Gastric/Stomach Emptying Rate

ercarta
ercarta Posts: 74 Member
edited December 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
Gastric emptying begins roughly 30 minutes after eating a meal. Carbs and proteins break down the quickest.

A high gastric emptying rate can lead to blood sugar spikes, insulin surges in the body to counter the sugar, and ultimately rapidly stored fat.

Do you have any pro-tips to slow stomach emptying and prevent blood sugar spikes?

Go!

Eric

Replies

  • cathipa
    cathipa Posts: 2,991 Member
    Consume more foods high fiber foods (i.e. vegetables, berries, whole unrefined grains and beans) and avoiding refined processed sugars/foods.
  • cathipa
    cathipa Posts: 2,991 Member
    Consume more foods high fiber foods (i.e. vegetables, berries, whole unrefined grains and beans) and avoiding refined processed sugars/foods.
  • ercarta
    ercarta Posts: 74 Member
    puffbrat wrote: »
    ercarta wrote: »
    puffbrat wrote: »
    Is something that is actually an issue for you or just something you read and are concerned about?

    It’s an issue for all of us.

    I actively try to manage it and I’m wanting to learn if others who do the same are doing it better is all.

    Currently, I consume soluble fiber with all meals, seek out foods with a low glycemic index when I can, and consume 16oz of cinnamon tea a day.

    All of which require a great deal of attention and are exhausting to keep up.

    Whaddya got?

    I'm not a medical expert, but what you're describing sounds like normal bodily function for digestion processes. This shouldn't actually be a problem unless you have a medical condition such as diabetes. Any fat gain or storage from this process alone will be insignificant. If you are concerned about avoiding fat gain or losing fat, you need to eat in a calorie deficit.

    Appreciate the feedback. You and I may be on opposite ends of the spectrum. That’s good on you!

    I’m about 55lbs overweight and in my late 30s. While I’m not yet pre-diabetic, as it might be. It is still a concern for me. I prefer to stay on offense with respect to managing my blood sugar. I do this in tandem with managing my caloric intake.

    Eric
  • L1zardQueen
    L1zardQueen Posts: 8,753 Member
    Protein like beef and pork are super filling for me. I had steak for dinner last night and still feel full today. Ugh
  • ercarta
    ercarta Posts: 74 Member
    pinuplove wrote: »
    Weight loss and the concurrent benefits from it are 100% achievable with no manipulation of gastric emptying required. I'm also in my late 30s and was 55 pounds overweight. Now I'm not, and I never gave a thought to gastric emptying. You say all the things you're doing require a great deal of attention and are exhausting to keep up with. We're saying, it's not really necessary. Joy!

    Awesome! Noted, thanks all. 🙏🏼
  • Susieq_1994
    Susieq_1994 Posts: 5,361 Member
    Unless you have a motility issue than you are overthinking it. Dumping syndrome is a real issue but not what you are describing at all.


    I have gastroparesis (delayed gastric emptying) and it is horrible and definitely something that you don't want to have. It also really messes up with your blood sugar levels.

    Symptoms of delayed gastric emptying: nausea, vomiting, severe upper abdominal pain, early satiety, no appetite, gas, heart burn, indigestion, etc, etc. It's a serious medical condition.

    @singingflutelady A bit off topic, but could you tell me how you were diagnosed? I'm going through these exact symptoms right now and I'm thoroughly miserable. I saw a GI specialist who wasn't sure what was going on and said the problem should pass on its own, but I have a gastroscopy scheduled in case it doesn't... And I'm not sure if sticking a camera into my stomach will show what's happening. Is there any light at the end of the tunnel? :(
  • Keto_Vampire
    Keto_Vampire Posts: 1,670 Member
    Generally many diabetics have a fast gastric emptying rate

    Although I do agree OP possibly seems to be over analyzing/focusing too heavily on one aspect of diet, some dietary means to slow GER (gastric emptying rate) are eating a blend of macros (fats & protein with carbs, no snacking on high carb foods), adding fiber into the equation/complex carbohydrates vs. simple carbs, and eating solid foods (vs. liquids). There are other factors but they are really overkill (i.e. pH of foods). Probably more practical to just focus on total daily kcals and carbohydrate management & control glycemia

    There are many drugs that can both speed up & slow down GER; commonly for diabetics, the Glucagon Like-1 Peptide Agonists (liraglutide, exenatide, dulaglutide, albiglutide, semaglutide) will slow down transit time. Consult your MD first; generally a 2nd line therapy after metformin for type 2 diabetics
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    edited April 2019
    @Susieq_1994 The usual diagnostic test is a 4 hour gastric emptying study (ges). You eat radiated eggs and they scan you at 0h, 1h, 2h, and 4h to see how much of the radiation is still in your stomach. Normal is less than 10% left at 4 hrs so if you have a higher percentage left that's when they usually diagnose you. The test isn't bad just long and boring.
  • Susieq_1994
    Susieq_1994 Posts: 5,361 Member
    @Susieq_1994 The usual diagnostic test is a 4 hour gastric emptying study (ges). You eat radiated eggs and they scan you at 0h, 1h, 2h, and 4h to see how much of the radiation is still in your stomach. Normal is less than 10% left at 4 hrs so if you have a higher percentage left that's when they usually diagnose you. The test isn't bad just long and boring.

    Thank you very much! I'll talk to the specialist about options if the gastroscopy doesn't turn anything up (I'm just not sure how it could, when my stomach has to be entirely empty for the test, so I've been worrying about it). Still kinda hoping it will just go away somehow...
  • COGypsy
    COGypsy Posts: 1,368 Member
    @Susieq_1994 The usual diagnostic test is a 4 hour gastric emptying study (ges). You eat radiated eggs and they scan you at 0h, 1h, 2h, and 4h to see how much of the radiation is still in your stomach. Normal is less than 10% left at 4 hrs so if you have a higher percentage left that's when they usually diagnose you. The test isn't bad just long and boring.

    Thank you very much! I'll talk to the specialist about options if the gastroscopy doesn't turn anything up (I'm just not sure how it could, when my stomach has to be entirely empty for the test, so I've been worrying about it). Still kinda hoping it will just go away somehow...

    @Susieq_1994 The trick to using the gastroscopy is not that your stomach has to be empty...it's that you can't have eaten for 12 hours (or whatever that time span is, I don't recall offhand). When they were diagnosing my gastroparesis, I went in for the scope and when I woke up, they asked me if I'd really eaten banana on a salad. I had......two days before.

    If you've done the fasting required for the procedure and they find food in your stomach, then they can decide to either make the diagnosis based on that finding or refer you for the GES.
  • Susieq_1994
    Susieq_1994 Posts: 5,361 Member
    COGypsy wrote: »
    @Susieq_1994 The usual diagnostic test is a 4 hour gastric emptying study (ges). You eat radiated eggs and they scan you at 0h, 1h, 2h, and 4h to see how much of the radiation is still in your stomach. Normal is less than 10% left at 4 hrs so if you have a higher percentage left that's when they usually diagnose you. The test isn't bad just long and boring.

    Thank you very much! I'll talk to the specialist about options if the gastroscopy doesn't turn anything up (I'm just not sure how it could, when my stomach has to be entirely empty for the test, so I've been worrying about it). Still kinda hoping it will just go away somehow...

    @Susieq_1994 The trick to using the gastroscopy is not that your stomach has to be empty...it's that you can't have eaten for 12 hours (or whatever that time span is, I don't recall offhand). When they were diagnosing my gastroparesis, I went in for the scope and when I woke up, they asked me if I'd really eaten banana on a salad. I had......two days before.

    If you've done the fasting required for the procedure and they find food in your stomach, then they can decide to either make the diagnosis based on that finding or refer you for the GES.

    Thank you, this is helpful too! I've definitely been feeling like I still have food in my stomach 12 hours later lately. :( I've been told to stop eating solid food at midnight the day before the procedure, and it's going to be at 7.30 PM the next day, so I have a very long fast ahead of me before it. This does give me some hope, though!
  • rheddmobile
    rheddmobile Posts: 6,840 Member
    ercarta wrote: »
    I’m type 2 and frequently take my blood after meals. My experience has been that gastric emptying is not a large factor in how high my blood sugar spikes, only when it spikes. Glycemic index is also baloney as far as I’m concerned (and there are some studies which agree) since individual response to different foods varies quite a bit. For example, both white and brown rice might as well be poison to me, while others have little difficulty with them.

    If you’re concerned about insulin resistance as someone who is not diabetic or prediabetic, regular exercise and not being obese are the two things with the largest effect that are under your control. You should not be concerned about gastric emptying - that is seriously majoring in the minors.

    Thanks for the input. Both my mother and grandmother had diabetes and it was rough. The constant management, the incontinence, dizziness, and blackouts, etc.

    I’m a little paranoid I admit but most folks here seem to agree with you. I’m going to put more emphasis on a calorie deficit going forward.

    All the best!

    Eric

    It’s quite reasonable not to want to have a debilitating chronic illness which greatly increases your risk of all kinds of mortality and side effects! But it doesn’t have to be as bad as you have seen - my diabetes is controlled by diet and exercise. After losing weight to a normal BMI and increasing my fitness, with a reasonable amount of care I don’t need glucose lowering medication - so no more than a normal person’s chance of blackouts or dizziness due to low blood sugar - and my glucose stays within a healthy person’s range, which greatly reduces my chance of nerve damage. As far as management, I do count carbs and test my blood sugar frequently, but it’s not that much more trouble than it would be to keep track of any healthy, reasonable diet. Thanks to my poor decisions in the past, I will always be diabetic, and have to work to keep my diabetes at bay. With any luck you can avoid it.

    If you have a familial disposition to diabetes, strength training three times a week and at least half an hour daily of sweat-inducing cardio is your best bet, as far as current medical knowledge goes, to ward it off. Exercise improves your cells’ ability to utilize glucose. And regular activity is a good prescription for anyone, unlike playing about with your digestive system.

  • ercarta
    ercarta Posts: 74 Member
    ercarta wrote: »
    I’m type 2 and frequently take my blood after meals. My experience has been that gastric emptying is not a large factor in how high my blood sugar spikes, only when it spikes. Glycemic index is also baloney as far as I’m concerned (and there are some studies which agree) since individual response to different foods varies quite a bit. For example, both white and brown rice might as well be poison to me, while others have little difficulty with them.

    If you’re concerned about insulin resistance as someone who is not diabetic or prediabetic, regular exercise and not being obese are the two things with the largest effect that are under your control. You should not be concerned about gastric emptying - that is seriously majoring in the minors.

    Thanks for the input. Both my mother and grandmother had diabetes and it was rough. The constant management, the incontinence, dizziness, and blackouts, etc.

    I’m a little paranoid I admit but most folks here seem to agree with you. I’m going to put more emphasis on a calorie deficit going forward.

    All the best!

    Eric

    It’s quite reasonable not to want to have a debilitating chronic illness which greatly increases your risk of all kinds of mortality and side effects! But it doesn’t have to be as bad as you have seen - my diabetes is controlled by diet and exercise. After losing weight to a normal BMI and increasing my fitness, with a reasonable amount of care I don’t need glucose lowering medication - so no more than a normal person’s chance of blackouts or dizziness due to low blood sugar - and my glucose stays within a healthy person’s range, which greatly reduces my chance of nerve damage. As far as management, I do count carbs and test my blood sugar frequently, but it’s not that much more trouble than it would be to keep track of any healthy, reasonable diet. Thanks to my poor decisions in the past, I will always be diabetic, and have to work to keep my diabetes at bay. With any luck you can avoid it.

    If you have a familial disposition to diabetes, strength training three times a week and at least half an hour daily of sweat-inducing cardio is your best bet, as far as current medical knowledge goes, to ward it off. Exercise improves your cells’ ability to utilize glucose. And regular activity is a good prescription for anyone, unlike playing about with your digestive system.

    I appreciate you @rheddmobile. These are great insights. I surely intend to internalize them.

    I can see I’m going to continue taking jabs for my original post until this thread dies off though. 😐
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