Indian astronaut Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who is currently on board Axiom Mission 4 (Ax-4) at the International Space Station (ISS), shared insights on how human digestion works in space through an educational video for Indian students back at home.

The new video provides detailed information about how the human body adapts to the peculiar environment.

Earth gravity facilitates food digestion through a natural mechanism known as peristalsis, which is a sequence of involuntary muscle contractions that resemble waves and aid in the passage of food through the digestive tract. However, digestion slows down in the weightless atmosphere of space.

According to Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, the fluid in our bodies moving toward the head and chest can cause discomfort and change how the body absorbs nutrients from food.

Gut health is crucial for overall well-being, to keep our mental health in check, digestion and our body's immune function.

To maintain a healthy gut, good bacteria play a crucial role; however, due to microgravity, the digestion gets disturbed, and so astronauts follow these steps to keep their guts healthy.

Tailored diets: Each astronaut's diet is tailored in order to meet the demands of the individual's body needs. Nonetheless, most meals include a good portion of fibre and fermented food.

Probiotics: In order to support gut health, probiotics are crucial in astronaut meals to grow good bacteria.

Supplements: To ensure astronauts get all the nutrients and minerals, they take extra vitamins and other supplements.

Daily workout: Regular exercise is also encouraged to keep the muscles strong; meanwhile, it aids in food digestion.

Apart from his educational efforts, Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is also carrying out research on how space affects muscle stem cells and their development inside the Kibo laboratory, a science module on the ISS.

His findings in space will not only help the astronaut but also people on Earth who have similar problems due to ageing.