About how long does it take to digest a donut?

I’ll bet a police officer would know.

I know the very first response to a question is supposed to try to be a helpful and informative answer. I really did try to research how long a donut takes to digest and I came up with nothing. Sorry.

I don’t know how credible this source is, but… http://msgboard.snopes.com/message/ultimatebb.php?/ubb/get_topic/f/108/t/000743.html

Probably more like an hour. Nothing stays in your system for three years that’s a normal food product. Like gum sticking to your ribs, it’s ludicrous.

Just go eat some spicy Mexican food, and see where you’re at in a few hours.

Proof.

It doesn’t take longer than most other foods, it just FEELS like it does!

three years seems a bit exaggerated…
but it did make me leaugh (:

I don’t know but for the life of me I can’t understand how 2 oz. pastries can do such damage. I think they should be a controlled substance.

If it took 3 years we would never be hungry after eating a donut, it would be the perfect diet…

I’m testing right now. Results should be in sometime soon.

@NaturalMineralWater
Well I’m doing a little of my own testing.
Subject: Cadbury Milk Chocolate filled with Soft English Toffee..
Hypothesis: Squares of chocolate will melt in my mouth without further mastication resulting in a warm golden flow of caramel.

My wife’s first job at fifteen was at Dunkin’ Donuts. Her boss told her three days.

I wish I had a test subject right about now. :-(

Donuts and other breads take about an hour to get out of your stomach and on the road to your favorite receptacle. It should take about ten hours for any food you eat to make it to said container (assuming you have a clean and healthy system).

I’m a medical student and we recently finished a gastro intestinal module. I don’t remember all of the exact numbers, but the following is to the best of my memeory. The answer to this question depends on how you define “digestion.” Both mechanical digestion (chewing) and chemical digestion (salivary amylase) begin in the mouth. It then takes about 4–8 seconds to get from your mouth to your stomach. In the stomach, acid continues to break down food. “Peristaltic waves” also mix or churn the food in the stomach. After about 2 hours the stomach is usually empty. In the deuodenum, illeum and jejunum (all parts of the small intestines) most of the absorption into the body occurs. Different classes of molecules have various absorptive processes, but most of this is complete in about 8 hours after the meal. There is additional enzymatic break down and more “churning” by the smooth muscle lining the intestines. By the time the remains make it to the colon, most of the “digestion” is complete. Water is reabsorbed from the colon and there are various ions exchanged, but the nutrients are absorbed. By the time the feces make it to the end of the colon and out via the rectum, it is usually pushing 20–24 hours from the time of the original meal. It doesn’t really matter what the food is. This same general timeline applies (unless of course there is a secretory or osmotic diarrhea going on… which would obviously speed things up) I hope this addresses the question.

Yes, the 3 years thing is insane…

I’ve heard of answers anywhere from 72 hours to 7 years. Absolutely ridiculous. I believe it takes 4 hours to digest, just like every other food.

If you’re not convinced, look about “how long does it take to digest a donut” on Google. There are no medical/doctoral resources that answer that question. The most you’ll find are other peoples’ opinions. Heh.

My Anatomy & Physiology prof said food/edible products (such as gum) you ingest won’t stay in your digestive system any longer than 52 hours, at the far outside.

Studies say it takes three days.