What happens inside your body when you digest food?

When you eat, digestion begins in your mouth where saliva breaks down starches with enzymes. You swallow food into the esophagus, which pushes it down to the stomach through muscular contractions. The stomach churns food and mixes it with hydrochloric acid and enzymes, breaking proteins apart and turning everything into a liquid called chyme. This chyme moves into the small intestine, where the pancreas releases more enzymes and the liver sends bile to break down fats. Nutrients like sugars, amino acids, and fatty acids are absorbed through the intestinal walls into the bloodstream. Whatever remains passes into the large intestine, which absorbs water and electrolytes, and the leftover waste is eventually eliminated.