Astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla, who returned to India in August 2025 after his historic go to to the Worldwide Area Station (ISS), has gained netizens’ hearts once more. This time, with a fast tutorial on methods to eat in area.
Sharing a enjoyable video on Instagram, the Indian Air Power pilot stated, “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 if you end up consuming in area. If you’re not conscious, you may simply create a multitude…”
Dwelling in area made Shukla be taught survival hacks like “consuming water.” “You may even eat water in area. It’s enjoyable, however you must be actually cautious as issues go throughout,” he quipped within the video.
Shukla found {that a} easy course of referred to as ‘peristalsis’ is liable for digestion in zero gravity. “We don’t want gravity to digest meals. A course of referred to as ‘peristalsis’ is liable for digestion, which is gravity-independent. It’s the contraction and rest of muscular tissues to push meals down via the digestive tract.”
Reiterating Shukla’s statement, Dr Anjana Kalia, Ayurvedic Physician & Nutritionist, agreed that astronauts can face sure distinctive digestive challenges in microgravity.
So, how does digestion in area differ 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 tougher and generally uncomfortable—astronauts name this a “moist burp.”
“This can result in bloating, indigestion, or delicate nausea.” She elaborated that in area, the place gravity is absent, peristalsis turns into much more essential. It ensures that food 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. (Photograph: 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 essential in absorbing vitamins into the bloodstream via specialised constructions referred to as villi and microvilli. These processes rely upon chemical exercise and mobile transport mechanisms, not gravity,” she stated.
This implies that nutrient breakdown and absorption can proceed effectively in area, offered astronauts preserve a balanced eating regimen, Dr Kalia concluded.
DISCLAIMER: This text is predicated on info from the general public area and/or the specialists we spoke to. At all times seek the advice of your well being practitioner earlier than beginning any routine.
