Digestion time varies between individuals and between men and women. After eating, it takes about six to eight hours for food to pass through the stomach and small intestine. Food then enters your large intestine (colon) for further digestion, water absorption and finally elimination of undigested food. It takes about 36 hours for food to move through the entire colon. All told, the entire process – from the time you swallow food until it leaves your body as feces – takes about two to five days, depending on the individual.
