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Topic last updated: 25 Oct 2021

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Diet and digestion

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What does your body do with the food you eat?

Human beings need to eat a balanced diet to stay healthy. The food we eat has to be broken down before it can be used by the cells of the body. This is the job of the digestive system.

The digestive system is made up of many different organs working together. It takes in food, breaks it down both physically and chemically, moves the digested food into the bloodstream and removes the undigested waste.

People must eat everything their cells are going to need. It is important to take in a range of different types of food molecules, and to take in enough food to supply the needs of the body.

The food we eat is made up of chunks of material containing large, insoluble molecules. Digestion is the process by which we break down these large insoluble molecules into small soluble ones that can be absorbed into the bloodstream and used in our bodies. The organs of the digestive system make chemicals such as enzymes, hydrochloric acid and bile which help us digest the food quickly and efficiently.

The human digestive system

Food and digestion
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