All about your digestive system
The digestive system performs a fascinating but complex process. It consists of all the organs involved in breaking down food, absorbing nutrients and eliminating waste products.
The small intestine
The digestive process starts in your mouth. As you swallow your food, it travels through your oesophagus to your stomach where it is broken down into smaller pieces and mixed with digestive fluids. The now liquid mix of food and stomach juice is passed to the small intestine, where digestion continues and most nutrients, vitamins and minerals are absorbed.
The large intestine
When the small intestine has done its job, the large intestine, also called the colon, takes over. In the large intestine, the remaining water and salts are absorbed, causing the waste products become firmer and turn into stool. The stool is then pushed through the intestine towards the rectum by a series of muscle contractions, known as peristalsis. A healthy bowel will typically have 3 to 4 major peristaltic movements per day.
The time it takes for food to pass through the digestive system is called the transit time. It changes from person to person, but the average transit time for women is 2.4 days and 1.9 days for men.
The rectum
When stool reaches the end of the colon, it passes into the rectum, where it is stored. As the rectum fills with stool, it distends. This triggers nerve signals that are sent to our brain, making us aware that it’s time to find a toilet. At the same time, the internal sphincter relaxes by reflex and stool moves down towards the anus and gets expelled.
Both the internal and the external anal sphincters are contracted between bowel movements, helping to keep the individual continent and preventing leakage.
