Once chewed, the slightly liquid form of the food is swallowed and passes down through the esophagus. The stomach is a site of food storage, mixing, and the next stages of digestion. Here the digestive process slows a bit while the semisolid food undergoes serious transformation. The stomach churns and mixes the food with gastric juices which contain acid and enzymes to breakdown proteins and some fats. On the average, stomach produces 2,000 to 2,500 milliliters of gastric juices daily.
Stomach acids kill most food borne bacteria, an important contribution to the immune system.
Water and alcohol can be absorbed directly from the stomach, but not other food components. All other nutrients, fuel sources and food chemicals are absorbed from the intestines. When the work of the stomach is done, the final product is a liquid pulp called chyme. Chyme is moved out of the stomach into the small intestine for more thorough digestion and absorption. The rate at which the stomach empties, or moves its contents down to the small intestine, varies according to the quantity and type of food eaten.