Yourstomachis an important part of yourdigestive system. It’s an elongated, pear-shaped pouch that lies across your abdominal cavity to the left, slightly below yourdiaphragm.
Depending on the position of your body and the amount of food inside it, your stomach is capable of alterations in size and shape. Your empty stomach is about 12 inches long. At its widest point, it’s about 6 inches across.
As an adult, your stomach has a capacity of about 2.5 ounces when empty and relaxed. It can expand to hold about 1 quart of food.
A baby’s stomach capacity grows
- 24 hours old:approx. 1 tablespoon
- 72 hours old:0.5 to 1 ounce
- 8 to 10 days old:1.5 to 2 ounces
- 1 week to 1 month old:2 to 4 ounces
- 1 to 3 months old:4 to 6 ounces
- 3 to 6 months old:6 to 7 ounces
- 6 to 9 months old:7 to 8 ounces
- 9 to 12 months old:7 to 8 ounces
As you eat, your stomach fills with food and drink. If you continue to eat after your stomach is full, it can stretch, similar to a balloon, to make room for the additional food. Chances are, you’ll feeldiscomfortif your stomach is stretched beyond its normal volume.
Although your stomach will typically return to its regular size once it digests the food, your stomach will expand more easily if youovereaton a consistent basis.
When you eat and your stomach stretches to accommodate food, nerves send signals to your brain. At the same time,ghrelin, a hormone that triggers hunger, decreases. Together, these messages tell your brain to stop eating. It can take your brain up to 20 minutes to register these messages.
你的胃是你digestiv的一个重要组成部分e system. It stretches to accommodate food and drink. Although it’s unlikely that consistent stretching will make your empty stomach much larger, overeating too often can make your stomach stretch easier.
