Answer
For chemical digestion to take place efficiently, food needs to be broken into small particles. This is the work of chewing --enhanced and completed by the actions of a normal stomach. But the smaller post-bariatric surgery stomach is not capable of performing as effectively as the normal stomach. Therefore, the chewing action of the teeth needs to go on longer to reduce the food to finer particles. Alternatively this can be done by using a mechanical blender or mixer to pulverize the food to a satisfactory consistency.
Work Step by Step
1b. The smaller post-bariatric stomach has a cubic capacity of only a few milliliters. Therefore, it can hold only a few ounces of water at any one time. If water is taken between meals instead of with meals, this will allow the subject to ingest more necessary food ( calories) without precipitating the problem of gastric reflux or regurgitation. Also, drinking of water with food may flush food out of the post-bariatric surgery stomach before complete digestion has occurred.
