Have you ever wondered what happens to a pill once you ingest it? You know that when you take a pill it obviously travels through your digestive system, but do you have any idea when, where or how it dissolves? Even if the answer is no, you have to check out this mesmerizing video. It shows you how certain pills break down once you take them—and is just fascinating to watch.
So now that you’ve got the visual, you’re probably wondering what causes this reaction inside your body when you take a pill. Here are the basics: Your stomach is very acidic, with pH levels between 1 and 2. It’s less acidic than battery acid, but close to the pH level of lemon juice.
After you take your pill in the morning, your stomach’s acid breaks it down slowly. Different types of pills break down at different rates. An aspirin pill with an enteric coating, for example, can handle lower levels of acidity in the small intestines. Liquid capsules, on the other hand, dissolve quickly once they come in contact with water.
There’s no need to worry about when or where the drug releases in your body, of course. Drug makers have the pill design down to a science. They’ve engineered each medicine to release at the perfect time and in the perfect location inside your body.
So enough of the technical stuff. Let’s just appreciate the video; it really is pretty incredible.