ingesta

Ingesta is the material that is taken into the digestive tract during eating and drinking. In physiology and nutrition, ingesta refers to the contents within the alimentary canal from the point of ingestion until digestion, absorption, and elimination; the term is often contrasted with egesta, the material excreted as feces. The ingesta includes food and beverages, together with saliva and other secretions that are swallowed as part of the bolus.

In humans and animals, the process begins with ingestion, mastication, and swallowing, yielding a bolus that moves through the esophagus into the stomach. There it is mixed with gastric secretions to form chyme, then slowly released into the small intestine where nutrients are digested and absorbed. Water, electrolytes, and other components may be absorbed along the way, while indigestible residues pass into the large intestine and are eventually excreted as feces.

In clinical and research contexts, ingesta can be analyzed to assess dietary intake, digestive efficiency, or metabolic status. In veterinary medicine, ingesta is often discussed in relation to feed intake, rumination (in ruminants), and gastrointestinal motility. Differences in ingesta composition can reflect health status, diet quality, and the functioning of the digestive tract.