It can be embarrassing when your stomach rumbles in public, but it’s a totally natural bodily function. The scientific name for those rumbles or growls is borborygmi, a term invented by the ancient Greeks. We tend to associate stomach rumbles with hunger, but that’s not totally true.

In reality, our stomachs rumble regularly, whether we’re hungry or not. It's just that when the stomach is empty, the noise becomes louder. That’s because when the stomach is full, its contents muffle the sounds.

What actually causes the rumblings? Can certain factors increase stomach rumbling? Should I be worried if the rumblings are intense? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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A podcast written and realised by Joseph Chance.

First broadcast: 19/5/2023

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