eli5: How does water pass through the stomach quickly when food needs hours?
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Absorption of water is simple for the body. breakdown of food into basic absorbable components the intestine can ingest takes much longer (small intestines job)
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You can think of your intestinal tract kind of like a conveyor belt, where along the way there are different types of workers or machines (in this case, cell types or organs) that specialize in different tasks: some help break down fats, some absorb nutrients and get them into the bloodstream, etc.
Water is small enough that it can be absorbed by most cells, and can also “skip ahead” in line in a way that solid foods cannot.
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