Why isn’t it satisfying to chew up food them spit it out without swallowing? How does your brain differentiate the sensation when it knows you aren’t going to actually consume it?

Question

Edit: then*

In: Biology

Answer 1

Because it’s an entire process. You see food and your brain starts the process by causing you to salivate for the break down and swallowing of the food before the stomach breaks it down for energy.

Answer 2

Eating food for fuel is one of primary functions so naturally it has pretty widespread effects on the body. Even before food hits your mouth. Your body can start prepping for incoming food just from you thinking about it. We’re all familiar with the phenomenon of thinking about pizza, and your mouth waters.

You have receptors in the oesophagus and in the stomach that will tell the brain that food has been swallowed, is moving down the oesophagus and hitting the stomach. Your brain can detect the stretch in your stomach as food hits it. Your brain releases chemicals that help you digest, and encourage your blood to move toward your guts to more effectively take up all the good stuff you just ate and put it somewhere. It also releases oxytocin and dopamine, which are potent brain chemicals that usually makes you feel good.

So, when you spit food out and you don’t swallow it, you get no stretch in the oesophagus or the stomach, you get no release of digestive chemicals or lovely endorphins, and you are psychologically disappointing your mother for spitting out perfectly good food.

Answer 3

It’s definitely satisfying for some people. Chew/Spit is common for people with eating disorders.

Answer 4

This is one of those lizard brain monkey brain things. Monkey brain just wants to taste the food but doesn’t want to get fat or what have you by consuming it.

Lizard brain only cares about fuel and not swallowing means there’s no fuel so it gets upset and doesn’t hit that reward center.