Iâm currently taking a course in human anatomy and physiology at my university and I cant help but notice that the information in actual practiced biology often clashes with the information floating around in the ED world.
Iâve come to the conclusion that itâs better to be informed with factual information rather than a series of myths designed to heighten my anxiety in order to sway me towards recovery (i.e. metabolism, muscle lossâŠ)
I am working on a list of commonly questioned bodily processes that are proven with real-life practiced science. The current list is merely the beginning and I will be adding things as I come across them. I you want to stay updated, following the topic would be easiest. I hope to cover things like exercise, metabolism, and more (Iâm trying to watch the threads for trending topics, feel free to suggest your own).
Also, If you want to contribute with information that you found, make sure that you post it with its accredited source (must be scholarly journal, study, peer reviewed essay, or published book) this is just to ensure that all of the information exchanged in the topic is reliable and backed up with scientific evidence.
***Even though some of these completely de-bunk anti purging myths, I am not trying to convince anyone that purging is the best option. In my experience with bulimia, I purge no matter what, but these myths have given me crippling anxiety at times and made me feel entirely hopeless. Maybe these will give someone else a calmer mind.
Food does not begin to be absorbed (calories and nutrients) until it reaches the small intestine. There is a myth out there that calorie absorption begins in the mouth (to deter binging and purging and c/s) and continues throughout the entirety of digestion, including the stomach. The mouth begins the process of mechanical breakdown with the teeth and tongue and chemical breakdown with an enzyme released called salivary amylase. Salivary amylase aids in the breakdown of specifically carbohydrates aka sugars, but they are not absorbed here. the stomach contains pepsin and hydrochloric acid that chemically breaks down proteins (again, does not absorb) and mixes the food up with gentle contractions to turn the food into a squishy soup âchymeâ.
Food begins to move into the small intestine 2-6 hours after eating. Whoever originally said that purging more than an hour after eating is useless is berry berry wrong ok? not saying you should still try but you donât need to have a complete gut retching breakdown like i have because i donât have the opportunity to purge for a couple hours. Now, iâm not going to bullshit you, sugars that are water soluble will likely be digested faster because they pass through as liquid with anything you drink. this can be as quick as 30 minutes. (I ate some edamame at 11:30am yesterday and I saw some of it when purging at 11pm that nightâŠ)
The myth that people only get a tiny fraction of calories ingested no matter how much food is purged issssnotcorrect. your body, no matter how malnourished it is, will not just instantly suck up all the food and trap the calories instantly forever muahaha. It takes time to get absorbed, whether calories are purged or not depends on the person (everyone is capable and incapable of purging certain foods and certain quantities), the food eaten (water soluble sugars digest faster), and the time that has passed from the start of ingestion (weâre talking a solid 5 hours later before it might be impossible maybe).
Food cannot be purged from the small intestine. Honestly. if you cant get anything else up, donât even try or youâll risk losing your gag reflex entirely for a while.
Stomach Bile has a pH of 2. THATâS SUPER ACIDIC. Battery acid has a pH of 0. Your stomach acid is strong enough to dissolve razor blades. the esophagus is lined with a thin layer of mucosa but thatâs merely a backup defense against acid reflux. The stomach has a mucosa and submucosa layer that sheds and replaces itself to maintain integrity. The mucosa of the esophagus does not replenish itself!
If something hurts. like really really hurts (weâre talking sharp, throbbing, deep pains) you have reason to believe that you are in dire need of medical attention, please seek it immediately if anything seems off.
THE ESPHAGOUS CAN RUPTURE
Mader, Sylvia S. Biology. Dubuque, IA: W.C. Brown, 1993. Print.
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