Like many things related to our bodies, we only pay attention to ourdigestive systemwhen it’s giving us a problem. Otherwise, we tend to overlook it and put all sorts of things into it without a second thought.However, knowing how your digestive system is supposed to work can help you improve your overall digestive health. This knowledge can help you take better care of your digestive system, more quickly identify any possible digestive problems, and communicate more effectively with your healthcare provider.In this article, learn 15 incredible facts about the body’s digestive system, such as the importance of fiber, the role of your digestive tract’s trillions of bacteria, and the surprising connection between your digestive enzymes and laundry detergent.
Like many things related to our bodies, we only pay attention to ourdigestive systemwhen it’s giving us a problem. Otherwise, we tend to overlook it and put all sorts of things into it without a second thought.
However, knowing how your digestive system is supposed to work can help you improve your overall digestive health. This knowledge can help you take better care of your digestive system, more quickly identify any possible digestive problems, and communicate more effectively with your healthcare provider.
In this article, learn 15 incredible facts about the body’s digestive system, such as the importance of fiber, the role of your digestive tract’s trillions of bacteria, and the surprising connection between your digestive enzymes and laundry detergent.
1
Your Digestive System Is Surprisingly Long
Nipitphon Na Chiangmai /EyeEm/Getty Images
The length of your entiredigestive systemfrom the mouth to the anus is approximately 30 feet long.
2
You Produce a Lot of Saliva
Our mouths secrete approximately one liter of saliva a day.
Saliva production through our salivary glands is the first step in digestion. Food breakdown begins in our mouths through chewing, and the enzymes present in saliva.
Saliva has many vital functions:
3
Swallowing Is a Pretty Complex Operation
Food takes two to five seconds to make its way down your esophagus into your stomach.
After we’ve chewed our food, it’s formed into abolus(a small, round mass). Swallowing is a complex procedure in which the bolus is moved into the pharynx as the larynx (the organ connected to our windpipe) is covered, and the esophagus opening is widened to accept it. The bolus is then moved down through the esophagus through coordinated muscle movements known as peristalsis.
4
Your Stomach Produces Hydrochloric Acid
It’s the same stuff that masons use to clean bricks.
Only a few things are absorbed into the bloodstream at the level of the stomach, and interestingly, these are the very things that can cause stomach irritation: alcohol, aspirin, andnon-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs).
5
Your Pancreas and Liver Are Not So Mysterious
The primary role of both your pancreas andliveris to produce substances that break down the foods you eat.
6
So Much Happens in Your Small Intestine
Your small intestine is where almost all of the absorption of nutrients from the foods we eat takes place.
The small intestine is where the most critical work of digestion takes place, that is, further breaking down the food we eat into molecular components that can be absorbed into the bloodstream. The small intestine has three parts:
Bile from the gallbladder anddigestive enzymesfrom the pancreas are mixed into the chyme in the duodenum. The final breakdown and absorption of nutrients occur in the second two parts.
7Fiber Is Very ImportantFiber is what is left over when all the other parts of food have been digested.Once the small intestine has completed its breakdown of food and absorption of nutrients, it propels the undigested parts of plant food, known as fiber, into the large intestine.Fiber is classified into two general types: soluble, which dissolves in water, and insoluble, which does not. Fiber both softens and bulks up the stool and affects thehealth of your gut bacteria, which play a role in supporting your immune system. Thus, dietary fiber is essential for both digestive and overall health.
7
Fiber Is Very ImportantFiber is what is left over when all the other parts of food have been digested.Once the small intestine has completed its breakdown of food and absorption of nutrients, it propels the undigested parts of plant food, known as fiber, into the large intestine.Fiber is classified into two general types: soluble, which dissolves in water, and insoluble, which does not. Fiber both softens and bulks up the stool and affects thehealth of your gut bacteria, which play a role in supporting your immune system. Thus, dietary fiber is essential for both digestive and overall health.
Fiber Is Very Important
Fiber is what is left over when all the other parts of food have been digested.
Once the small intestine has completed its breakdown of food and absorption of nutrients, it propels the undigested parts of plant food, known as fiber, into the large intestine.
Fiber is classified into two general types: soluble, which dissolves in water, and insoluble, which does not. Fiber both softens and bulks up the stool and affects thehealth of your gut bacteria, which play a role in supporting your immune system. Thus, dietary fiber is essential for both digestive and overall health.
8How Much You Drink Affects the Look and Texture of StoolYour colon, known as your large intestine, is a long, hollow organ typically about 5 feet long. It consists of the ascendingcolon, the transverse colon, the descending colon, the sigmoid colon, and the rectum.Along with fiber, the small intestine propels liquid into the large intestine, where it’s absorbed and stools are formed. Your large intestine receives about one quart of liquid daily from the small intestine.Drinking adequate amounts of water helps to keep your stool soft and, therefore, contributes to a comfortable bowel movement. When you don’t drink enough water, water is drawn out of the fecal matter within your colon, resulting inhard, difficult-to-pass stools.Although there’s great variation in frequency, stool is generally moved into the rectum once or twice a day in preparation for a bowel movement.A tortuous colon is longer than usual. The colon ends up with extra twists and turns for this longer tube to fit in your abdomen. This condition is relatively rare.
8
How Much You Drink Affects the Look and Texture of StoolYour colon, known as your large intestine, is a long, hollow organ typically about 5 feet long. It consists of the ascendingcolon, the transverse colon, the descending colon, the sigmoid colon, and the rectum.Along with fiber, the small intestine propels liquid into the large intestine, where it’s absorbed and stools are formed. Your large intestine receives about one quart of liquid daily from the small intestine.Drinking adequate amounts of water helps to keep your stool soft and, therefore, contributes to a comfortable bowel movement. When you don’t drink enough water, water is drawn out of the fecal matter within your colon, resulting inhard, difficult-to-pass stools.Although there’s great variation in frequency, stool is generally moved into the rectum once or twice a day in preparation for a bowel movement.A tortuous colon is longer than usual. The colon ends up with extra twists and turns for this longer tube to fit in your abdomen. This condition is relatively rare.
How Much You Drink Affects the Look and Texture of Stool
Your colon, known as your large intestine, is a long, hollow organ typically about 5 feet long. It consists of the ascendingcolon, the transverse colon, the descending colon, the sigmoid colon, and the rectum.
Along with fiber, the small intestine propels liquid into the large intestine, where it’s absorbed and stools are formed. Your large intestine receives about one quart of liquid daily from the small intestine.
Drinking adequate amounts of water helps to keep your stool soft and, therefore, contributes to a comfortable bowel movement. When you don’t drink enough water, water is drawn out of the fecal matter within your colon, resulting inhard, difficult-to-pass stools.
Although there’s great variation in frequency, stool is generally moved into the rectum once or twice a day in preparation for a bowel movement.
A tortuous colon is longer than usual. The colon ends up with extra twists and turns for this longer tube to fit in your abdomen. This condition is relatively rare.
9There Are Trillions of Bacteria in Your Digestive SystemYour GI system plays host to more than 500 species of bacteria.We are not born with any bacteria in our digestive systems but develop a significant population within the first month, most of which can be found in our large intestine.Recognition of the role that bacteria play in digestive health has stimulated booming sales of products containingprobiotics, often labeled as “friendly bacteria.” Bacteria fight off disease-carrying organisms, absorb nutrients that slip past the small intestine through fermentation, and help to support our immune systems.Small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is a health condition in which too many bacteria are present in the small intestine. SIBO has been theorized as a possible factor in the development ofirritable bowel syndrome (IBS)in some individuals.
9
There Are Trillions of Bacteria in Your Digestive SystemYour GI system plays host to more than 500 species of bacteria.We are not born with any bacteria in our digestive systems but develop a significant population within the first month, most of which can be found in our large intestine.Recognition of the role that bacteria play in digestive health has stimulated booming sales of products containingprobiotics, often labeled as “friendly bacteria.” Bacteria fight off disease-carrying organisms, absorb nutrients that slip past the small intestine through fermentation, and help to support our immune systems.Small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is a health condition in which too many bacteria are present in the small intestine. SIBO has been theorized as a possible factor in the development ofirritable bowel syndrome (IBS)in some individuals.
There Are Trillions of Bacteria in Your Digestive System
Your GI system plays host to more than 500 species of bacteria.
We are not born with any bacteria in our digestive systems but develop a significant population within the first month, most of which can be found in our large intestine.
Recognition of the role that bacteria play in digestive health has stimulated booming sales of products containingprobiotics, often labeled as “friendly bacteria.” Bacteria fight off disease-carrying organisms, absorb nutrients that slip past the small intestine through fermentation, and help to support our immune systems.
Small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is a health condition in which too many bacteria are present in the small intestine. SIBO has been theorized as a possible factor in the development ofirritable bowel syndrome (IBS)in some individuals.
10Your Body Actually Has Two BrainsYour brain and digestive system work in close partnership. You have first-hand knowledge of this any time your stomach flips when you think of something anxiety-provoking—or, more dramatically, if you experience diarrhea when you are stressed.This collaboration is thought to be essential to our survival as a species; although digestion is essential for life, dealing with threats is just as necessary.The body developed the “flight or fight” system to divert resources from the digestive system to the systems needed to fight off or run away from things that might harm us.Dysfunction in the brain-gut connection has been theorized to play a role in the development offunctional gastrointestinal disorders (FGDs), for example, irritable bowel syndrome.
10
Your Body Actually Has Two BrainsYour brain and digestive system work in close partnership. You have first-hand knowledge of this any time your stomach flips when you think of something anxiety-provoking—or, more dramatically, if you experience diarrhea when you are stressed.This collaboration is thought to be essential to our survival as a species; although digestion is essential for life, dealing with threats is just as necessary.The body developed the “flight or fight” system to divert resources from the digestive system to the systems needed to fight off or run away from things that might harm us.Dysfunction in the brain-gut connection has been theorized to play a role in the development offunctional gastrointestinal disorders (FGDs), for example, irritable bowel syndrome.
Your Body Actually Has Two Brains
Your brain and digestive system work in close partnership. You have first-hand knowledge of this any time your stomach flips when you think of something anxiety-provoking—or, more dramatically, if you experience diarrhea when you are stressed.
This collaboration is thought to be essential to our survival as a species; although digestion is essential for life, dealing with threats is just as necessary.
The body developed the “flight or fight” system to divert resources from the digestive system to the systems needed to fight off or run away from things that might harm us.
Dysfunction in the brain-gut connection has been theorized to play a role in the development offunctional gastrointestinal disorders (FGDs), for example, irritable bowel syndrome.
11The Stomach Can Hold Up to 4 Pounds of Food at One TimeThe capacity of the human stomach to stretch is remarkable. The average stomach holds up to 4 pounds of food, which would be quite uncomfortable. But some people’s stomachs can hold even more; the world record holder for most hot dogs eaten, Joey Chestnut, consumed an astonishing 16 pounds of hot dogs.
11
The Stomach Can Hold Up to 4 Pounds of Food at One TimeThe capacity of the human stomach to stretch is remarkable. The average stomach holds up to 4 pounds of food, which would be quite uncomfortable. But some people’s stomachs can hold even more; the world record holder for most hot dogs eaten, Joey Chestnut, consumed an astonishing 16 pounds of hot dogs.
The Stomach Can Hold Up to 4 Pounds of Food at One Time
The capacity of the human stomach to stretch is remarkable. The average stomach holds up to 4 pounds of food, which would be quite uncomfortable. But some people’s stomachs can hold even more; the world record holder for most hot dogs eaten, Joey Chestnut, consumed an astonishing 16 pounds of hot dogs.
12Burping Is Your Body’s Way of Pushing Out Excess AirBurping (also called belching) is the release of air from your stomach. It is most common during eating and just afterward but can occur anytime. The average person burps 30 times per day!The air your burp comes from air you swallow, fizzy drinks, eating quickly, chewing gum or sucking on candy, and even wearing loose dentures.
12
Burping Is Your Body’s Way of Pushing Out Excess AirBurping (also called belching) is the release of air from your stomach. It is most common during eating and just afterward but can occur anytime. The average person burps 30 times per day!The air your burp comes from air you swallow, fizzy drinks, eating quickly, chewing gum or sucking on candy, and even wearing loose dentures.
Burping Is Your Body’s Way of Pushing Out Excess Air
Burping (also called belching) is the release of air from your stomach. It is most common during eating and just afterward but can occur anytime. The average person burps 30 times per day!
The air your burp comes from air you swallow, fizzy drinks, eating quickly, chewing gum or sucking on candy, and even wearing loose dentures.
13
You Can Survive Without a Stomach
A gastrectomy involves removing the stomach, and the esophagus is attached directly to the small intestine.People without stomachs can still eat, but they must eat very small amounts of food. They must also eat many times throughout the day to obtain the proper number of calories.
14Farts That Contain Hydrogen Sulfide Smell BadThe vast majority of farts are odorless. Some farts–some put the number at around 1%–do smell. The gasses that cause the smell vary somewhat, but most smelly farts contain hydrogen sulfide.Hydrogen sulfide is a gas that causes most of the smell in farts. It tends to smell like rotten eggs. Other gases that can contribute to odor are methane, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide.
14
Farts That Contain Hydrogen Sulfide Smell BadThe vast majority of farts are odorless. Some farts–some put the number at around 1%–do smell. The gasses that cause the smell vary somewhat, but most smelly farts contain hydrogen sulfide.Hydrogen sulfide is a gas that causes most of the smell in farts. It tends to smell like rotten eggs. Other gases that can contribute to odor are methane, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide.
Farts That Contain Hydrogen Sulfide Smell Bad
The vast majority of farts are odorless. Some farts–some put the number at around 1%–do smell. The gasses that cause the smell vary somewhat, but most smelly farts contain hydrogen sulfide.
Hydrogen sulfide is a gas that causes most of the smell in farts. It tends to smell like rotten eggs. Other gases that can contribute to odor are methane, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide.
15The Digestive Systems Shares Similarities With Laundry DetergentDigestive enzymes include lipase, protease, amylase, and others. These enzymes work to break down proteins, carbohydrates, and fat in food. This occurs in the small intestine, where the nutrients are absorbed.Many of these same enzymes are used in laundry detergent, too—the enzymes in laundry detergent work very similarly to the enzymes in your small intestine. Stains on clothing may be made up of proteins, starches, and fats, and the enzymes in detergent break down these components so they can be washed away.
15
The Digestive Systems Shares Similarities With Laundry DetergentDigestive enzymes include lipase, protease, amylase, and others. These enzymes work to break down proteins, carbohydrates, and fat in food. This occurs in the small intestine, where the nutrients are absorbed.Many of these same enzymes are used in laundry detergent, too—the enzymes in laundry detergent work very similarly to the enzymes in your small intestine. Stains on clothing may be made up of proteins, starches, and fats, and the enzymes in detergent break down these components so they can be washed away.
The Digestive Systems Shares Similarities With Laundry Detergent
Digestive enzymes include lipase, protease, amylase, and others. These enzymes work to break down proteins, carbohydrates, and fat in food. This occurs in the small intestine, where the nutrients are absorbed.
Many of these same enzymes are used in laundry detergent, too—the enzymes in laundry detergent work very similarly to the enzymes in your small intestine. Stains on clothing may be made up of proteins, starches, and fats, and the enzymes in detergent break down these components so they can be washed away.
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institutes of Health. News in Health.Keeping your gut in check.Makki K, Deehan EC, Walter J, Bäckhed F.The Impact of Dietary Fiber on Gut Microbiota in Host Health and Disease. Cell Host Microbe. 2018;23(6):705-715. doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2018.05.012Choi CH, Chang SK.Role of Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth in Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders. J Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2016;22(1):3-5. doi: 10.5056/jnm15196Șchiopu CG, Ștefănescu C, Boloș A, Diaconescu S, Gilca-Blanariu GE, Ștefănescu G.Functional gastrointestinal disorders with psychiatric symptoms: involvement of the microbiome–gut–brain axis in the pathophysiology and case management.Microorganisms. 2022;10(11):2199. doi:10.3390/microorganisms10112199National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of gas in the digestive tract.National Cancer Institute.Removing stomach to prevent cancer has lasting consequences.Cary Gastroenterology Associates.Why do my farts smell so bad?Ianiro G, Pecere S, Giorgio V, Gasbarrini A, Cammarota G.Digestive enzyme supplementation in gastrointestinal diseases.Curr Drug Metab. 2016;17(2):187-193. doi:10.2174/138920021702160114150137Center for Research on Ingredient Safety.Trending – laundry detergent enzymes.Additional Reading"Your Digestive System and How It Works"National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse.
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Institutes of Health. News in Health.Keeping your gut in check.Makki K, Deehan EC, Walter J, Bäckhed F.The Impact of Dietary Fiber on Gut Microbiota in Host Health and Disease. Cell Host Microbe. 2018;23(6):705-715. doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2018.05.012Choi CH, Chang SK.Role of Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth in Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders. J Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2016;22(1):3-5. doi: 10.5056/jnm15196Șchiopu CG, Ștefănescu C, Boloș A, Diaconescu S, Gilca-Blanariu GE, Ștefănescu G.Functional gastrointestinal disorders with psychiatric symptoms: involvement of the microbiome–gut–brain axis in the pathophysiology and case management.Microorganisms. 2022;10(11):2199. doi:10.3390/microorganisms10112199National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of gas in the digestive tract.National Cancer Institute.Removing stomach to prevent cancer has lasting consequences.Cary Gastroenterology Associates.Why do my farts smell so bad?Ianiro G, Pecere S, Giorgio V, Gasbarrini A, Cammarota G.Digestive enzyme supplementation in gastrointestinal diseases.Curr Drug Metab. 2016;17(2):187-193. doi:10.2174/138920021702160114150137Center for Research on Ingredient Safety.Trending – laundry detergent enzymes.Additional Reading"Your Digestive System and How It Works"National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Institutes of Health. News in Health.Keeping your gut in check.Makki K, Deehan EC, Walter J, Bäckhed F.The Impact of Dietary Fiber on Gut Microbiota in Host Health and Disease. Cell Host Microbe. 2018;23(6):705-715. doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2018.05.012Choi CH, Chang SK.Role of Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth in Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders. J Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2016;22(1):3-5. doi: 10.5056/jnm15196Șchiopu CG, Ștefănescu C, Boloș A, Diaconescu S, Gilca-Blanariu GE, Ștefănescu G.Functional gastrointestinal disorders with psychiatric symptoms: involvement of the microbiome–gut–brain axis in the pathophysiology and case management.Microorganisms. 2022;10(11):2199. doi:10.3390/microorganisms10112199National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of gas in the digestive tract.National Cancer Institute.Removing stomach to prevent cancer has lasting consequences.Cary Gastroenterology Associates.Why do my farts smell so bad?Ianiro G, Pecere S, Giorgio V, Gasbarrini A, Cammarota G.Digestive enzyme supplementation in gastrointestinal diseases.Curr Drug Metab. 2016;17(2):187-193. doi:10.2174/138920021702160114150137Center for Research on Ingredient Safety.Trending – laundry detergent enzymes.
National Institutes of Health. News in Health.Keeping your gut in check.
Makki K, Deehan EC, Walter J, Bäckhed F.The Impact of Dietary Fiber on Gut Microbiota in Host Health and Disease. Cell Host Microbe. 2018;23(6):705-715. doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2018.05.012
Choi CH, Chang SK.Role of Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth in Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders. J Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2016;22(1):3-5. doi: 10.5056/jnm15196
Șchiopu CG, Ștefănescu C, Boloș A, Diaconescu S, Gilca-Blanariu GE, Ștefănescu G.Functional gastrointestinal disorders with psychiatric symptoms: involvement of the microbiome–gut–brain axis in the pathophysiology and case management.Microorganisms. 2022;10(11):2199. doi:10.3390/microorganisms10112199
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms & causes of gas in the digestive tract.
National Cancer Institute.Removing stomach to prevent cancer has lasting consequences.
Cary Gastroenterology Associates.Why do my farts smell so bad?
Ianiro G, Pecere S, Giorgio V, Gasbarrini A, Cammarota G.Digestive enzyme supplementation in gastrointestinal diseases.Curr Drug Metab. 2016;17(2):187-193. doi:10.2174/138920021702160114150137
Center for Research on Ingredient Safety.Trending – laundry detergent enzymes.
“Your Digestive System and How It Works"National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
