Is food digested primarily in the stomach?

Digestion, the breakdown of food for absorption and assimilation into the body, begins the moment you put food into your mouth. Chewing is the first part of this breakdown, and your saliva contains an enzyme that begins the digestion of starches.

The stomach is where the food goes next, and it’s full of acid, but only a small part of the digestive process takes place there. The stomach’s job is to break down the food into small particles, which are released a little bit at a time into the small intestine.

The small intestine, if stretched out, would measure about twenty feet long! It also has a much larger interior surface area than the stomach, over three hundred square feet! The small intestine handles most of the digestive process. It is divided into three parts, each with a different function. The duodenum breaks down proteins, emulsifies fat, and neutralizes the stomach acid. The jejunum absorbs sugars, amino acids and fatty acids into the bloodstream. The ileum absorbs vitamin B12 and any remaining nutrients.