Peristalsis The natural involuntary wave-like muscle contractions that move food through the digestive tract
Food enters the esophagus, a muscular tube about 10-13 inches long that connects the throat to the stomach (Cleveland Clinic, 2022b). Food is propelled down the esophagus by rhythmic contractions of circular muscles in the wall of the esophagus. These contractions are called peristalsis. Peristalsis also helps break up food into smaller and smaller particles. Think of it as squeezing a marble through a rubber tube. This small ball of food is called a “bolus.” The bolus passes down the esophagus through the lower esophageal sphincter, a muscle that relaxes and contracts to move food from the esophagus into the stomach. The lower esophageal sphincter works like a gatekeeper into the stomach. Normally, it allows only a one-way movement. When a person experiences heartburn, the lower esophageal sphincter has mistakenly allowed stomach acid contents to shoot back up into the esophagus (Mayo Clinic, 2018). This backflow of stomach contents is also called reflux or “heartburn.” Heartburn actually has nothing to do with the heart. It acquired its name because the discomfort sufferers feel is close to the position of the heart (American Heart Association [AHA], 2018). In addition, the body can purge unabsorbed food components by vomiting.
The stomach has three digestive tasks. The first of these tasks is to be a muscular organ that holds about one liter of food (Cheng,
Putting it
into Practice Refer to the Supplemental Materials for answer.
1. One of the clients in the dining room seems to always develop a cough after each meal, but it subsides between meals. Today he seems to really be under the weather, and he feels a little warm. What might be the problem?
Nutrition Fundamentals and Medical Nutrition Therapy