Does digestion work the same inside our bodies in space? Each time I see an astronaut about to eat in space and watch their food floating around I wonder if it still moves through the body the same as it does under the gravity conditions on earth. Is there no gravity impact on that process? I know pressure has a direct relationship with gravity but how does that influence impact our bodies internally?
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Food does not just rattle its way through our insides under power of gravity like a cartoon. It is in fact squeezed through the digestive system through a series of muscle contractions called “peristalsis”. Think about it like trying to squeeze mush through a flexible hose, you would squeeze behind a mass and push it down the hose. Our digestive system is made up of muscular tubes that do basically the same process. That process works in space as well.
Same as it works on Earth. It might just be slowed because gravity does help with the process.
Heartburn and acid reflux is a problem for astronauts. They quickly learn to be careful when burping, because a burp can easily turn into a barf.
Scientists were very worried about exactly this problem which is part of why we sent up animals to see what would happen.
It works the same way it does on Earth. The digestive process is not dependent on gravity. Food moves through you digestive system because your stomach and intestines have muscles that contract to push things through. Muscle movements are not affected by the microgravity environment in space.
Studies have shown that long-term living in space changes the gut flora (the bacteria that live in your gut) and these bacteria play a role in digestion, but overall, the mechanical process of eating, swallowing, digesting, and all the rest of it is the same.
Yes, believe it or not, you can still eat and drink upside down. That’s how people are able to do keg stands. Though, the risk of aspiration is much higher.
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