TORONTO – There’s your first heaping plate of Thanksgiving dinner: turkey, mashed potatoes, corn, gravy and cranberry sauce. Then there’s the seconds, and don’t forget dessert.
By the time your holiday feast is over, you’re ready to curl up on the couch to take a nap.
In a new video, scientists at the American Chemical Society walk viewers through exactly what happens when you stuff yourself at dinner.
For starters, your stomach can stretch to about one litre – or the size of a burrito.
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“When you eat a big meal, you fill your stomach to its limits, squeezing against your other organs and making your abdomen feel, well, full,” the narrator explains.
Your stomach and intestines fill with gases. That’s what’s making you feel swollen.
And each time you swallow a bite of food, you take some air along, especially if you’re drinking beer or pop. Where does that air go? It’s released as gas (this part is self-explanatory).
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Some diners encounter heartburn – that burning sensation in your chest after a gluttonous meal. Your stomach produces hydrochloric acid to compensate for an epic meal, but if you overeat, there’s too much of that acid. It irritates the lining of your stomach and even seeps into your esophagus.
A large part of fullness is mental, too. When you’ve had enough to eat, your brain tries to tell you to stop. Enter those feelings of queasiness and discomfort.
Watch the full explanation here.
carmen.chai@globalnews.ca
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