How long does it take the food I eat to become part of me?
This can be addressed from various perspectives and disciplines.
As a Registered Nutritionist, I would say food becomes part of you after digestion and absorption has occurred. This could be instant, a few hours after eating, weeks, months, or even years, and it depends on several factors such as what is consumed, the portions, gender, and health status.
When does food become part of you instantly?
When you are low on sugar and you take a sugary drink, it is quickly absorbed and, that feeling of lethargy quickly goes away. So, instant what you drink becomes part of you. Sometimes, people eat and immediately have an allergic reaction. Similarly, you could have a negative consequence such as diarrhoea after eating contaminated food immediately or after a couple of hours after ingestion.
Short term
When you are hungry and you eat, your level of satiety will depend on what you are eating and the portions. Fruits and vegetables and starchy carbohydrates become part of you within hours because digestion of starch is faster than proteins and high-fat meals. Processed foods and sugary foods are the fastest to digest, leaving us hungry within a short time. Now, think of just going on a short holiday. You could just permit yourself to eat everything, and, within a few days, you would have gained a few kilos. So, in an example like this, food becomes part of you in a few days, and this is reflected in weight gained during this period. Long term
Decades of unhealthy eating behaviours facilitated by the obesogenic environment has contributed to the obesity pandemic - this is an example of how food becomes part of you after several years.
What changes are you going to make to your eating habits today?
Written by - Dr Hibbah Araba Osei-Kwasi, RNut (Public Health)
Research Fellow - University of Sheffield
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