Passage of digesta through the stomach and small bowel

Range ~4 - 6 hours
Organism Human Homo sapiens
Reference G. T. Macfarlane and G. R. Gibson, Metabolic Activities of the Normal Colonic Flora, chapter 2 in Human Health: The Contribution of Microorganisms, Edited by S. A. W. Gibson, Springer-Verlag 1994 link , p.17 bottom paragraph
Primary Source Gorbach SL (1967) Population control in the small bowel. Gut 8: 530-532PubMed ID4866862
Comments P.17 bottom paragraph: "In persons living in Western countries, the main areas of permanent colonisation of the gastrointestinal tract are the terminal ileum and large intestine. This is mainly because gastric acid kills many microorganisms in the stomach, thereby reducing numbers entering the small bowel. However, rapid passage of digesta through the stomach and small bowel (approximately 4 h - 6 h) also prevents the establishment of significant microbial populations in these regions (primary source)."
Entered by Uri M
ID 112836