Question about Digestive System

Question

Why is it theoretically impossible to drink a gallon of whole milk in 30 minutes and not vomit? Explain in physiological terms.

Answer 1

The stomach can physically hold about 1L of fluid. It takes 3-5 hours to digest food. Therefore, if you drink a gallon of milk in 30 minutes there is no where for it to go. The only way out is by vomiting.

Answer 2

Hello Alesha,

There could be many reasons why people vomit after drinking a gallon of milk in a short time like 30 minutes including lactose intolerance, or too much Calcium suddenly in the body from the milk that the body cannot handle.

But the real reason is the size of a human stomach and it can only hold about half a gallon (1.9 liters) of anything including milk at a time. When you drink more than that capacity, then, the stretch receptors present in the stomach gets stimulated and causes vomiting.

I hope I have answered your question. If you need any further help with Biology, don't hesitate to contact me.

Thank you,

Geetha

Answer 3

A typical human stomach can hold only half a gallon (1.9 L). There are sensors in the wall of the stomach that detect when the limit is reached and trigger a vomit reflex that reduces the volume of contents in the stomach. Interestingly, it may be easier to drink a gallon of water in a short period of time because the fat and protein in milk may prevent the pyloric sphincter "valve" at the outlet of the stomach from opening and letting the contents pass into the small intestine.