How Your Body Breaks Down Food

body systems · nutrition · amazing organs

Three amazing phases. Digestion happens in three stages: the cephalic phase starts in your mouth when you see or smell food, the gastric phase happens in your stomach where acid breaks food down, and the intestinal phase is where your body actually absorbs all the good nutrients.

Breaking it down smaller. Your digestive system keeps breaking food into tinier and tinier pieces, from big chunks you swallow all the way down to molecules so small your body can absorb them through your intestine walls into your bloodstream.

A whole team effort. Your digestive system isn't just your stomach, it's a whole team including your mouth, throat, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, and helper organs like your pancreas and liver that work together to process everything you eat.

From food to fuel. Once your digestive system breaks down food into its tiniest parts, your body can absorb those nutrients and use them to give you energy, help you grow, and keep all your cells healthy and working.