Back to The All-Important First Stage of the Digestive System How & Why Correct Chewing is so Critical

The digestion breaks down the food into nutrients, which are the basic materials that the body can use. This process takes place mainly in the Alimentary Canal, a long tube which starts in the mouth and ends at the anus. In adults, the tube is about 27 feet long.
There are two processes – one is mechanical whereby the food is chopped, cut, mashed and mixed into a soupy paste; the other is chemical whereby digestive juices break down and extract the nutrients.
The Liver and the Pancreas play important parts in the digestive process although they are not part of the alimentary canal.

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