Why does stomach growl after eating?

If you’ve ever been in a quiet room or an awkward moment with others, only for your stomach to suddenly make a loud gurgling sound that seems to go on FOREVER, then you’re not alone. This is something that happens to many people at different times of the day, and it’s all perfectly normal. In fact, there are many reasons why your stomach growls after eating.

Introduction: What Happens When You Eat

Before we can understand why our stomachs get so grumbly after eating, let’s first take a look at what happens when food enters our digestive system.

  1. The Mouth
  2. The Esophagus
  3. The Stomach
  4. The Small Intestine
  5. The Large Intestine

As soon as we start chewing our food (hopefully!), saliva gets produced in our mouth that contains enzymes which help break down the carbohydrates present in those scrumptious bites into sugars such as glucose that give us energy (yum!). Then we swallow the food and it travels down through the esophagus (cue for hiccup- lovers) till it reaches our miracle-worker: the stomach!

In simpler words – Think of this miraculous organ like a muscular bag made up of 3 parts:

1). Fundus
2). Body
3). Antrum

Getting Down To Business

Nowadays often stuffed /overfilled bellies lead incredibly busy lives and might gulp down their meals without paying much attention to their body signals leading them rushing right back into action before they’ve even completely processed and absorbed what was just shoved down its throat; Which leads us straight away to one reason:

Reason #1: Your Digestive System Is Working Harder Than It Should Be

When you eat anything substantial like rice with gravy/ protein-rich foods/chips, etc., the stomach has to work hard by churning and mixing atoms of acids around in a bid to break down this food into smaller bits so that it can be passed through your intestines easily. The more you eat, the harder your digestive system works However, if there isn’t enough food or not much digestion is needed after your meal (like when eating primarily carbohydrates), those noises get amplified because of an empty hollow organ but at least now we know what started all that ruckus.

Reason #2: Hunger

Hunger does often lead one’s stomach growling due to some hormonal changes and chemical reactions taking place in its lining as well; The hormones- Ghrelin and Motilin stimulate gastric motility where both help keep our bellies filled without feeling bloated unnecessary digressions which helps maintain control on calorie intake just like structured intermittent fasting diets.

Reason #3: Gas Buildup

Not only do some foods produce gas during digestion resulting in “silent” farts alongside soundless growls – Guess who frequently makes an appearance at meals?

Beans,,,,Boom!

But also swallowing air while chewing gum or drinking carbonated drinks might result in accumulated amounts of gases inside our poor little tummies with no other choice than trying to let off excess gas/ burps rather loudly.

Don’t hold it…they say release is paramount for optimal health (roll-eyes).

Reason #4: Malabsorption Of Food Components

Another reason why your stomach may be making funny sounds even after having had a hearty meal could be malabsorption issues stemming from nutrient deficiencies where certain foods are not fully absorbed by the intestinal linings leading indigestion causing involuntary bowel contractions that take on different accents… I mean facets(LOL).

Conclusion

At the end of any good meal comes indulgence —Maybe reading something fun? Treat yourself; But before that, always remember that letting out a loud digestional growl is nothing to be ashamed of.. heck maybe even do it with pride if the occasion permits.

Take it easy when eating and enjoy your food. After all, everyone knows there’s no shame in being passionate about what you eat!

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