What Happens When You Eat Too Much?
Here's the chemistry that happens in your body when you eat too much Thanksgiving dinner.
From
What Happens When You Eat Too Much?
Season 1 Episode 35 | 2m 32sVideo has Closed Captions
Here's the chemistry that happens in your body when you eat too much Thanksgiving dinner.
The season of giving is often also the season of over-indulging at the dinner table. As Thanksgiving approaches, Reactions takes a look down at our stomachs to find out what happens when you overeat.
From
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
What Happens When You Eat Too Much?
Season 1 Episode 35 | 2m 32sVideo has Closed Captions
The season of giving is often also the season of over-indulging at the dinner table. As Thanksgiving approaches, Reactions takes a look down at our stomachs to find out what happens when you overeat.
From
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipThanksgiving dinner: turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, some more turkey, cranberry sauce, even more turkey?
uhhh [Turkey walks across screen.]
Still have room for that pie?
For now, unbutton your eating pants, flop on the couch and let's learn why you feel so full after a big meal.
[Reactions intro] Part of the reason is physical.
Your stomach can stretch to a volume of about one liter that's the size of a burrito.
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.
Your stomach and intestines also fill with gases as you eat, adding to that swollen sensation.
Each time you swallow a bit of air goes along for the ride, even more if you're drinking soda or beer.
Inside your stomach, the gas that makes your drink fizzy fills more space than the liquid it came in.
Fortunately, your body has a good way to get rid of excess gas in the stomach: [burp] For some people, another uncomfortable result of a big meal is heartburn.
The stomach produces hydrochloric acid to break down food.
More food to break down means more acid, which can irritate the lining of the stomach and creep into the esophagus, leading to that burning feeling.
Antacid tablets use bases (remember the opposite of an acid is a base) like calcium carbonate to neutralize the acid.
That reaction produces more carbon dioxide, which can increase that full feeling, at least until your next burp.
The other part of feeling full is mental.
When you've had enough to eat, the body's messenger molecules, hormones, let the brain know its time to stop.
Bro!
Bro!....
It's time to stop!
When you eat a high-calorie meal, cells in your intestines secrete a hormone called peptide tyrosine-tyrosine or PYY.
Not PYT!
That's a Michael Jackson song!
When PYY reaches the brain, it binds with receptors that give you the feeling that you're full, or even a little queasy.
Some hormones react more strongly to meals heavy in fats, carbohydrates or proteins, but they all serve the same purpose: to get you to put down that fork!
So the next time your mom asks you if you want seconds, maybe take a minute to listen to what your body's trying to tell you.
Or just keep stuffing your face, I don't care really.
But don't be surprised if you're not feeling so good after.
- Science and Nature
A series about fails in history that have resulted in major discoveries and inventions.
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