2897: Is Eating While Standing Up Bad for You by Alina Petre with Healthline on How to Improve Digestion

[00:00:00] Have you ever noticed how a calm mind can really set the stage for a good night's sleep? That's the idea behind our new podcast, Good Sleep. Greg, our host from Optimal Relationships Daily, is here to help ease you into a peaceful night's rest with some positive affirmations. And these affirmations aren't just comforting, they can help ease anxiety and nurture positive thoughts, setting you up for true good sleep. So, press play on Good Sleep tonight because a good

[00:00:28] tomorrow starts with a good night's sleep. Just search for Good Sleep in your podcast app and be sure to pick the one from Optimal Living Daily. This is Optimal Health Daily. Is Eating While Standing Up Bad for You by Alina Petre with Healthline.com. And I'm Dr. Neal, your very own personal narrator. Welcome to another edition of Optimal Health Daily. This is one of just a few podcasts in the world where blogs are read to you. And on this show,

[00:00:57] you get the added bonus of hearing my commentary at the end. Oh, and another bonus, on Fridays, I answer your questions. But for now, let's get to today's post and start optimizing your life. Is Eating While Standing Up Bad for You by Alina Petre with Healthline.com. Eating while standing up may have some benefits such as faster digestion and some loss of fat over time.

[00:01:26] However, it may also cause bloating and increase your hunger, which may lead to weight gain. The trends of eating while standing, sitting, and lying down have all had their moments in the spotlight. For instance, eating while lying down was particularly fashionable in ancient Rome and Greece. Since then, sitting down to eat has become the most encouraged posture. More recently, some people have started standing while eating, either as a way to save time or counter a sedentary office job.

[00:01:54] However, others insist that standing while eating may be harmful to digestion and lead to overeating. So, is it good to eat while standing up? The answer is that it depends. This article investigates the available evidence on whether eating while standing up is harmful or beneficial. Standing up may speed up digestion. The posture you adopt while eating can influence your ability to digest food.

[00:02:22] That's because food empties from the stomach more slowly when a person is sitting or lying down compared to when they are standing. The exact reasons why are not fully known, but gravity seems to play a role. A 2017 study also found that eating foods containing protein while sitting upright as opposed to lying down helps the stomach empty faster, helps the body digest protein better, and helps increase the availability of important amino acids in the blood.

[00:02:50] Standing may actually help you lose body fat. Some people believe that standing while eating can help you lose more weight than sitting while eating. According to a 2018 meta-analysis, standing for 6 hours burns about 54 more calories than when sitting, which may seem small, but could lead to a 10kg or 22lb loss of body fat over 4 years in a 65kg or 143lb weighing person.

[00:03:18] If you were to combine standing with eating, you could potentially lose some weight over time while also speeding up your body's metabolism of food. Another way eating while standing up might help you lose weight is by affecting how you perceive the taste of food. A 2019 study found that standing while eating caused participants to prefer fewer foods that are normally pleasant tasting and more foods that they normally find less appealing.

[00:03:44] While the aim of the study was to investigate taste in terms of how it can be used in marketing, the findings could also suggest that standing while eating might make it easier to make healthy food choices. This could be something like vegetables, which some may find less appealing taste-wise as opposed to fatty processed foods, which are popular in the standard American diet. That said, there is no conclusive evidence in this regard. It may leave you feeling hungry. On the other hand,

[00:04:12] there is some evidence that eating while standing might actually make you hungrier. Your body has several different ways to determine whether you're hungry or full. One of them is sensing how much food is present in the stomach. The degree to which your stomach stretches after a meal can let your brain know whether you've eaten enough. The more your stomach stretches and the longer it remains full, the less hungry you're likely to feel. That's why foods that are digested quickly, such as processed carbs,

[00:04:41] tend to leave you feeling hungrier than those that take longer to digest, such as fiber and protein. It may help reduce reflux and heartburn. Acid reflux happens when the contents of the stomach come back up into the esophagus. It's a common symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease, also abbreviated GERD, and can lead to a burning feeling in the middle of the chest, commonly recognized as heartburn. Those with reflux are often advised to stand upright

[00:05:10] and avoid reclining or slouching while eating, as well as for several hours after a meal. That's because reclining or slouching increases pressure in the stomach, making it more likely that food will be pushed back up into the esophagus. In addition, gravity while standing up helps the food move faster through your digestive system. Also, if you must lie down, such as when you go to sleep, it's better to lie on your left side as opposed to on your right side, which can make reflux worse.

[00:05:39] It may cause bloating. Although eating while standing can speed up digestion, this can also lead to poor digestion in some cases, especially when it comes to carbohydrates. Anyone can experience gas and bloating from undigested carbohydrates. However, two groups of people are particularly likely to experience such discomforts. Those who are lactose intolerant or those sensitive to FODMAPs. FODMAPs are a group of foods that can cause gas. Frequently asked questions.

[00:06:10] Why do I always want to lay down after eating? Feeling sleepy and wanting to lie down after eating, especially after a big meal, is also known as a food coma. There isn't a lot of research explaining why it happens, but it may have to do with the type of food you eat, such as high carbs and fat. Recent research suggests that certain proteins involved in cell signaling might play a role as well. How long does it take for your stomach to empty after eating?

[00:06:37] Generally, it takes about one and a half to two hours for food to move from the stomach to the small intestines. Is it bad to eat while walking? Walking while or after eating may interfere with digestion and could lead to an upset stomach in some cases. That said, walking after eating could also speed up digestion. It may also help support healthy blood sugar levels and help protect you from heart disease. Does eating while standing up make you gain weight?

[00:07:05] The way eating while standing could lead to weight gain is by making you hungrier. This occurs because your body digests your food faster. Also, eating while walking could lead to distraction, which might cause you to eat more, even if you're already full. What are the best positions to eat food? Generally, being upright while eating is better for your digestion as it allows gravity to push food through the stomach to your intestines. Also, sitting upright while eating and eating slowly

[00:07:33] also reduce the chance of accidentally choking while swallowing. Summary Research shows that standing while eating may help you break down the food you eat more quickly and may even lead to some fat loss over time. However, it can also cause bloating or worsen hunger, which could ultimately result in added pounds. Those with acid reflux or food sensitivities like FODMAP or lactose are particularly susceptible to digestion problems while standing, especially from carbohydrates.

[00:08:07] You just listened to the post titled, Is Eating While Standing Up Bad for You? by Alina Petrie with Healthline.com and I'll be right back with my commentary. Dr. Neil here for my commentary. This article reminded me of an episode of the very well-known sitcom, I Love Lucy. Lucy and her husband Ricky were all dressed up for a special night out on the town. Lucy's dress was so tight she couldn't sit down, which meant when it came to eating a meal, she had to stand and eat.

[00:08:36] In true gentlemanly fashion, her husband Ricky ate with her while standing too. He said, You know, I've never eaten standing up before. It's kind of fun. Probably good for the digestion. Food goes straight down. It doesn't have to make any turns or anything. Well, based on today's article, Ricky was partly right. Now, if we think about the summary of this article, it really seems like so many behaviors related to health and nutrition and with us saying, well,

[00:09:06] it depends. In fact, I often tell my students that responding to a patient's diet-related question with, well, it depends, is often the best response, at least in the beginning. This is because before we can truly know what works best for someone and their lifestyle, like sitting or standing while eating, we need to ask a lot of questions first. We need to know whether a new diet or any other behavior is likely to help them or harm them.

[00:09:35] When it comes to eating while standing up, truly the answer is, it depends. Based on the research up until this point, it seems that, if you want to try it out, it's unlikely to cause you harm. So, see how you feel. If it suits you and your eating habits, then enjoy. If it doesn't, there's no need to force yourself to eat while standing. Alright, that'll do it for today. Thank you so much for being here. Thank you for sharing this show with someone. I hope you have a great rest of your day and I'll be back here tomorrow as usual.

[00:10:05] So, I'll see you there where your optimal life awaits. in my family knowledge open and what's wrong. How many other elderly equivoir water .