The Second Stomach: Why Do We Always Have Room for Dessert?

21st March, 2019

You’re bursting at the seams. You’re so full you’ve had to undo your trousers’ button as discretely as possible. But then the waiter offers you some crème caramel and you find you miraculously have room left after all. Most of us can testify to what some call the “Dessert stomach”, so the team at our rooftop restaurant in Valletta - deRobertis - have decided to take a look at reasons for this phenomenon!

Your Stomach is Stretchable

We’re not sure whether this is a good or bad thing, but your stomach is a flexible organ. Glucose, or sugar in sweet foods, stimulates a relaxation reflex that expands your stomach and reduces the sensation of being full.

Sensory Boredom

One of the factors that contribute to how much we eat is the variety of different foods available; when presented with a variety of foods, we consume more than if we were served bigger portions of the same thing. Although we may find a food particularly pleasurable when we initially start eating, this pleasure wears off as our sensory system is overloaded with the food's flavour. Then you are presented with a dessert and satiety signals are overridden by the pleasing anticipation of the new sensory experience, which includes a different taste as well as texture and appearance.

So there you go - this sensory-specific satiety explains why we always seem to have room for dessert, no matter how full we are after the main course! So why not share a dessert with someone and find the right balance between abstaining from sugar and having too much of it!

Come over to our stylish rooftop restaurant in Valletta, deRobertis!

Tease your tastebuds with a scrumptious starter, move on to a mouth-watering main course, and break the flavour experience with one of our delicious desserts! If you’re looking for a restaurant in Valletta where your different senses are catered to, look no further than deRobertis.