Can We Live Without a Stomach????

[Snowcrystal]

With all the information about reducing the size of our stomachs I wondered how we could function without one at all.

I found this and thought some of you might be interested:

Answer 1) Yes it is possible. The common misconception is that all of our food that we eat gets digested in the stomach and this is not true. Our stomaches do only a small portion of actual digestion, mainly digesting proteins. It is our small intestine that completes the digestion of proteins that began in the stomach and then also digests the rest of our food, the carbohydrates and fats. Without a stomach, you could still, in theory, get all the nutrients you need, though you would have to be very selective about your food choices.

(((hugs)))

 

[Snowcrystal]

Answer 2) We hear about gastric bypass and stomach removal (gastrectomy) surgeries pretty regularly, which might lead us to believe that the stomach is a pretty useless organ aside from being a sack that holds food before it's fully digested in the intestine. However, it turns out that the stomach also has the important job of producing a protein called intrinsic factor, which is required for the absorption of vitamin B12 (cobalamin). Without intrinsic factor, the gut can't absorb cobalamin, and without cobalamin, lots of physiological processes go bad; two of the most notable problems involve red blood cell production and brain function.

The side of the story not often heard about is the additional supplementation that patients receive after having a gastric bypass or stomach removal surgery. As long as they receive adequate intrinsic factor, they are just fine.

 

[Snowcrystal]

Answer 3) Yes, you can. Patients with advanced stomach cancer may have to have their stomachs removed. There is a surgical procedure (a jejunostomy) that implants a feeding tube into the beginning of the small intestine. Specially prepared liquids are used to feed the patient. Such patients can live for years this way. Digestion starts in the mouth and continues in the stomach. However, absorbing all the nutrients that you need takes place in the small and large intestine (NOT in the stomach). You can live without your stomach but not without your small intestine.

 

[thinkbethin]

Very interesting Snowcrystal, thankyou.