How long does it take from eating to defecation?

Germany

The time our body needs to digest food differs from one individual to another. It varies from twice a day to once every three days.

The time for digestion depends on various aspects. The consistency, temperature and particle size of food as well as the amount of liquid we drink, play an important role for the retention period in our stomach. Fatty foods, or foods high in fibre, can also have a retarding effect. Psychological factors also influence digestion – fear, anger and emotional stress can either inhibit or speed up transport through the stomach.

The consistency, retention time and weight of our faeces depends primarily on the amount of fibre. Food which is high in fibre makes the faeces heavier, thus improving peristalsis and shortening the transit time through our gut.

See also: Dietary Fibre