Myths and Facts About Stomach. Talk about the stomach, you could hear a number of myths. How much do you really know about your stomach. According to experts, there are still many people who know little about the workings of the stomach and their digestive system.
"There is a misconception that often occurs with respect to the abdomen, this misconception often misleading people in dealing with stomach problems," said Mark Moyad, MD, director of preventive and alternative medicine at the University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor.
To help straighten out the myths, Greenwald, Moyad, and NYU's director of pediatric gastroenterology Joseph Levy, MD, tried to separate the myths from the facts to see how much you know about how to maintain a healthy stomach.
1. Myth or fact: The main digestive process occurs in the stomach
Answer: a myth. The main process of digestion occurs in the small intestine. Food into the stomach, then the food is broken down into tiny particles called "Chime". Chime is then released into the small intestine, where most of the digestion process takes place.
Contrary to many people believed keperyaan, Levy said, the food is not digested immediately after eating. "All food entering the stomach is broken down, after released into the small intestine together.
2. Myth or fact: If you reduce the amount of food intake, your stomach will shrink, so do not be too hungry.
Answer: a myth. As you mature, your stomach size will remain the same, unless you do surgery for stripping. Reduce the amount of food will not be pursed size of the stomach, said Moyad, but it can help reset your appetite so you will not feel so hungry, and you should be consistent with your eating plan.
3. Myth or fact: thin people have the stomach size is smaller than people who are heavier.
Answer: a myth. Although it is difficult to believe, the size of the stomach is not associated with weight or weight control. Thin people can have the same stomach size or even bigger than the people who struggle with weight loss throughout their lives. "Weight has nothing to do with the size of the stomach. In fact, even people who do belly size reduction through surgery, can still experience weight gain, "said Levy.
4. Myth or fact: exercises such as sit-ups can shrink the size of the stomach.
Answer: a myth. "There is no sport that can change the size of the organ, but it can burn the layer of fat that accumulates outside the body. In addition, exercise can also help strengthen the muscles of the abdominal cavity, the area that housed the stomach and other internal organs," said Moyad. In fact, part of your belly fat is very dangerous, it might be invisible fat, however, is in the omentum, in the lining layer on top and around your internal organs.
5. Myth or fact: foods that contain fiber is not soluble in water reduces the amount of gas compared to foods that contain fiber that dissolves in water.
Answer: the facts. According Moyad, most people are amazed to realize that what they described as a softer form of fibers, fiber found in foods such as wheat flour, soybeans, peas, and citrus fruits, is actually producing more gas than the fiber is not soluble in water , which is found in foods such as bread from whole grains, wheat cereals, cabbage, beets, and carrots.
6. Myth or fact: one way to reduce the flow of acid is to reduce weight 1-1.5 kg.
Answer: the facts. "The less acid flowing back into the esophagus, the fewer problems you face in cleaning it. Believe it or not, losing weight by 1 kg of the abdominal area will make a difference, and the pregnancy is the best example," said Moyad. When the baby is getting bigger and pushing internal organs, increased heartburn, but when the baby is born and the pressure eased, heartburn also be lost. "In the same way, losing a little fat belly will bring the same comfort."
The good news: according to Moyad, once the first weight loss will occur in the abdominal area, so you can see a positive outcome related to heartburn in a few weeks after starting the plan to lose weight.
7. Myth or fact: eating before bed will make you gain weight faster than eating the same foods during the day.
Answer: a myth. Most experts agree that weight loss will increase when the number of calories that we consume more than the number of calories we burn. Although there seem logical that eating during the day will be digested faster and more efficient than the food we eat right before bed, Moyad said that weight gain does not occur in a matter of 1 x 24 hours. "
The number of calories you eat in a certain interval of time compared to how much you burn that will determine the weight gain. There is no scientific evidence that shows that eating at certain hours could memepengaruhi weight gain, "said Moyad.
8. Myth or fact: snack crackers with peanut butter containing 200 calories it is better to control the appetite rather than to consume 200 calories of biscuits only.
Answer: Fact. The reason: "Fat is digested more slowly than carbohydrates, and stay longer in the stomach, so naturally we will feel full longer after eating snacks containing at least a little fat," says Levy.
9. Myth or fact: soy makes everyone excess gas, and you can not prevent it.
Answer: a myth. Soybeans are rich in a type of sugar that require special enzymes to be digested properly. "Some people have this enzyme in large quantities, while none the less. The less you have, the more gas produced during digestion of soy," says Greenwald.