When the brain is stressed, vomiting expels partly digested food… it’s a brilliant survival tactic. Your body is making a calculated energy-saving decision or reacting to a threat. Let’s break down why this happens.
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Meaning
This quote reframes vomiting not as a simple malfunction, but as a strategic, purposeful act by your body. It’s either a brain-led energy conservation move or a gut-led protective ejection.
Explanation
Okay, so think about it like this. Your body has a limited amount of energy, right? Digestion is incredibly energy-intensive. If your brain senses a massive stressor—a real “fight or flight” scenario—it decides that energy is better spent on running or fighting, not on finishing that sandwich. So, it hits the eject button. It’s a trade-off.
Now, the gut side of things is even more direct. If you’ve eaten something toxic, or if your gut is inflamed and just can’t handle the workload, it doesn’t wait for a committee meeting with the brain. It just gets rid of the problem. It’s the body’s equivalent of saying, “Nope, not now, not like this.” Two different triggers, one brilliant, messy solution.
Quote Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Original Language | English (translated from German) (39) |
| Category | Education (260) |
| Topics | digestion (6), stress (22) |
| Literary Style | expository (8) |
| Overall Quote Score | 35 (2) |
Origin & Factcheck
This insight comes directly from Giulia Enders’ 2014 book, Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body’s Most Underrated Organ, which originated in Germany. She’s a medical doctor, and this isn’t folk wisdom—it’s a digestible (pun intended) explanation of a real physiological process. You won’t find this quote misattributed to older sources because it’s a very modern, systems-based way of looking at the body.
Attribution Summary
| Context | Attributes |
|---|---|
| Author | Giulia Enders (41) |
| Source Type | Book (4032) |
| Source/Book Name | Gut: The Inside Story of Our Body’s Most Underrated Organ (41) |
| Origin Timeperiod | Contemporary (1615) |
| Original Language | English (translated from German) (39) |
| Authenticity | Verified (4032) |
Author Bio
Giulia Enders is a physician and author who makes gut science vivid and practical. She studied medicine at Goethe University Frankfurt and captivated audiences with award‑winning Science Slam talks before publishing Darm mit Charme, translated worldwide as Gut. She explains how the microbiome influences digestion, immunity, and mood, and offers realistic ways to care for it. Her approachable style, aided by illustrations from her sister Jill, has inspired millions to rethink everyday health. For her major titles and translations, see the Giulia Enders book list.
Where is this quotation located?
| Quotation | When the brain is stressed, vomiting expels partly digested food in order to save the energy required to complete the digestive process. When the gut is stressed, partly digested food is ejected either because it is toxic or because the gut is currently not in a position to digest it properly |
| Book Details | Publication Year: Revised edition ~2018; ISBN-13: 978-1771643764; ~293 pages |
| Where is it? | Bookmate quotes. :contentReference[oaicite:6]{index=6} |