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Ever wondered why and how your body reacts to stomach pain when you go for long periods without food? You can blame the stomach acid for this particular discomfort, per Medical News Today.
Also referred to as “hunger pangs,” this uncomfortable sensation can feel like a hollow, gnawing, or empty feeling in your belly. When your body has gone without food for a number of hours, your brain triggers the release of the hunger hormones ghrelin and motilin. These hormones then signal the release of stomach acids to help prepare for the digestion of the food. When no food is ingested, these accumulated stomach juices can irritate your digestive system, leading to heartburn, hunger pangs caused by stomach contractions, nausea, and acid reflux. You can also feel lightheaded, tired, and “hangry” because of not eating food, per Dr. Axe.
Does this mean you should avoid going for long periods of time without food? Not necessarily. Spiritual and health reasons for fasting are known to bring physical and mental health benefits for people. In fact, intermittent fasting has even been linked with contributing toward a healthy gut, per Healthline. According to Dr. Peyton Berookim (via Livestrong), your body (and stomach) will adjust to fasting — and gradually reduce how much acid it secretes — the more you do it. Even so, there are things you can do to avoid this acid buildup and hunger pangs in your stomach.
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