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How does your body process what you eat? - Summary
Food provides the energy and nutrients our bodies need to survive. In this KS2 explainer from The Regenerators, pupils discover how the digestive system breaks food down into smaller pieces, absorbs nutrients and removes waste from the body.
In this video, students will learn:
- Why humans need food for energy.
- What digestion is.
- How food moves through the digestive system.
- How nutrients are absorbed into the bloodstream.
- Why eating a balanced diet is important for good health.
Classroom video - Food and health
What happens inside your body when you eat?
Our explainers are engaging, collage-style animations which explain many of the issues and themes around sustainability.
This video is a fun, concise answer to the question: How does your body process what you eat? It is the perfect springboard for classroom discussions.
Narrator: All living things need energy, and our energy as humans, comes from food. The process of our body breaking down food to get the nutrients, is called digestion.
It starts in the mouth where we cut and crush the food with our teeth into smaller pieces. Our saliva also helps break it down more with chemicals called enzymes. Now the food is in smaller chunks we can swallow and the food is carried down our oesophagus and into the stomach.
The stomach contains really strong acid and enzymes. Here the food is churned and broken down into even smaller pieces before being pushed into your small intestines.
The small intestine is where the nutrients from the food get absorbed. The food is broken down so small it can pass through the wall of the small intestines where the blood stream carries it around the body.
Any food that isn't absorbed gets passed on to the large intestine. Here water is absorbed back into the body, and any food that hasn't been digested, moves along to the rectum. Now, we flush away that waste.
The main things we absorb are carbohydrates, proteins and fats, along with various vitamins and minerals. We can't get everything we need to live from one food, so eating a balanced mix of food helps us stay healthy.
Quick facts about digestion
- Digestion is the process of breaking down food to obtain nutrients.
- Teeth and saliva begin the process of breaking food down in the mouth.
- Food travels through the oesophagus to the stomach.
- Carbohydrates, proteins and fats are important nutrients that help the body function.
Let's discuss: Why is it important to eat a variety of foods rather than just one type of food?
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