I’m sure there’s a factual answer to this, but I’m finding conflicting info. What I’ve come up with is that the stomach holds about a quart and, if challenged, can hold up to one gallon. Does this sound about right? I would think that at the gallon mark, there would be danger of a rupture or, at least, vomiting. Nathan’s hotdog and other eating competitions would suggest otherwise. This “came up” when my recovering bulimic friend claimed that she would end up with almost a gallon in her tummy before purging (sorry, folks!) which led to my disbelief and internet searches. Can anyone come up with more solid facts than I? And, also, don’t bulimics and competitive eaters get closer and closer to ruptures/weakening of stomach walls as they continue these behaviors? Look at a balloon that has been inflated and deflated many times. Yikes!
Well a stomach is not like a rubber balloon, humans heal [as long as they are not dead…]
No idea about the size of a stomach though. I had an acute kidney infection in 97. Ate a small normal breakfast at 5 am. A cup o soup for lunch, and about 1 cup of rice congee for dinner at about 7 pm. When the nausea hit at about 9 pm, between then and 2 am when I finally got taken to the hospital I had vomited about a gallon total into the 5 gallon stock pot I had put by the bed to hurl into. I have NO idea where it all came from. I think I hurled everything I had eaten for a week [it felt like I was going to hurl my toenails, I had been vomiting so much and so long by that point in time]
I don’t know the answer right off either but Chief Pedant provided me with this link a while back in response to a different question and I’m sure the answer is the there. I haven’t digested (hah!) all the information there yet but it’s very informative. I’ve gone back to it several times now.
Not everyone can handle a gallon… that’s why most people vomit when you challenge them to drink a gallon of milk in a short period of time. A few people can, but most will chuck it back up.