At parties and buffets we eat standing up; when there's no time – even on the go; during an illness or simply in front of the TV – half-reclining. Are we harming our health by doing this? We are looking into it together with a specialist.
What Happens If You Eat Lying Down
This is how the ancient Romans and Greeks preferred to do it. In those days hedonism – living for pleasure – was in fashion. So the ancients did not even strain themselves to eat – they lay down and lazily put piece after piece into their mouths.
Scientists say that lying on the left side makes it easiest to indulge in gluttony: the pressure on the lower part of the stomach eases, and this relieves the unpleasant feeling of being overstretched. One could eat more. And even more. But for modern people who watch their weight and nutrition, such an effect is hardly likely to be beneficial.
Another theory is connected with the physiology of digestion. Thus, some scientists believe that when food is eaten lying down, the rate at which food is removed from the stomach into the small intestine slows down, so dietary carbohydrates are broken down and absorbed into the blood more slowly than when we are sitting. This makes it possible to reduce the risks of a sharp, spiking entry of glucose from food into the blood, which prevents sharp fluctuations in blood sugar levels and the release of insulin.
However, there is also a danger. Lying down during and after eating sharply increases the risk of stomach contents being thrown back into the esophagus with the development of reflux disease – abbreviated as GERD. Against the background of GERD, there is heaviness in the stomach, heartburn, belching, and an increased risk of inflammation and even a precancerous condition of the esophagus. Therefore, those who are prone to reflux disease should not only avoid eating lying down – they can only lie down 2-3 hours after eating.
Sitting or Standing – That Is the Question
Although there is much talk today about how modern people sit too much and are too inactive, and that a sedentary lifestyle provokes serious health problems, not a single study to date has confirmed that eating standing up is more advantageous and beneficial than eating sitting down.
Yet eating while sitting is healthier, if only because in a sitting position we chew our food more slowly and thoroughly, without hurrying, which leads to faster satiety and prevents overeating. This helps to better control weight.
Eating standing up does not provoke any negative effects on digestion; doctors have no prohibitions against such a way of eating. Moreover, standing expends more energy, since more of the body's muscles are working – about 50 kcal more per hour than when sitting, so some believe that for weight control it is even healthier.
It turns out that you can eat in any position, as long as you are comfortable and have no health problems.
This is a question of your choice, taste, and personal convictions and considerations. The only important thing is not to overeat and to chew your food thoroughly
