The doctor explained the reasons for drowsiness after eating

Drowsiness after eating is a natural phenomenon, which in medicine is called the specific dynamic effect of food. The body rebuilds itself and spends energy on digestion, so light drowsiness for 1-2 hours after lunch or dinner is considered normal. However, there are conditions in which such a reaction of the body to food intake should alert. Vera Seryozhina, an expert doctor at the LabQuest medical company, told Izvestia about this on August 26.

"Light drowsiness after eating is a normal condition that is associated with the production of endorphins, especially if the food is pleasant and loved. With a balanced diet, after about an hour and a half, this condition passes and the mood improves. This means that the body has adapted and the digestive process is going well," she explained.

According to the doctor, it is worth being wary if there is no feeling of cheerfulness or mild euphoria after eating, and the desire to sleep is constantly observed. You need to pay attention to the diet and check the carbohydrate metabolism. Even after eating a protein meal or a lunch with carbohydrates, blood sugar levels rise. Normally, it should not exceed 7.8 mmol/L. In people with impaired carbohydrate metabolism, for example, with insulin resistance, the fasting glucose level may be higher, and after eating it returns to normal.

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With diabetes, the glucose level increases significantly after eating, the specialist noted. Often people do not notice these changes, especially if they lead an inactive lifestyle and have the opportunity to sleep after eating. Drowsiness in such a situation may seem natural, but over the years, ignoring this symptom leads to the progression of diabetes and complications from it in the form of impaired vision, kidney function, and the nervous system with the risk of such a life-threatening condition as ketoacidosis and coma.

"Another reason for drowsiness is a lack of digestive tract and pancreatic enzymes. If food lingers in the stomach and is poorly digested due to mucosal atrophy due to chronic inflammation, then the body needs more energy to digest food. This happens with atrophic gastritis or chronic pancreatitis. Blood tests for gastropanel and enzymes, as well as ultrasound of the abdominal cavity or EGDS, will help to identify this condition. Chronic conditions are often manifested by drowsiness," Seryozhina noted.

Lack of energy in the body is also observed in hypothyroidism, which is often accompanied by fatigue after eating. In such cases, thyroid hormones should be checked at least once a year.

Drowsiness may be related to food intolerance, the doctor said. The immune system reacts individually to certain foods by producing protective antibodies, considering them foreign. After consuming these products, the body undergoes an immune neutralization reaction with these antibodies, which proceeds with additional energy expenditure, so there is a desire to sleep. The relationship between the product and drowsiness is not always obvious: the reaction may occur with a delay, sometimes after several hours. Intolerance can only be diagnosed by blood tests for antibodies.

Foods that are difficult to digest — fatty dishes, confectionery products that combine fats and carbohydrates, fast food, white bread — often cause drowsiness. Wheat, for example, promotes the production of morphine-like substances that calm the body. Even tonics or sugary drinks first give a surge of energy, and then — a loss of strength.

"Sleeping after eating is not harmful, especially if the body does not have enough energy. A short 20-minute nap after lunch is useful. But if drowsiness recurs after every meal, and not just after a plentiful table, it is worth checking the carbohydrate metabolism. The insidiousness of diabetes mellitus lies in its imperceptible effect on many internal organs, including the thyroid gland, and chronic fatigue after eating is a signal that cannot be ignored," Seryozhina concluded.

On August 10, Melissa Mroz-Planells, a nutritionist and expert at the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told how late meals can affect metabolism and contribute to weight gain. According to her, if we eat late at night, our digestive system doesn't work as efficiently as it does during the day, and this can lead to fat accumulation and even cause weight problems in the long run.

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