What happens to the food we eat and The Importance of daily bowel movements.

After food is chewed and swallowed, it travels through the esophagus to the stomach.

There, it is partly broken down and then sent to the small intestine, also known as the small bowel.

The word "small" refers to the diameter of the small intestine, which is narrower than that of the large bowel.

Actually the small intestine is the longest segment of the digestive system – about 20 feet.

The small intestine continues breaking down the food and absorbs most of the nutrients.

The small bowel joins the colon in the right lower abdomen.

The colon (also called the large bowel or large intestine) is a muscular tube about 5 feet long.

The colon continues to absorb water and mineral nutrients from the food matter and serves as a storage place for waste matter.

The waste matter left after this process is feces and goes into the rectum, the final 6 inches of the digestive system. From there it passes out of the body through the anus.

The colon has 4 sections:

The first section is called the ascending colon. It begins where the small bowel attaches to the colon and extends upward on the right side of the abdomen.

The second section is called the transverse colon since it goes across the body from the right to the left side in the upper abdomen.

The third section, the descending colon, continues downward on the left side.

The fourth section is known as the sigmoid colon because of its “S” or “sigmoid” shape. The sigmoid colon joins the rectum, which in turn joins the anus, or the opening where waste matter, or stool, passes out of the body.

The wall of each of these sections of the colon and rectum has several layers of tissue.

It is very important to have bowel movements EVERY day to eliminate toxins and waste.

Source of information: http://aliveandwellcoloncare.com/_wsn/page4.html