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How does digestion work?
Quick answer
Digestion works by breaking food down — mechanically and chemically — into tiny nutrients your body can absorb. It's a journey from mouth to stomach to intestines, with enzymes and acids dismantling food along the way. Chewing and stomach churning break food down physically.
Step by step
- Chewing and stomach churning break food down physically.
- Enzymes and stomach acid break it down chemically into nutrients.
- The small intestine absorbs nutrients into the blood.
- The large intestine reclaims water; waste is expelled.
People also ask
Where does digestion start?
In the mouth — chewing breaks food up and saliva begins breaking down starches.
What does the stomach do?
It churns food and uses acid and enzymes to break proteins down into a soupy mixture.
Where are nutrients absorbed?
Mainly in the small intestine, whose lining passes nutrients into the bloodstream.
Part of the guide: How Your Body Works →