Certain messenger chemicals released by the body when we are full can also stimulate the areas of the brain responsible for tiredness. This tiredness is perhaps inconvenient for our brain when we are at work, but the small intestine welcomes it. It works most effectively when we are pleasantly relaxed. It means the optimum amount of energy is available for digestion and our blood is not full of stress hormones. The phlegmatic after-lunch reader is a more efficient digester than the stressed-out office executive.
