HowmuchdidyoueatathomewithyourfamilyduringtheSpringFe...

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How much did you eat at home with your family during the Spring Festival holiday? You may feel like your stomach is going to explode, but that is not surprising, as the science website Nova has pointed out that the human stomach may not have as much space as you might think.

Scientist Brooke Harcourt from the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute in Australia said a “resting” stomach cavity(腔) is about the size of a hand making a fist(拳头),though it can easily stretch(拉伸)to hold up to four liters of food and liquid(液体).

That uncomfortable feeling after overeating is caused by the stomach pressing into the organs(器官)around it, including the liver(肝脏), diaphragm and lungs. “In a bad case it can mean it gets harder to breathe,” Harcourt said.

As it is just below the rib cage(胸腔), there is little room for the stomach to grow into-other than outwards.

“As it starts to grow we get what we sometimes call a ‘food baby’,” Harcourt said.

But the food baby can only grow so big.

Any more than four liters of food and liquid in the stomach can cause a gag reflex(呕吐反*), when the digestive(消化的)system works backward. This means that before you know it, you see your lunch again. Not pretty.

Harcourt said the gag reflex comes not just because the stomach is full, but also because levels of acid(*)get higher as hydrochloric(盐*的)acid comes in to help digest food.

Overeating can also cause heartburn because acid goes up into the oesophagus(食道). In addition, people burp(打嗝)as the body tries to get rid of the air that was taken in while eating.

If you want to avoid overeating, Harcourt said the trick is to listen to your body.

“You can also have a glass of water before the meal, so you are already feeling a little full,” she said. “The water also starts digestion.”

Drinking when you’re hungry isn’t such a crazy idea---Harcourt said that in 80 percent of cases ,when people think they’re hungry, they’re actually thirsty. “We just have to try listen to our bodies,” she added.

So perhaps you should have a drink before your next feast---you might stop a “food baby” being born!

38. We feel uncomfortable after overeating because _____.

A. our stomach is only as big as a hand making a fist.

B. the organs around the stomach keep pressing into it

C. there is a limit on the space the stomach can grow into

D. too much food makes us feel like it’s hard to breathe

39. When your gag reflex works,________.

A. the digestive system stops working

B. the body tries to let out the air that was taken in while eating

C. it is partly because of the increase in the level of hydrochloric acid

D. there is a little less than four liters of food and liquid in your stomach

40. According to Dr Harcourt, drinking when you’re hungry ______.