Does your stomach really get bigger the more you eat? Does dieting shrink it? The truth is...

Myth: "The more you eat, the bigger your stomach gets"

After a full meal, people often feel that their appetite has increased, and their food intake seems to increase accordingly; while reducing the number of meals seems to be an easy way to reduce food intake. So some people say: the more you eat, the bigger your stomach becomes.

Rumor analysis: Actually, this is not the case.

The stomach is not unlimited in its ability to expand. When food is digested and emptied, the stomach returns to its original size. This change is part of the normal physiological function of the stomach and is not directly related to the amount of food eaten. Therefore, eating small amounts over a long period of time will not reduce the size of the stomach; similarly, eating large amounts over a short period of time will not permanently enlarge the stomach.

Today is November 29th, which is also Gastric Cancer Awareness Day. In today's fast-paced modern life, the public is paying more and more attention to eating habits and gastric health issues, so there are also some new sayings around us. For example, people often feel that their appetite is open after a full meal, and their food intake seems to increase accordingly; while reducing the number of meals seems to be able to easily reduce the amount of food. So some people say: the more you eat, the bigger your stomach will be. If you eat less, your stomach will shrink. Is this true?

Does your stomach really get bigger the more you eat?

The stomach, as an important part of the human digestive system, is located in the abdominal cavity, connected to the esophagus above and the duodenum below, and is shaped like an inverted pear-shaped pouch.

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The stomach wall is composed of multiple layers of tissue, including the mucosa, submucosa, muscularis, and serosa. The mucosa is densely covered with glands that are responsible for secreting gastric acid and pepsin to aid digestion. The muscularis is responsible for the contraction and relaxation of the stomach, allowing the stomach to flexibly adjust its capacity according to the amount of food eaten.

The main functions of the stomach include receiving and storing food, digesting and absorbing nutrients, secreting digestive juices, defending against harmful substances, transporting food, and emptying. In fact, the stomach does have a certain degree of elasticity and can expand and contract according to the amount of food. In the empty stomach state, the capacity of the stomach is relatively small, about 50~100 ml. However, once you start eating, the stomach will expand rapidly, and its capacity can quickly increase to 1200~1600 ml. For example, after eating a lot, the stomach wall gradually expands after the food enters, the stomach wall becomes thinner, and the capacity of the stomach can reach about 2000 ml. This capacity difference can reach nearly 20 times. However, the expansion of the stomach is not unlimited. When the food is digested and emptied, the stomach will return to its original size. This change is one of the normal physiological functions of the stomach and has no direct relationship with the amount of food. Therefore, eating less for a long time will not reduce the volume of the stomach; similarly, eating a lot in a short period of time will not permanently enlarge the stomach. When the food is completely digested, the stomach will indeed return to its empty stomach shape, showing a slightly contracted state, and people often feel a decrease in appetite at this time. However, this phenomenon does not mean that the stomach has really "shrunk", but that the brain is regulating hunger and issuing instructions to suppress appetite. The size of appetite does not only depend on the size of the stomach capacity, it is also affected by many factors. Such as gastrointestinal motility, secretion of digestive juices, fluctuations in blood sugar levels, and neural regulation between the cerebral cortex. Therefore, the decrease in appetite after dieting cannot be simply attributed to the "shrinkage" of the stomach.

Sometimes, we feel that our stomach is getting bigger and bigger. This may not be because the stomach itself has changed, but because of psychological factors. Long-term large-scale eating will gradually make the brain adapt to this amount of food and regard it as normal. Therefore, even if the stomach itself has not become larger, we will feel that we need to eat more food to satisfy our satiety.

How to keep your stomach healthy?

In order to overcome this psychological effect, we can try to gradually reduce the amount of food we eat and let the brain gradually adapt to the new amount of food. At the same time, doing the following will also help keep your stomach healthy.

1. Eat regularly

Maintaining a regular eating habit is the basis for maintaining a healthy stomach. Eat on time every day and avoid starvation or overeating.

2. Chew slowly

Chewing slowly can prolong the time of eating, giving the body enough time to sense fullness; it also helps the digestion and absorption of food.

3. Drink plenty of water

Drinking water in moderation helps digestion and excretion of food. Drinking water before meals can increase satiety; avoid drinking water immediately after meals to avoid affecting digestion.

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4. Avoid spicy food

Spicy, greasy, raw and cold foods can easily damage the gastric mucosa. You should keep your diet light and avoid these foods.

5. Control your salt intake

Long-term intake of overly salty food will not only lead to excessive sodium ions in the body, but may also directly irritate the gastric mucosa, leading to gastritis, gastric ulcers and other stomach diseases.

6. Quit smoking and limit alcohol consumption

Smoking and drinking can damage the gastric mucosa. These bad habits should be avoided as much as possible to protect the health of the stomach.

7. Reduce drug abuse

Some common drugs, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and hormone drugs, may also cause damage to the gastric mucosa while bringing therapeutic effects. We must strictly follow the doctor's instructions and use drugs reasonably to avoid the health risks to the stomach caused by drug abuse.

8. Pay attention to the use of public chopsticks and spoons

Ignoring the use of serving chopsticks and spoons during a meal can easily lead to the spread of Helicobacter pylori. We should develop a good habit of using serving chopsticks and spoons to cut off the transmission of bacteria at the source and effectively prevent the occurrence of gastric diseases.

9. Regular physical examinations

Regular physical examinations can help to detect and treat stomach diseases in a timely manner. Gastroscopy and other related examinations should be performed regularly to ensure the health of the stomach.

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In summary, the question of whether the stomach will get bigger the more you eat is actually a misunderstanding. The stomach itself does not permanently change size due to diet, but long-term unhealthy eating habits do have adverse effects on the stomach.

In order to maintain the health and function of the stomach, we should follow scientific eating habits, avoid overeating and long-term dieting, exercise moderately, maintain a good mentality and emotional stability, and have regular physical examinations to detect and treat stomach diseases in a timely manner.

Looking in the mirror of rumors

The characteristics of the rumor that "the more you eat, the bigger your stomach will be" are mainly reflected in the misleading of intuitive feelings, psychological suggestion and habit influence. Most of these rumors lack scientific basis. The key to distinguishing such rumors is to be vigilant against the misleading of intuitive feelings. In addition, we can also avoid being misled by consulting scientific materials and understanding the relevant physiological mechanisms of the human body.

Author: Li Tian, ​​Chief Physician, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University

Reviewer: Tang Qin, Director of the Science Popularization Department of the Chinese Medical Association, National Health Science Popularization Expert

Huang Panbing Director of Internal Medicine, People's Hospital of Suxitong Science and Technology Industrial Park, Nantong, Jiangsu