bush, I propose to speak specifically and to the point...

How long does it take for food to be digested in the stomach?

More specifically, all food can be divided into 4 categories according to the time it is digested in our stomach:

Foods that pass quickly (mostly carbohydrate foods)

Average digestion time (this is mainly protein food)

Foods of long digestion (this includes fatty food and a combination of fat and protein)

Food takes too long to digest and is practically indigestible.

Now let's describe everything in more detail and structure the information received a little:

1. The first category includes: almost all fruits (with the exception of bananas, avocados and the like), vegetable and fruit juices (not mixed), berries, kefir. All of the above products do not stay in our stomach for more than 1 hour. For example, fruits pass into the intestines from the stomach within 40 - 45 minutes. In some situations, it can take 35–40 minutes.

2. The second category includes: vegetables, herbs, dairy products with the exception of cottage cheese and hard cheese, sprouts, soaked nuts and seeds, all dried fruits. All of them enter our intestines in approximately 1.5 - 2 hours.

3. The third category includes: porridges and cereals, nuts and seeds that are not pre-soaked in water, cottage cheese and hard cheese, all types of mushrooms, legumes (if they are boiled), bakery products made from premium flour. Their residence time in the stomach is 2–3 hours from the moment of their arrival.

4. And finally, group 4 includes: tea with milk, coffee with milk, meat (including poultry, as well as fish), pasta (except for those made from whole grain flour or durum wheat flour), all types of canned food. All products from group 4 are very difficult to digest, or are practically not digested at all.

What conclusion can we draw now, guided by information about how long food is digested in the stomach?

If you want to be healthy, you need to eat as many foods as possible that are digested in a short period of time. Thus, you protect your digestive system, and the body spends less energy on its processing.

Avoid or eat to a minimum those foods that belong to category 4.

If you have stomach or intestinal problems, eat only food from categories 1 and 2.

In the evening you can also eat foods only from categories 1 and 2.

Some examples of food digestion in the stomach:

1-2 hours - water, tea, coffee, cocoa, broth, milk, soft-boiled eggs, rice, boiled river fish.
2-3 hours - hard-boiled eggs, omelet, boiled sea fish, boiled potatoes, bread.
3-4 hours - chicken and beef (boiled), rye bread, apples, carrots, radishes, spinach, cucumbers, fried potatoes, ham.
4-5 hours - beans (beans, peas), game, herring, fried meat, pasta.
5-6 hours - mushrooms, bacon.

Try not to eat 3-4 hours before bedtime and stick to the rule: it’s better to eat in small portions and more often than a lot at once. I think the task is clear to everyone - not to increase the size of the stomach.

Initially, if we learn to take care of the health of the gastrointestinal tract, our stomach will not increase in size and the problem of overeating will disappear completely.

How to digest food faster

The digestive system breaks down food into smaller parts, allowing your body to get the maximum amount of energy and nutrients. Different types of food are digested at different rates. Although the speed of the digestive system depends on the individual characteristics of the body, there are ways to speed up this process. After reading our article, you will learn ways to speed up the digestion of food.

Steps Edit

Method 1 of 4:

Method 2 of 4:

Eating foods that promote rapid digestion Edit

Method 3 of 4:

Change your eating habits Edit

Avoid sitting for too long after eating as this slows down your metabolism.
Try peppermint oil as a supplement. Some studies have shown that a few drops of oil peppermint as food additives help improve the digestive process, but there is no scientific evidence for this.

Warnings Edit

Do not do too much vigorous exercise immediately after eating, as this may cause cramps and discomfort.

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How long does it take to digest and absorb different foods?

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. 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 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.

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.

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, 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 Processing and mixing of ingredients may affect the absorption of food. Let us highlight three stages of complicating life in the gastrointestinal tract:

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

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

3. Different time digestion, various 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 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 beneficial 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.

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 We have already touched on the above table “Time of digestion 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.
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.

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 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.