Why a post-meal walk beats a digestif for better digestion

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The holidays are approaching, and so is the holiday indulgence. After the long feast comes a little shot. But does a shot really help with digestion? An expert says: Yes and no - and recommends another digestion method.

**APA** Goose with crispy skin, sauce, then something sweet: For many, it's not Christmas without a lavish meal. But the pleasure is often followed by the less pleasant feeling of being overfull. "This varies from person to person, but for many, very energy-rich and high-fat food can indeed be heavy on the stomach," says nutritionist Antje Gahl.

So, a shot often comes after dessert - "to clean out the stomach," as the saying goes. But does it really work? "There's no scientific evidence that the digestif shot has the desired effect," says Gahl. While alcohol can stimulate stomach acid production, it can also prevent stomach emptying.

"The feeling that alcohol cleans out the stomach probably comes from its slightly narcotic effect - it just makes the uncomfortable feeling less intense," says Gahl. To really help the full stomach, a digestion walk would be better than a digestif shot. "For the stomach to digest, it needs to produce stomach acid - and movement can stimulate this acid production."

By the way, feeling overfull after eating is unpleasant but not a sign of illness. And it's not always a sign of unhealthy eating. "It's not just fatty, unhealthy foods that can be heavy on the stomach - legumes, for example, can have the same effect," says Gahl. But the unpleasant effect doesn't last as long in this case.

BERLIN - GERMANY: PHOTO: APA/APA/dpa/gms/Silvia Marks/Silvia Marks

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**APA** The APA - Austria Presse Agentur eG is the largest national news and press agency in Austria, based in Vienna. It is owned by Austrian daily newspapers and the ORF.