Time of transit of gut contents through large bowel

Value 60 hours Range: 20 - 140 (range in United Kingdom) 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 Cummings m. Bingham SA. Heaton KW. Eastwood MA (1993) Fecal weight. colon cancer risk and dietary intake of non-starch polysaccharides (dietary fiber). Gastroenterology 103: 1783-1789PubMed ID1333426
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 (BNID 112836). The rate of movement of gut contents slows markedly in the large bowel, with values in the United Kingdom ranging from 20 h to 140 h. The mean rate of transit is about 60 h (primary source), which provides sufficient time for a complex and stable ecosystem to develop (Cummings 1978)."
Entered by Uri M
ID 112837