How long does it take for the human body to digest food?

It takes an average of 40 hours for the adult human body to digest food. Generally, it takes women longer to digest a meal than men. A woman takes about 47 hours to digest food, while a man takes about 33 to digest food.

Digestion begins in the mouth, where teeth chop up and saliva starts to break down the food. The food passes down the esophagus to the stomach, which adds digestive juices.

The food then enters the small intestine, where most of the digestion is completed. Waste is then stored by the colon and eventually eliminated from the body.