Why do stomachs make noises when they're hungry?

Question

Why do stomachs make noises when they're hungry?

Answer 1

The noise stomachs make is called scientifically as borborygmi .

Borborygmus (plural borborygmi) (from Greek βορβορυγμός) also known as stomach growling or rumbling is the rumbling sound produced by the movement of gas through the intestines of animals, including humans. The word borborygmus is an onomatopoeia for this rumbling.

The "rumble" or "growl" sometimes heard from the stomach is a normal part of digestion. It originates in the stomach or upper part of the small intestine as muscles contract to move food and digestive juices down the gastrointestinal tract and functions as a sort of intestinal "housecleaning". Sometimes it occurs as part of the migrating myoelectric complex.

Although this muscle contraction happens whether or not food is present, rumbles are more common after the animal has gone several hours without eating. This may be why a "growling" stomach is often associated with hunger.

Rumbles may also occur when there is incomplete digestion of food that can lead to excess gas in the intestine. In humans this can be due to incomplete digestion of carbohydrate-containing foods including milk and other dairy products (lactose intolerance or the use of α-glucosidase inhibitors by diabetics), gluten (protein in wheat, barley, and rye) (celiac disease), fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, and high-fiber whole grains. In rare instances, excessive abdominal noise may be a sign of digestive disease, especially when accompanied by abdominal bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea or constipation. An example of a disease that may be associated with this symptom are carcinoid tumors.

It is thought that some borborygmi can be treated with the ingestion of olive oil, allowing the fatty acids to decrease the muscular contractions of the intestines

Answer 2

It has been long known that when your stomach "growls," it means your hungry. Well, there’s more behind it.



"A hormone called ghrelin stimulates appetite and makes your stomach growl."



This is a quote from Mehmet Oz, MD. He is referenced in the article I provided as a source. The hormone ghrelin is secreted by the stomach and its functions include hunger on a time-based schedule. It signals to you when you are hungry and when you are not. The amazing part about this hormone’s schedule is that it directs you to meal time without you even knowing it. For the normal person, it will recognize that you are hungry in the morning, a few hours later for lunch, a few hours later for dinner, and maybe a snack later on. So in order to tell you that your hungry and send the proper notifications throughout the body, your stomach will start to growl.



Now ultimately, this isn’t good. If you wait until your stomach starts growling, then you’re waiting too long between meals. Your body is running out of calories (fuel) to burn and will start to eat at itself. This turns into catabolism. In contrast to anabolism, where your body is burning necessary calories as fuel for the body, the body doesn’t have anything to burn, so it goes into catabolic mode. That’s why anorexic people are always referred to as being catabolic, because their bodies have eaten away at themselves. Bodybuilders seem to experience ghrelin calling more than just three times a day.



For a more scientific explanation of how the hormone works with the brain and how it reacts with different neurological functions, visit this article online. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/article...



Hope this helped.



Sources: http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/six-w... http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/satter17...