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Human Body

Digestion

How much saliva does a person produce in a day?

Saliva is a mixture of mucus, water, salts, and the enzymes that break down carbohydrates. Awake individuals secrete saliva at a rate of approximately 0.5 milliliters per minute, or an average of 480 milliliters of saliva in a 16-hour waking day. Various activities such as exercise, eating, drinking, and speaking increase salivary volume.



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