Why do Stomachs growl?
The stomach growling was considered by Greeks as ‘Borborygmi,. The doctors use this word to describe the growling politely. This growling is known by them as a natural part of the digestive process. The stomach growls because it never stops completely digesting the food and the digestive juices work incessantly. Sometimes intestines also growl due to the digestive process which sends the food and waste materials to the intestines.
Most often stomachs growl as the persons are very hungry and their stomachs are empty. In some cases ,the stomach growling can be due to health problems or irritable bowel disease. When the stomach is full the juices that are released into it may give minimal sounds. If the stomach is empty then it makes growling sounds.
Stomachs growl due to some physiological processes going on in the digestive food and while driving it into the intestines. The stomach performs the peristaltic movements which are contractions and relaxations done while mixing and moving digestive juices with the food. When the stomach is empty these juices fall around the gases that are generated during digestion. This movement of juices in the stomach gives a peculiar noise like growling. The noise comes out of the stomach walls which can make contact with one another.
The food that is taken in is digested at various levels beginning with the mouth and then the partially digested food at the mouth passes through the oesophagus and reaches the stomach. Here again the digestion process occurs with the help of the digestive juices. The food gets churned up with the digestive juices due to the peristaltic movements and forms a mix called chyme. During this process the gases and air also get mixed. This process creates the noises that we hear as growling.
It is evident now that stomach growling can take place when the stomach is either empty or full.
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