The foods with the longest time to digest are bacon, beef, lamb, whole milk hard cheese, and nuts. These foods take an average of about 4 hours for your body to digest. The digestion process still occurs even when asleep. Which means our digestive fluids and the acids in our stomach are active.
Food that is high in fibre can be difficult to digest since the stomach needs more effort to break it down. High fibre food includes raw vegetables, lentils, beans and brown rice.
After you eat, it takes about six to eight hours for food to pass through your stomach and small intestine. Food then enters your large intestine (colon) for further digestion, absorption of water and, finally, elimination of undigested food. It takes about 36 hours for food to move through the entire colon.
Egg yolk digest in 30 minutes on the other hand whole egg takes 45 minutes to digest.
Bananas are a rich source carbohydrates that can be digested easily. Ripe bananas are especially easy to digest, as they have less resistant starches as compared to less ripe bananas.
A recent study out of Kyushu University in Japan found that people who take time to chew slowly have better digestion and feel fuller, faster. Researchers also found that, on average, slower eaters had a smaller waist circumference and lower body mass index.
Top Foods That Speed Up Digestion
Eating enough fiber is an essential step in promoting digestive health. Whole grains, such as brown rice and quinoa, and other foods like oatmeal, apples, and bananas are good sources; you should aim for at least 25 grams of fiber each day.
The small intestine absorbs most digested food molecules, as well as water and minerals, and passes them on to other parts of the body for storage or further chemical change.
Bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. These foods are very easy to digest which makes them perfect for snacking before bed. Bananas in particular help you fall asleep since they are filled with potassium and magnesium, and these both double-up as natural muscle relaxants.
Lemons. Lemons have been widely regarded in the health industry as the world's healthiest food. The sour fruit is an alkalising powerfood; they have strong anti-inflammatory qualities and can even help to inhibit the growth of cancer cells.
The top 10 easy-to-digest foods include bananas, sweet potatoes, white rice, papaya, yoghurt, watermelon, kefir, chicken, kombucha, and eggs. In addition, probiotics (yoghurt, kefir, kombucha, tempeh) aid digestion and support gut health. Furthermore, one of the best foods for easy digestion is yoghurt.
Unlike foods, water can be “digested” in as little as 5 minutes. Excess water leaves your body through urination and feces but is also excreted by sweating. Your body uses water for many of its daily processes, and since it passes through your body so quickly, it's important to stay hydrated.
Easy-to-digest fruits include bananas and avocados. Avoid other raw fruits, fruit skins and most berries. They all contribute fiber, and although fiber is healthy, your body doesn't digest some of it.
Processed foods, as well as alcohol, can also negatively impact gut health. Prebiotic and probiotic foods like whole grains, onions, garlic, fermented foods, miso and yogurt feed the good bacteria in your gut.
What to avoid. As part of healthy eating, it's a good idea to avoid or limit foods packed with added sugar, which feeds bad bacteria, Blatner says, as well as highly processed foods, artificial sweeteners, red meat, and alcohol, which can have a negative effect on gut bacteria, and lead to inflammation.
Such problems can be the result of bacteria in food, infection, stress, certain medications, or chronic medical conditions such as colitis, Crohn's disease, and IBS. But no matter the cause, anyone who has frequent digestive problems faces daily challenges and potential embarrassments.