Myths about the body and its complex functions have fascinated humans since time began. Despite medical knowledge achieved through centuries of extensive scientific research, myths about the stomach and its functions have survived. One of the most common is that spicy food and stress cause ulcers. While they may exacerbate the problem, neither food nor stress is actually to blame for the development of an ulcer. A bacteria that lives in the stomach, called Helicobacter pylori, is the actual cause. Another myth is that a growling or gurgling stomach is a sign of hunger. The truth is, these sounds could also be the last bit of a meal working through the peristalsis stage of digestion.

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