Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, who returned to India in August 2025 after his historic go to to the Worldwide Area Station (ISS), has received netizens’ hearts once more. This time, with a fast tutorial on how you can eat in area.
Sharing a enjoyable video on Instagram, the Indian Air Pressure pilot mentioned, “Consuming and ingesting in area is a problem… By no means thought I must be taught to eat once more… Right here I’m explaining why habits matter when you find yourself consuming in area. If you’re not aware, you may simply create a multitude…”
Residing in area made Shukla be taught survival hacks like “consuming water.” “You’ll be able to even eat water in area. It’s enjoyable, however it’s a must to be actually cautious as issues go throughout,” he quipped within the video.
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Shukla found {that a} easy course of known as ‘peristalsis’ is answerable for digestion in zero gravity. “We don’t want gravity to digest meals. A course of known as ‘peristalsis’ is answerable for digestion, which is gravity-independent. It’s the contraction and rest of muscle tissue to push meals down by means of the digestive tract.”
Reiterating Shukla’s remark, Dr Anjana Kalia, Ayurvedic Physician & Nutritionist, agreed that astronauts can face sure distinctive digestive challenges in microgravity.
So, how does digestion in area fluctuate from digestion in gravity?
Dr Kalia defined that on Earth, gravity helps separate gasoline from liquid within the abdomen, permitting burping to launch extra air. Whereas in area, gasoline bubbles can combine with meals and liquid, making easy burps harder and typically uncomfortable—astronauts name this a “moist burp.”
“This can result in bloating, indigestion, or gentle nausea.” She elaborated that in area, the place gravity is absent, peristalsis turns into much more essential. It ensures that meals and liquid transfer safely from the mouth to the abdomen and thru the intestines, permitting astronauts to eat and digest usually regardless of weightlessness.
Shubhanshu Shukla with fellow astronauts related to Axiom Station. (Picture: Instagram/gagan.shux)
Past peristalsis, what different physiological processes within the human physique are important for digesting vitamins in area?
Dr Kalia shared that a number of processes work alongside peristalsis to make sure correct digestion. As an example, digestive enzymes secreted by the abdomen, pancreas, and small gut break down proteins, fat, and carbohydrates into smaller molecules.
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“Even the bile from the liver helps emulsify fat, making them simpler to soak up. Nevertheless, not many know that the small gut is crucial in absorbing vitamins into the bloodstream by means of specialised constructions known as villi and microvilli. These processes depend upon chemical exercise and mobile transport mechanisms, not gravity,” she mentioned.
This implies that nutrient breakdown and absorption can proceed effectively in area, supplied astronauts preserve a balanced weight-reduction plan, Dr Kalia concluded.
DISCLAIMER: This text is predicated on data from the general public area and/or the consultants we spoke to. At all times seek the advice of your well being practitioner earlier than beginning any routine.
