Is it true that loosening your belt after a meal can cause gastroptosis? How can foodies enjoy their meals happily?

A person who works hard to eat, a soul that works hard to eat, and a person who works hard to eat is the best! This sentence that has been circulating on the Internet recently really perfectly expresses the voice of foodies.

But it is easy to overeat if you are not careful.

No problem! Just loosen your belt and you'll feel more relaxed in no time.

However, there is always a voice around you reminding you: Don’t loosen your belt after a meal, as it will cause gastroptosis.

Will loosening your belt after a meal cause gastroptosis? Will you be able to eat happily in the future?

In fact, it is just a "conjecture" that loosening the belt after a meal will cause gastroptosis. There is no direct relationship between gastroptosis and loosening the belt. Otherwise, belt manufacturers would be very happy...

To prove that this statement is incorrect, let's first understand how the stomach is "hung" in the abdominal cavity...

01

The stomach is held in place by abdominal muscles and ligaments

Generally speaking, the position of each organ in the normal abdominal cavity of the human body is fixed mainly by three factors:

1. The position of the diaphragm and the activity of the diaphragm;

2. The role of abdominal muscle strength and the thickness of the abdominal wall fat layer;

3. Fixing function of adjacent organs or certain related ligaments.

Take the stomach for example. Above it is the diaphragm (a layer of muscle and ligaments that separates the abdominal cavity from the thoracic cavity). The lower front part touches the abdominal wall muscle layer, and the surrounding ligaments are fixed by stomach-diaphragm, stomach-liver, stomach-spleen and stomach-colon. This is why our stomach can maintain its normal position under physiological conditions, and it has nothing to do with the belt.

Ligaments of the stomach

Of course, affected by various conditions, the stomach can move within a certain range, but this movement is only very slight and small, and does not reach the level of gastroptosis.

02

Gastroptosis is the abnormal position of the stomach

Gastroptosis refers to the lowering of the stomach when standing, with the lower edge reaching the pelvic cavity. Medically, it is usually defined as the lowest point of the lesser curvature of the stomach being lower than the level of the iliac crest line (which needs to be determined with the help of X-ray examination).

Diagnosis of Gastroptosis

The occurrence of gastroptosis is mostly due to insufficient diaphragm suspension force, decreased function of gastric-related ligaments, decreased intra-abdominal pressure, and relaxation of abdominal muscles.

Some studies also believe that it is related to gastrointestinal autonomic nervous dysfunction. Nerve paralysis will weaken the stomach's digestive ability, and the stomach contents will be retained and cannot be effectively discharged into the intestines. Under the long-term action of gravity, the muscles relax, the ligaments stretch, and the position of the stomach gradually drops.

Gastroptosis does not only refer to the downward shift of the stomach, it is also accompanied by a series of symptoms.

Mild ptosis is generally asymptomatic and does not require special treatment.

Those with obvious sagging will have a feeling of fullness and discomfort after meals, as well as nausea, vomiting, anorexia, constipation, etc., and sometimes there will be a dull pain in the abdomen.

People with long-term gastroptosis often experience symptoms such as low blood pressure, anemia, dizziness, and palpitations.

03

People who are prone to gastroptosis

Gastroptosis often occurs in people with a thin body or those who suffer from certain wasting diseases that lead to progressive weight loss. These people have a thin chest, thin chest wall fat, low stomach tension, and are prone to relaxation and elongation, resulting in gastroptosis. (People who are trying to lose weight should pay attention and should not control their weight too much)

Long-term poor mental state is also a contributing factor. Excessive fatigue of the brain, strong nerve stimulation and emotional fluctuations constantly act on the cerebral cortex, causing dysfunction of the cortical and subcortical centers, affecting gastric tension and leading to gastroptosis.

In addition, women who have given birth many times, those who often overeat, those who do strenuous exercise after meals, those who work standing up for a long time or those who stay in bed and do little exercise are all prone to gastroptosis.

04

Prevention is mainly based on functional exercise and dietary adjustment

How to prevent gastroptosis?

① You should develop good eating habits. You should not overeat, be too hungry or too full. You should eat small meals frequently, have a balanced diet, and chew slowly. This will not only help digestion and absorption, but also enhance gastric motility and promote emptying.

② Eat more soft and easily digestible food, and less dry, hard, indigestible, cold, hard, spicy and irritating food to reduce damage to the gastric mucosa and irritation to the stomach and intestines.

Healthy eating

③ Do not stand or sit for a long time. Do not participate in strenuous activities or heavy physical labor immediately after eating. You can take a proper walk after a meal.

④ Strengthen physical exercise and do more sit-ups, push-ups and other exercises to strengthen the abdominal muscles and ligaments.

Sit-ups

⑤ Maintain an optimistic attitude, regulate depressed and angry emotions, learn to relax, maintain a regular schedule, and get enough sleep.

⑥ If you already have chronic digestive diseases, you should actively seek medical treatment and follow the doctor's advice to prevent the occurrence of gastroptosis.

Gastroptosis is a common disease of the digestive system. It is mainly caused by the relaxation of muscles and ligaments associated with the stomach. It has no direct relationship with loosening the belt after a meal, so foodies can eat with peace of mind.

However, you should also be careful not to become a big eater without restraint, and you should still maintain good living and eating habits!

References:

[1] Ding Lei. Progress in clinical research on gastroptosis[D]. Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, 2007.

[2] Zhao Jianxin, Pavel Jorombat. Pathological research and treatment of gastroptosis[J]. Everyone's Health (Academic Edition), 2014, 8(13): 195-196.

[3] Tang Zhipeng. Diagnosis and treatment guideline for gastroptosis[J]. Modern Distance Education of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2011, 9(10):125-126.

[4] Jin Guoji. X-ray diagnosis of gastroptosis[J]. Primary Medicine Forum, 2010, 14(31): 1025-1026.

[5] Ke Xiao, Wang Min, Tang Xudong, Zhao Peilin, Chen Minqin, Wen Yandong, Wang Fengyun, Lü Lin. Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of gastroptosis, a common disease of the digestive system (version for primary care physicians)[J]. Chinese Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 2020, 35(01): 283-286.

END

Review expert: Wu Xinsheng, deputy chief physician of the Department of Gastroenterology, the 371st Hospital of the People’s Liberation Army.

Tadpole Musical Notation original article/reprint please indicate the source

Editor/Xiao Xitushuo