10 Interesting Facts You Probably Didn’t Know About Your Stomach

The stomach is an important component of the human body. It is used to store food and it plays a major role in its digestion. These are the known facts but what about those things they may not have taught you in school about the stomach? Below are some of them.

1. Digestion plays an important in how healthy you are:

Everyone knows food is important for sustenance however some may not realize that digestion is the process that turns it into substances the human body can use on a cellular level. Digestion turns food into energy and nutrients which are especially important for nutrition, energy, and cell repair.

2. The stomach does not play the biggest role when it comes to nutrient absorption

Yes, the stomach is where the digestive process starts however that's not where it ends. The stomach simply begins the process by churning chewed up food and breaking it down with digestive acids.

However the actual absorption of that food occurs  mainly in the small intestine which contains enzymes that help to further break down food, making it easier for nutrients to be absorbed and used by the body.

3. You can Ingest food even if you're upside down

Gravity affects everything but the food in your belly doesn't need gravity to reach your stomach. When you eat something, there are muscles in your esophagus that constrict and relax in a wavelike pattern. This is called peristalsis and it pushes food along the esophagus and into the stomach. This makes it difficult and not impossible to eat upside down.

4. The large intestine doesn't just remove waste

The large intestine can turn liquid waste into solid stool. It is also in charge of absorbing the remaining nutrients and water the body needs.

5. The stomach needs to shield itself from acid

The stomach's primary digestive juice, hydrochloric acid, is a highly corrosive one so the stomach protects itself with a thick layer of mucus. Without it, the stomach acid would destroy the stomach.

6. The small intestine is not so small

The small intestine of the average adult is around 22 feet long. It has a much larger surface area because of its many folds and finger-like projections, called villi. This is crucial because the small intestines' job is to absorb nutrients from food.

7. Your stomach can growl even when you're not hungry

The rumbling of the stomach is usually the sound of your stomach and small intestines carrying out the digestive process. If your stomach is full, you can't hear the sound because it's been muffled.

The other time your stomach makes noise is when it contracts to ensure there is no leftover food within. This causes the growling we hear. It tells you that your stomach is empty, however it may not mean you are hungry.

8. Your colon can reabsorbed water from food

The food we eat contains a lot of water. The colon's job is to make sure you don't lose too much of it during the digestion process.

9. You have gut bacteria you feed

The healthy microfauna in your digestive system require nutrients to keep living too. Things tha nourish them include soluble fiber like fruits, grains, nuts and seeds.

10. Fiber makes the digestive process easier

Fiber can help food move more easily through the digestive tract. Certain types of fiber have also been reported to help maintain regularity.