Those "Snacks" Between Meals

The stomach does its work best when work­ing under certain well-known conditions. Cheerfulness, contentment, right combinations, proper amounts to be eaten at a meal, thorough mastication, careful preparation of food—all these factors greatly influence the quality and ease of digestion. But the purpose of this study is to deal particularly with the time and fre­quency of eating, and its influence on-digestion.

The stomach is a hollow organ composed of three coats. The innermost being the mucous membrane; the middle, the muscular; and the outer, the peritoneum. Nerves and blood vessels enervate and nourish these coats, particularly the inner two. These nerves control the peris­taltic contractions of the muscular wall and stimulate the secretions of the gland cells in the mucous membrane,

When the stomach is empty these peristaltic contractions of the muscular coat begin. In time they become annoying, and may be called hun­ger pains. The natural thing to do is to eat in order to appease the hunger pains. However, this call for food can be temporarily satisfied by drinking water. This, then, is the thing to do if a full five hours has not elapsed since the last meal.

You may ask, "Why be so careful regarding^-the time I should eat?" The answer is found when we study deeper into the psychology of digestion. We learn that the innermost coat of the stomach, the^- mucous membrane, is com­posed of two chief layers, a deep vascular con­nective tissue stroma, which also contains a thin layer of involuntary muscle and superficial epithelium. This is always kept soft and smooth and well lubricated by the secretions of the cells and numerous glands imbedded in the membrane. These glands secrete the hydro­chloric acid and pepsin and other enzymes. These enzymes are necessary to break down into simpler substances the food we eat. This process of rendering food absorbable by dis­solving it and breaking it down into simpler chemical compounds is known as digestion. When food is eaten these precious enzymes are poured out into the stomach, where it is mixed with the food, and digestion proceeds. These glands store up the enzymes during periods of rest, and release them during periods of activ­ity, when they are called upon to digest food.

This is demonstrable under the microscope. If an animal is killed during gastric rest, and a section of the stomach is prepared and stained for study under the microscope, it is noted that the gland cells are large and distended with enzymes. The cells contain granules and stain darker, oiling evidence of the stored-up en­zymes which those cells elaborate. They are ready, when the call comes, to deliver up their enzymes at the time food is eaten.

However, if the animal is killed immediately following a meal, and a section of the wall of the stomach is prepared and studied under the microscope, the gland cells are seen to have a "washed out" appearance. They look like ghost cells. They are smaller and stain faintly, and are seen to be emptied of their enzymes. Think what this teaches ! It teaches us that we should place food in the stomach only when the di­gestive cells are ready for action. A hungry feeling helps us to know—but we cannot de­pend on feeling entirely. We must know by the clock if sufficient time has elapsed for these cells to have become recharged. Dr. McLester, of the University of Pennsylvania, states that it takes about five hours for an average meal to be digested and leave the stomach. There are many stomachs that empty in less than five hours, but this should not be interpreted as giving permission to eat again within the five-hour limit. For even with rapid stomach empty­ing it takes some time for the stomach gland cells to become recharged with enzymes, and furthermore, the nourishment absorbed is still circulating in the blood stream or stored here and there in the body to be called on when needed. Those with rapid stomach emptying should wait the full five hours. Those with slow emptying should wait longer for the next meal.

It is understood that no one rule holds true for all people under all conditions, but this rule does hold good for the great majority of peo­ple. "At least five or six hours should inter­vene between the meals."—Ministry of Heal­ing, p. 304.

Those who do X-ray work on the stomach and intestines readily observe the truth of this statement by Ellen G. White : "Regularity in eating should be carefully observed. Nothing should be eaten between meals, no confection­ery, nuts, fruits, or food of any kind."—Ibid., p. 384. You will notice that even fruit should not be eaten between meals. Candy especially should be avoided. 

If the stomach retains food longer than it normally should, as a result of eating between meals, the mucous membrane loses its health­ful tone and efficiency, and the mucous mem­brane of the esophagus, mouth, nose, and throat, which are closely related anatomically, share in loss of tone and healthfulness. The whole body responds to the good or bad state of affairs in any one of its organs.