As we consume food, our body’s digestive system carries on a complex set of activities to digest that food and send signals of fullness. The main aspects of this process are that the pace of the digestion process is decelerated and the brain is signaled that there is food in the stomach. Now, let us define the meaning of what are these concepts in more detail.
Slow Gastric Emptying
Gastric emptying is a term that refers to food’s movement from the stomach into the small intestine. The following are some of the aspects that have the effect of slowing down this process:
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- Hormones: Cholecystokinin (CCK) and peptide YY are released, which slow gastric motility.
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- Nutrient composition: While carbohydrates will slow down food leaving the stomach less than fatty or protein foods will, the opposite is usually true.
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- Stomach distension: The filling of the stomach with food makes it expand as it receives more food which causes it to slow down its emptying overheard.
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- Nervous system: The vagus nerve has been infact showed to have a role in controlling gastric motility.
Signaling the Brain
Foods leaving the stomach undergo a mechanical process which is one of the signals that travel to the brain and trigger fullness:
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- Mechanical signals: If stretch receptors in the stomach wall pick a whole meal, it will send signals to your brain.
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- Hormonal signals: Hormones such as ghrelin (the level of which decreases after eating) and leptin, which the brain’s areas of hunger regulation are associated with, orchestrate things.
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- Neural signals: Through the vagus nerve information about stomach fullness is conveyed to the brain.
Pros of These Processes
This process by itself is behind the balance of several functions:
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- Satiety: One of the many ways in which slower gastric emptying can be utilized to the body’s advantage is by making you feel less hungry.
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- Digestion: More nutrients are digested hence improving absorption due to the slower rate of emptying.
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- Appetite regulation: These are the mechanisms the brain employs to tell a body, when to eat and how much to eat.
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- Energy balance: They are the mechanisms by which the body is able to deal with the intake and expenditure of energy.
Through learning about these processes, one gets familiar with the issue of control of appetite and weight management. This could be the reason slow eating and ultimately being more present in current meals, can enhance the hedonic feeling of meal satisfaction.
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