Acute Food Retention After Overeating: Digestive Insights for Holiday and Dinner Indigestion

Modern medicine views acute digestive conditions as an abrupt disturbance in bowel function. When overeating overburdens the stomach, digestive enzymes are not secreted adequately, resulting in dyspepsia. In addition, binge eating accelerates insulin secretion to cause a blood sugar spike, which increases inflammatory responses in the body. When acute food retention occurs, gastric and intestinal motility pauses, leading to abdominal distension, abdominal pain, and nausea. Psychological stress affects the autonomic nervous system, which can result in hypofunction of digestive capacity, and abnormal reactions in the endocrine system may also occur. For prevention, maintaining the balance of the digestive organs through modest portions, regular meals, and light post-meal walking is important. Supporting the intestinal environment with adequate hydration and consuming foods rich in probiotics is also beneficial.