Have you ever thought about what happens to your food after you swallow it?
Take this bar, for example.
You take a bite, chew and swallow.
Then what?
Stick with me for a few minutes and find out.
Hi, I am Shooks,
and I'm an astronaut living and working aboard the International Space Station.
Do you ever wonder if gravity causes your food to just fall into your stomach?
What if you are upside down?
Or what if you are in microgravity?
If our bodies relied on gravity for digestion,
astronauts would have a hard time eating in space.
Luckily, our bodies utilize a fascinating process
called peristalsis for digestion.
The digestive system is a large group of organs and processes that work together
to take in food, digest it, and extract needed nutrients.
A key component to digestion is peristalsis.
The wave like muscle contractions that push food
and drink through your digestive system or gastrointestinal tract,
like a conveyor belt.
The moment you start to chew the food, the digestion process begins.
Then, when you swallow, your body kicks into gear and muscles in your esophagus
start to work together to move the food to the stomach and beyond.
Gravity isn't even necessary for this to work
when you're standing up, lying down, or even upside down.
Peristalsis still keeps food moving
along in your esophagus and intestines.
The stomach has its own set of muscles contractions.
Mixing food with digestive juices
before it moves into the small intestine.
However, in space, gases and liquids don't separate like they do on Earth.
This can lead to astronaut wet burps
because stomach contents take some extra time to settle down.
The digestive
system contains a community of bacteria known as the gut microbiome,
that can change in space due to stress,
diet, and effects of microgravity in the small intestine.
The muscles continue to push the food along, but
now they also help mix everything up,
giving your body time to absorb all the nutrients
like carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and more.
This is how your body turns food into fuel
to get you through the day.
Finally, in the large intestine, peristalsis slows down,
allowing water and nutrients to be absorbed before waste is eliminated.
That's one reason why we all have to stay hydrated.
We need to keep waste moving through our system.
Let us demonstrate how peristalsis work in your body.
Think of the content of this pouch as food or liquid in your digestive system.
Notice how when I even turn the pouch upside down, nothing moves around
until I use my fingers
to squeeze the food.
Problems in digestion
could lead to discomfort, dehydration, and other health issues.
Microgravity can slightly slow down digestion for some astronauts.
Like on Earth, adjusting dietary intake can help prevent digestion
issues, ongoing studies on digestion, and many other health concerns.
Here on the space station aim to help future crews optimize their health.
That's because we are working to achieve a big goal sending astronauts
into deep space for longer duration missions to the moon, Mars and beyond.
Do you realize that dream crews will have to be able
to take care of themselves more independently than ever before?
Discoveries from ongoing studies on the human body and nutrition,
among other topics, will help astronauts take good care of themselves in space.
But such insights may also benefit all of you.
back on Earth too.
Peristalsis is
essential for digestion on Earth and in space.
Without it, we won't be able to digest food properly
or absorb the nutrients our bodies need to function.
The smooth, coordinated motion of peristalsis ensures
that the entire digestive system works efficiently.
Thanks for joining me on this journey inside the human body.
Keep exploring, keep learning, and remember the world inside
your body is way more amazing than you ever imagined.
Thank you.