-
Step 1
The mouth is the beginning of the digestive tract. In fact, digestion starts here as soon as you take the first bite of a meal. Chewing breaks the food into pieces that are more easily digested, while saliva mixes with food to begin the process of breaking it down into a form your body can absorb and use. -
Step 2
The food then travels down the esophagus to the stomach. Not only does the stomach hold the food, it's also a mixer and grinder. The stomach secretes acid and powerful enzymes that continue the process of breaking down the food. When it leaves the stomach, food is the consistency of a liquid or paste -
Step 3
The food then travels through your small intestines and large intestines where the nutrients are absorbed. The waste products reach their destination in the rectum where they are later evacuated through the anus.