After having a good meal, we sometimes say: "I'm going to burst!" Or even: "I'm going to die!" Is it really possible to die by overeating? The answer is ambiguous …
Defense mechanisms
Experts say that making the stomach literally burst is not so easy, because this organ has a number of protective reflexes. So, when, after a hearty meal, it stretches more than the "set" size (it is believed that the acceptable volume is about 4 liters), special nerve receptors signal the brain that it is time to stop and stop absorbing food. In this case, the lower obturator muscle of the esophagus can briefly relax, and belching occurs. At the same time, the muscles in the upper part of the esophagus are relaxed, which allows the release of gas (if, of course, there are suitable conditions for this). All this brings relief to the eater.
If, ignoring these symptoms, the person still continues to eat, other reflexes are turned on. The abdomen begins to ache, nausea appears, vomiting may occur … A healthy stomach is unlikely to "wait" until a critical moment, most likely, before that it will naturally empty.
Atypical cases
But it also happens otherwise. So, Professor Algot Kay-Aberg from Stockholm experimentally found that if a person, for example, is under the influence of drugs, his body may not respond to oversaturation. True, the test subjects were not pumped with food, but water.
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However, in 1929, the medical press published an analysis of 14 death episodes of individuals who overeat to death, despite the body's defenses. It turned out that in some cases, the cause of death was sodium bicarbonate, that is, the usual baking soda that people took to neutralize heartburn.
Specifically, two pathologists from Miami-Dade County (Florida, USA) described the case of a 31-year-old woman with bulimia. The woman was found dead on the floor of her own kitchen. An autopsy revealed that the deceased's stomach was greatly distended. The volume of food in it exceeded nine liters. They were poorly chewed hot dogs, broccoli, and cereal. A half-empty baking soda container was found next to the body. Experts came to the conclusion that, having overeat, the lady drank a large amount of soda, as a result of which her stomach was swollen and could not release gases or get rid of excess contents. Instead, the victim's diaphragm rose to the lungs, and the woman simply suffocated. Also, most likely, the esophagus in its lower part was blocked by an unchewed hot dog.
In 1984, a woman with a swollen belly was admitted to the Royal Hospital of Liverpool (UK). Her navel was turned inside out, like a pregnant woman. But the patient was not expecting a child at all: she just had a good dinner the day before. The meal included kidneys, liver, steak, eggs, cheese, mushrooms, carrots, cauliflower, bread, peaches, pears, apples, bananas, plums, grapes, and finally milk. In total, there were nine kilograms of food in the stomach. Several hours later, the lady died of sepsis.
Breakfast for the champion
Recently, it has become fashionable to hold various competitions for the absorption of certain products. The winner is the one who can eat more than the other participants. For example, a certain Takeru Kobayashi was able to swallow more than 8 kilos of beef brains in 15 minutes and remained alive and well.
In 2006, gastroenterologist David Metz from the University of Pennsylvania (USA) examined the stomach of Tim Janus using an X-ray tube, who had repeatedly taken part in “gorging” contests. Metz compared Janus's stats to those of an average person after both ate hot dogs for 12 minutes.
The scientist proceeded from the assumption that in the "champions in food" the contents of the stomach "leave" faster into the small intestine. But everything turned out to be the opposite: two hours after eating, Janus's stomach was only a quarter empty, and the stomach of another subject was empty by three quarters. At the same time, having swallowed the seventh hot dog, the "control" subject complained that he was getting sick, although the X-ray tube showed that the stomach was not stretched out much. Janus, on the other hand, ate 36 "hot dogs", stuffing them into his mouth two at a time for convenience. However, he did not feel any discomfort. By the way, if a participant starts belching during the competition, it is considered a loss.
Metz concluded that the stomach of people like Janus, although not larger than the standard size, has the ability to relax, as a result of which there is no damage to the eater's body. True, Eric Denmark, nicknamed Eric the Red, who also won more than once in "eating" contests, believes that such a result can only be achieved with the help of regular training. He himself began with plain water: at first he drank up to 4 liters, then gradually he reached 9, teaching his stomach to stretch. And then he moved on to food. So, if you wish, you can overcome the boundaries set by nature, experts say. But overeating without preparation is really dangerous for health and even life.
Daria Lyubimskaya