Shrinking your stomach

[Math Is Hard]

Main Question or Discussion Point

Can you really shrink your stomach by eating smaller meals? Just something I've often heard.

 

[MotoH]

Well I suppose if it can be expanded by eating very hearty meals, like the competitive eaters do, it makes sense to me at least that it can shrink by eating smaller portions.

 

[Borek]

I am not sure what is a biological background, but I know from my own experience that after a few days of eating small meals even small meal can make you feel full.

 

[zomgwtf]

Can you really shrink your stomach by eating smaller meals? Just something I've often heard.

I'm pretty sure that the only way to shrink your stomach in the way your talking about is through surgery.

Your stomach naturally shrinks and expands depending on various factors but I'm pretty sure if you eat small meals or you don't eat at all your stomach will shrink permanently.
What does happen though is it effects your dieting patterns which may make you 'think' your stomach has shrunk because you were only able to eat a lower amount of food.


I'll look more into it though it's a good question.

 

[Proton Soup]

found this: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/22/health/22real.html

 

[DaveC426913]

I am fairly sure (though have no proof) that eating less does indeed shrink your stomach.

But I wish to ask: to what end? It's not like a smaller stomach will cause you to lose weight, if that's where you're goin'.

The stomach is an extremely flexible organ and will simply expand as needed. Think about filling a nylon mesh bag. Empty it and crush it up, it will re-open quite small, but that doesn't mean you'll have any trouble stuffing it full of books. It's not like the resilience of the mesh is strong enough to resist putting a book in it.

 

[Proton Soup]

well, if ghrelin is really reduced by bariatric surgery, it suggests that allowing your stomach to 'reset' at a smaller size may reduce hunger in the long run by allowing you to reach satiation sooner, at a smaller meal size.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghrelin

 

[Monique]

The expansion of the stomach during eating could trigger a pathway that gives feedback about the amount of extension. Eating less could sensitize the pathway, whereby a smaller extension would cause a higher response (a common biological feedback mechanism). I don't know if this is true, but it is something that could be looked into.

Here an article about the mechanosensitive cells in the stomach: http://www.pnas.org/content/102/41/14913.full

Here some material about desensitization (adaptation): http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bookshelf/br.fcgi?book=mboc4&part=A2740#A2826
Search for the phrase "Cells Can Adjust Their Sensitivity to a Signal".