This is an excellent depiction of how dense the vasculature of the human face is. Literally all of the nutrients we get from our diet ends up circulating in our bloodstream. After a meal, your stomach acid increases to aid in food breakdown and to kill any potential pathogens. During this production of hydrochloric acid (HCl) by the gastric parietal cells, they also secrete bicarbonate ions across their basolateral membranes into the blood, temporarily causing a rise in blood pH (basicity). To compensate for this change, your breathing rate is decreased in order to retain carbon dioxide and keep the blood pH normal. This decrease in breathing rate is believed to be responsible for why we become tired after eating a big meal. This is also a part of the reason why over-eating, eating processed foods and fast food – all of which require more stomach acid than normal – are linked to attention deficit disorder (ADD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and overall sluggishness.
Photo credit: Menzel Photography
This research was published in the U.S. National Institutes of Health’s National Library of Medicine (NIH/NLM).
Davis C. York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Curr psychiatry Rep. 2010 Oct;12(5):389-95.
Written by Student Doctor Navpreet Singh Badesha
