# How long does it take for food to go through your body?



## jenjen (Nov 30, 2000)

this question has probably come up before. first, i'd like to know how long it takes for the the average digestive system, and second, how long it takes for someone with active symptoms of IBS-D. from the moment food is swallowed, how long does it stay in your system? does it depend on the type of food? and finally, does gum really stay in your intestines for 10 years?







jj


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## ohnometo (Sep 20, 2001)

For me sometimes I know food hasnt even got down to my stomach....It is just the sensation of swollowing let it be food or water that seems to trigger the stomach ache and D..------------------"If you always do what you have always did, You'll always get what you always got "


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## ohnometo (Sep 20, 2001)

For me sometimes I know food hasnt even got down to my stomach....It is just the sensation of swollowing let it be food or water that seems to trigger the stomach ache and D..------------------"If you always do what you have always did, You'll always get what you always got "


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Normal is 18-72 hours. Many IBS-Ders are probably in the normal range. I'm usually 16-18 hours regardless of stool consistancy.Lets start with theoretically how fast could it be. With IBS usually it cannot be shorter than 3-4 hours. The transit through the stomach and small intestine is usually normal and it takes around 3 hours to hit the colon. Under special circumstances it could be faster but the main one is your colon is either empty or close to it usually from really severe watery diarrhea. It can't skip ahead of what is already in there. If your transit through the small intestine is messed up all the time and faster than 3 hours to the colon then you are typically very ill (I've had this happen, but I had food poisoning at the time). People with this condition chronically often have to be put on intravenous feeding.Gum does not stay in your intestines for 10 years. Even if it could stick to the wall of the intestine the cells are constantly being shed, much like your skin.Most of the time what comes out is NOT what you just put in. It is whatever is close to the rectum at the time. Eating makes the colon more active so eating can trigger bowel movements.K.------------------ kmottus###aol.comï¿½When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible but in the end, they always fallï¿½Think of it, ALWAYS. ï¿½Mahatma GandhiMy story and what worked for me in greatly easing my IBS: http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/Forum17/HTML/000015.html[This message has been edited by kmottus (edited 10-02-2001).]


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Normal is 18-72 hours. Many IBS-Ders are probably in the normal range. I'm usually 16-18 hours regardless of stool consistancy.Lets start with theoretically how fast could it be. With IBS usually it cannot be shorter than 3-4 hours. The transit through the stomach and small intestine is usually normal and it takes around 3 hours to hit the colon. Under special circumstances it could be faster but the main one is your colon is either empty or close to it usually from really severe watery diarrhea. It can't skip ahead of what is already in there. If your transit through the small intestine is messed up all the time and faster than 3 hours to the colon then you are typically very ill (I've had this happen, but I had food poisoning at the time). People with this condition chronically often have to be put on intravenous feeding.Gum does not stay in your intestines for 10 years. Even if it could stick to the wall of the intestine the cells are constantly being shed, much like your skin.Most of the time what comes out is NOT what you just put in. It is whatever is close to the rectum at the time. Eating makes the colon more active so eating can trigger bowel movements.K.------------------ kmottus###aol.comï¿½When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible but in the end, they always fallï¿½Think of it, ALWAYS. ï¿½Mahatma GandhiMy story and what worked for me in greatly easing my IBS: http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/Forum17/HTML/000015.html[This message has been edited by kmottus (edited 10-02-2001).]


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## NewBreedGirl (Aug 22, 2000)

All I know is when I drink cold water I fell it hit my stomach in seconds.When I eat something I am not suppose to (butter , real milk , cheese at times)it takes about 15 minutes before I am in the bathroom. Frosted mini-wheats work overnight.So sometimes I think it depends on the food.If gum really does take 10 years I should be passin a couples peices by now hehehehe.


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## NewBreedGirl (Aug 22, 2000)

All I know is when I drink cold water I fell it hit my stomach in seconds.When I eat something I am not suppose to (butter , real milk , cheese at times)it takes about 15 minutes before I am in the bathroom. Frosted mini-wheats work overnight.So sometimes I think it depends on the food.If gum really does take 10 years I should be passin a couples peices by now hehehehe.


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## AD (Jan 23, 2000)

I've read about so many variations on digestive and transit times that I've just it can take anywhere from 20 minutes to 20 hours in the stomach to over a week in the colon and varies considerably for each person at different times! I have had a similar question that no doctor could ever help me with. I often wondered what it meant when you can still taste a food you ate about 18-24 hours ago. It's especially noticeable for me when I burp and especially common after I eat beef (makes no difference how lean), large amounts of dairy, almost any fruit and foods containing onion, garlic or heavy spices. (I know it isn't fat since I've tolerated fatty foods beofre without this problem.)Does that mean parts of the food are actually still in my stomach?! If so, why would it stay so long, and if not, where does the taste come from?[This message has been edited by AD (edited 10-03-2001).]


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## AD (Jan 23, 2000)

I've read about so many variations on digestive and transit times that I've just it can take anywhere from 20 minutes to 20 hours in the stomach to over a week in the colon and varies considerably for each person at different times! I have had a similar question that no doctor could ever help me with. I often wondered what it meant when you can still taste a food you ate about 18-24 hours ago. It's especially noticeable for me when I burp and especially common after I eat beef (makes no difference how lean), large amounts of dairy, almost any fruit and foods containing onion, garlic or heavy spices. (I know it isn't fat since I've tolerated fatty foods beofre without this problem.)Does that mean parts of the food are actually still in my stomach?! If so, why would it stay so long, and if not, where does the taste come from?[This message has been edited by AD (edited 10-03-2001).]


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Many of the molecules that flavor the food get absorbed into the blood stream.Many of these molecules will cross from the blood stream into the lungs. Garlic is notorious for this, but other things may do it as well. The 1/2 life of these compounds in the blood is probably long enough to explain tasting them for many hours after you ate them.K.------------------ kmottus###aol.comï¿½When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible but in the end, they always fallï¿½Think of it, ALWAYS. ï¿½Mahatma GandhiMy story and what worked for me in greatly easing my IBS: http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/Forum17/HTML/000015.html


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Many of the molecules that flavor the food get absorbed into the blood stream.Many of these molecules will cross from the blood stream into the lungs. Garlic is notorious for this, but other things may do it as well. The 1/2 life of these compounds in the blood is probably long enough to explain tasting them for many hours after you ate them.K.------------------ kmottus###aol.comï¿½When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible but in the end, they always fallï¿½Think of it, ALWAYS. ï¿½Mahatma GandhiMy story and what worked for me in greatly easing my IBS: http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/Forum17/HTML/000015.html


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## Guest (Oct 3, 2001)

All I know is that when I took the magnesium citrate for my colonoscopy prep it took 4.5 hours for it to take effect. But when I have an IBS-D attack it takes less than an hour for the food to take effect. How does that happen?


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## Guest (Oct 3, 2001)

All I know is that when I took the magnesium citrate for my colonoscopy prep it took 4.5 hours for it to take effect. But when I have an IBS-D attack it takes less than an hour for the food to take effect. How does that happen?


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Everyone's colon is more active shortly after eating.In IBSers this pattern can be exaggerated so instead of moving things along a little bit you have a BM and the water that should have been removed may not be so it is diarrhea.The Magnesium citrate works by drawing water into your colon. It usually takes around 3 hours or so for something you consume to get to your colon. So it can't start flushing out your colon until some time after it gets there. It probably didn't fill your stomach enough to trigger a post-meal response.K.------------------ kmottus###aol.comï¿½When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible but in the end, they always fallï¿½Think of it, ALWAYS. ï¿½Mahatma GandhiMy story and what worked for me in greatly easing my IBS: http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/Forum17/HTML/000015.html


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

Everyone's colon is more active shortly after eating.In IBSers this pattern can be exaggerated so instead of moving things along a little bit you have a BM and the water that should have been removed may not be so it is diarrhea.The Magnesium citrate works by drawing water into your colon. It usually takes around 3 hours or so for something you consume to get to your colon. So it can't start flushing out your colon until some time after it gets there. It probably didn't fill your stomach enough to trigger a post-meal response.K.------------------ kmottus###aol.comï¿½When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible but in the end, they always fallï¿½Think of it, ALWAYS. ï¿½Mahatma GandhiMy story and what worked for me in greatly easing my IBS: http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/Forum17/HTML/000015.html


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## pdb (Jun 28, 2001)

I was wondering the same thing as WVgirl. 90% of my D attacks occur within one hour after eating. If I make it through that one hour without any diarrhea, I know I am usually fine until the next meal. It's almost as if my stomach doesn't like what I've eaten, so it chooses to evacuate the entire digestive tract. Does this mean that certain "trigger" foods have a different effect on colon activity?


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## pdb (Jun 28, 2001)

I was wondering the same thing as WVgirl. 90% of my D attacks occur within one hour after eating. If I make it through that one hour without any diarrhea, I know I am usually fine until the next meal. It's almost as if my stomach doesn't like what I've eaten, so it chooses to evacuate the entire digestive tract. Does this mean that certain "trigger" foods have a different effect on colon activity?


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

It could be a number of factors, some of which may, in your case, determine what signals come from the stomach and trigger the move things along signal to the colon (usually these things are more like a dimmer switch than an off/on switch, so some things may give a stronger signal than others)% fat in the mealvolume of the mealor particular foods in the meal.It may be worth tracking what you eat and see if there is any pattern.For me it was pretty much every single meal so it was like the dimmer switch, continuing that metaphor, was on full all the time.Your stomach ALWAYS sends some signal to the colon to move things along everytime you eat. If you can figure out what sets of the MOVE it ALL out NOW!!! signal than you may be able to avoid those things.K.------------------ kmottus###aol.comï¿½When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible but in the end, they always fallï¿½Think of it, ALWAYS. ï¿½Mahatma GandhiMy story and what worked for me in greatly easing my IBS: http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/Forum17/HTML/000015.html[This message has been edited by kmottus (edited 10-03-2001).]


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

It could be a number of factors, some of which may, in your case, determine what signals come from the stomach and trigger the move things along signal to the colon (usually these things are more like a dimmer switch than an off/on switch, so some things may give a stronger signal than others)% fat in the mealvolume of the mealor particular foods in the meal.It may be worth tracking what you eat and see if there is any pattern.For me it was pretty much every single meal so it was like the dimmer switch, continuing that metaphor, was on full all the time.Your stomach ALWAYS sends some signal to the colon to move things along everytime you eat. If you can figure out what sets of the MOVE it ALL out NOW!!! signal than you may be able to avoid those things.K.------------------ kmottus###aol.comï¿½When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible but in the end, they always fallï¿½Think of it, ALWAYS. ï¿½Mahatma GandhiMy story and what worked for me in greatly easing my IBS: http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/Forum17/HTML/000015.html[This message has been edited by kmottus (edited 10-03-2001).]


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## jenjen (Nov 30, 2000)

those silly little colons! always ushering out its houseguests. not very good hostesses.







jj


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## jenjen (Nov 30, 2000)

those silly little colons! always ushering out its houseguests. not very good hostesses.







jj


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## pdb (Jun 28, 2001)

Thanks for all the info. It's been very enlightening. It would seem then, in this case, that the problem isn't so much in the digestive tract, but in the way the stomach reacts to foods. Almost like an allergy. Or is my logic faulty? It would also seem then, that products like probiotics would be of little value, since they work in the intestines. Only a drug like immodium, which slows everything down, would do the trick. Or as you said, eliminating the triggers. But sometimes the same food will be a trigger, and other times it won't, which makes this whole thing so frustrating!!!


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## pdb (Jun 28, 2001)

Thanks for all the info. It's been very enlightening. It would seem then, in this case, that the problem isn't so much in the digestive tract, but in the way the stomach reacts to foods. Almost like an allergy. Or is my logic faulty? It would also seem then, that products like probiotics would be of little value, since they work in the intestines. Only a drug like immodium, which slows everything down, would do the trick. Or as you said, eliminating the triggers. But sometimes the same food will be a trigger, and other times it won't, which makes this whole thing so frustrating!!!


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## Mike NoLomotil (Jun 6, 2000)

_________________________________"Almost like an allergy" _________________________________Bingo. If you take IBS d or cyclic types especially and study them based upon what the immune system is doing, starting in the small intestine and then in the blood stream, the reactions to foods and chemicals are very similar to what "allergy" is like EXCEPT THAT the foods which provoke the immune response (proinflammatory mediator release in the small bowel and blood) cannot be detected by conventional alergy tests because they come back negative for specific IgE and even the flagrantly-fals-positive-skin-prick-tests.That is, if you tkae away people with real food allergy confirmed by orla challenge, IgE, and even throw in SPT to make it wildly optimistic, you can match in each person different foods or additives that each has a proinflammtory reaction to in the small bowel and also in the blood.The odd part is that in several of the examinations a degree of IgE involvement locally in the jejunum can be detected. This is something the allrgists and immunologists doing the work are musing over as indeed it proves again that the classic descriptions of so called "allergic response" are outdated...the immune systems range of reactions i far broader than previosuly thought and IBS victioms have a weird and unique picture of reactivity going on.The main clinical distinction from a practical view is that food ALLERGY is not dose dependent and has a rapid onset first-phase reaction. However, the other alternative mechanisms which produce reactions to foods or chemicals which are NON allergic, as a group, are charcterized in an opposite fashion. They are dose dependent (and thus can be combinant and/or cumulative clinically) and the onset of the intiail reaction may be delayed with perception running-out as far as 72 hours.They can be confirmed the hard way by putting as tube into your small intestine and provoking it, but newer technology can also detetc the reactions in vitro by examining the cellular componenets of the immune system response to provocation. In healthy people there is no response. In food sensitive people, inclusing IBS, there is a response to some things and not others, which results in the release of many forms of toxic chemical mediators.Nut if the person then avoids those things dietarily the exposure does not occur thus the reactions do not occur and their contribution to the persons symptoms, which is clearly "chemical" is avoided.Now WHY the body does this is far from clear yet...many theories....only know that it does and it can be avoided.Eat well. Think well. Be well.MNL__________________ www.leapallergy.com


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## Mike NoLomotil (Jun 6, 2000)

_________________________________"Almost like an allergy" _________________________________Bingo. If you take IBS d or cyclic types especially and study them based upon what the immune system is doing, starting in the small intestine and then in the blood stream, the reactions to foods and chemicals are very similar to what "allergy" is like EXCEPT THAT the foods which provoke the immune response (proinflammatory mediator release in the small bowel and blood) cannot be detected by conventional alergy tests because they come back negative for specific IgE and even the flagrantly-fals-positive-skin-prick-tests.That is, if you tkae away people with real food allergy confirmed by orla challenge, IgE, and even throw in SPT to make it wildly optimistic, you can match in each person different foods or additives that each has a proinflammtory reaction to in the small bowel and also in the blood.The odd part is that in several of the examinations a degree of IgE involvement locally in the jejunum can be detected. This is something the allrgists and immunologists doing the work are musing over as indeed it proves again that the classic descriptions of so called "allergic response" are outdated...the immune systems range of reactions i far broader than previosuly thought and IBS victioms have a weird and unique picture of reactivity going on.The main clinical distinction from a practical view is that food ALLERGY is not dose dependent and has a rapid onset first-phase reaction. However, the other alternative mechanisms which produce reactions to foods or chemicals which are NON allergic, as a group, are charcterized in an opposite fashion. They are dose dependent (and thus can be combinant and/or cumulative clinically) and the onset of the intiail reaction may be delayed with perception running-out as far as 72 hours.They can be confirmed the hard way by putting as tube into your small intestine and provoking it, but newer technology can also detetc the reactions in vitro by examining the cellular componenets of the immune system response to provocation. In healthy people there is no response. In food sensitive people, inclusing IBS, there is a response to some things and not others, which results in the release of many forms of toxic chemical mediators.Nut if the person then avoids those things dietarily the exposure does not occur thus the reactions do not occur and their contribution to the persons symptoms, which is clearly "chemical" is avoided.Now WHY the body does this is far from clear yet...many theories....only know that it does and it can be avoided.Eat well. Think well. Be well.MNL__________________ www.leapallergy.com


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

The allergy thing may not be too far off.In some cases you will release histamine for various reasons (it's not just for making you miserable with allegies) and if the mast cells get the "release the hounds" signal for some reason (and some foods may end up triggering this for some reason--including you ate it when you were sick and now your nervous system just doesn't like it anymore) and histamine is released. Histamine causes the intestines to dump in water and mucus and makes the muscles push everything out NOW!!.I had some tuna awhile ago that I think was misprocessed and that can cause it to have histamine in it. I was not a happy puppy for the next 24 hours or so.Usually after something like that I can't eat whatever it was for 6-12 months because I tend to react to it (usually I'll throw it up before it gets a chance to set anything off). Raisins seem to be on the permantly bad list. I don't know why. Grapes are OK, all other dried fruit is OK raisins, according to my body, are the great evil that must be expelled.K.------------------ kmottus###aol.comï¿½When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible but in the end, they always fallï¿½Think of it, ALWAYS. ï¿½Mahatma GandhiMy story and what worked for me in greatly easing my IBS: http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/Forum17/HTML/000015.html


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## Kathleen M. (Nov 16, 1999)

The allergy thing may not be too far off.In some cases you will release histamine for various reasons (it's not just for making you miserable with allegies) and if the mast cells get the "release the hounds" signal for some reason (and some foods may end up triggering this for some reason--including you ate it when you were sick and now your nervous system just doesn't like it anymore) and histamine is released. Histamine causes the intestines to dump in water and mucus and makes the muscles push everything out NOW!!.I had some tuna awhile ago that I think was misprocessed and that can cause it to have histamine in it. I was not a happy puppy for the next 24 hours or so.Usually after something like that I can't eat whatever it was for 6-12 months because I tend to react to it (usually I'll throw it up before it gets a chance to set anything off). Raisins seem to be on the permantly bad list. I don't know why. Grapes are OK, all other dried fruit is OK raisins, according to my body, are the great evil that must be expelled.K.------------------ kmottus###aol.comï¿½When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. There have been tyrants and murderers and for a time they seem invincible but in the end, they always fallï¿½Think of it, ALWAYS. ï¿½Mahatma GandhiMy story and what worked for me in greatly easing my IBS: http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/Forum17/HTML/000015.html


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## Mike NoLomotil (Jun 6, 2000)

K:Justa quickie on my way out for the day....the raisins-but-not-grapes could be one of the chemicals which concentrates as the grapes are dried out to raisins and raisinettes (barf.... oops sorry back on track).If you have any known sensitivity to salicylic acid, salicylates (known barf-inducers) could be high enough per unit consumed in the raisins to cause you to react when some grapes might be below the threshold.Tyramine as well will concentrate as the Sun Maid does her thing too. So maybe if there is matchup between, say, some salicylates containing foods which bother you or some of the tyramine containing foods, then the fickle finger might point there.Anyway...just a quick idea.CiaoMNL_______________ www.leapallergy.com


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## Mike NoLomotil (Jun 6, 2000)

K:Justa quickie on my way out for the day....the raisins-but-not-grapes could be one of the chemicals which concentrates as the grapes are dried out to raisins and raisinettes (barf.... oops sorry back on track).If you have any known sensitivity to salicylic acid, salicylates (known barf-inducers) could be high enough per unit consumed in the raisins to cause you to react when some grapes might be below the threshold.Tyramine as well will concentrate as the Sun Maid does her thing too. So maybe if there is matchup between, say, some salicylates containing foods which bother you or some of the tyramine containing foods, then the fickle finger might point there.Anyway...just a quick idea.CiaoMNL_______________ www.leapallergy.com


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