A healthy spleen and stomach are essential for nourishing life.
A healthy spleen and stomach are essential for nourishing life.
During the Song Dynasty, there was a scholar named Qin Guan who suffered from stomach problems for a period of time and was in a bad mood. His friend showed him a painting by Wang Wei and said, "If you look at this painting every day, your stomach problems will definitely get better!" He found it strange that looking at a painting could cure an illness. But he couldn't refuse his friend's request, so he lay in bed every day looking at the painting. Seeing the beautiful scenery of mountains and rivers in the painting and the beautiful poems inscribed on it, his mood improved greatly, as if he were actually there. After a while, his stomach problems were indeed cured.
Wang Wei's poetry and painting could cure stomach ailments-that's almost too miraculous! This relates to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) theory. TCM attributes human emotions and mental functions to the liver; for example, symptoms like depression and irritability are attributed to liver qi stagnation. "The six fu organs function smoothly when their qi flows freely downwards." If "liver qi stagnates" or "liver qi flows in reverse," obstructing the stomach's downward flow and further affecting gastrointestinal motility, it's called "liver qi invading the stomach" or "liver-stomach disharmony," leading to "stomach qi stagnation." This can cause mild symptoms like bloating, or severe symptoms like stomach pain; upward flow of stomach qi can cause belching, acid reflux, nausea, vomiting, and hiccups; qi stagnation transforming into fire can cause heartburn and acid reflux; prolonged qi stagnation and blood stasis can damage the blood vessels, even leading to stomach bleeding. Therefore, renowned physicians throughout history have said: "The liver is the source of disease, and the stomach is the site of disease transmission."
Qin Guan appreciated poetry and painting every day, which improved his mood, smoothed his liver qi, prevented it from affecting his stomach, and naturally cured his stomach ailment.
The stomach problems people commonly refer to generally include gastritis and gastric and duodenal ulcers. Gastritis is a general term for inflammation of the gastric mucosa. It often occurs in people between the ages of 40 and 50, and is more common in men than women. There are many causes of stomach problems, including genetics, environment, diet, medications, bacterial infections, as well as smoking and excessive alcohol consumption.
Generally, common symptoms of stomach problems include: stomach pain, sometimes before meals, sometimes after meals, and sometimes in the middle of the night. The stomach pain may not be severe, but rather a dull, aching, or aching sensation, located between the heart and abdomen; bloating, feeling a fullness in the stomach, indigestion, or gas, a feeling of blockage in the stomach, and difficulty swallowing; acid reflux, frequent acid reflux due to excessive stomach acid, a feeling of stomach acid rising or overflowing; heartburn, caused by congestion of the gastric mucosa and excessive stomach acid, mainly a burning or feverish feeling in the stomach; nausea and vomiting, often experienced by patients with chronic gastritis, especially those with chronic atrophic gastritis, where nausea and vomiting are more prominent; stomach coldness, many stomach patients are afraid to eat cold or chilled foods, or experience stomach pain and diarrhea when the weather turns cold or the temperature drops; loss of appetite, lack of appetite, inability to eat, or seeing food but being afraid to eat it. Listlessness, poor complexion, and poor sleep are common symptoms of stomach problems. Patients often appear unwell, lacking energy during the day and sleeping poorly at night, leading to decreased work efficiency and loss of interest in many things. Weight loss is another symptom; some stomach patients feel their appetite is still good and they can eat, but they still lose weight day by day, indicating poor digestion and inadequate absorption of nutrients. Other common symptoms include bad breath, a bitter taste in the mouth, and a black tongue coating, often accompanied by stomach pain and bloating.
As you can see, stomach problems are very distressing. So what should you pay attention to in your diet if you have stomach problems? You should avoid raw, cold, and hard foods, and eat more millet porridge. Pay special attention to the following points:
1. Eat less fried food: Because this type of food is not easy to digest, it will increase the burden on the digestive tract. Eating too much will cause indigestion and increase blood lipids, which is detrimental to health.
2. Eat less pickled food: These foods contain a lot of salt and some carcinogens, so they should not be eaten in large quantities.
3. Eat less raw, cold, and spicy foods: Raw, cold, and spicy foods have a strong irritating effect on the digestive tract mucosa and can easily cause diarrhea or digestive tract inflammation.
4. Regular meals: Studies have shown that eating regularly, at fixed times and in fixed quantities, can form a conditioned reflex, which helps the secretion of digestive glands and is more conducive to digestion.
5. Eat at regular times and in appropriate quantities: Each meal should be of moderate size, and three meals a day should be eaten at regular times. At the designated time, regardless of whether you are hungry or not, you should eat to avoid being too hungry or too full.
6. Suitable temperature: The temperature of food and drink should be "neither too hot nor too cold".
7. Chew food thoroughly and slowly to reduce the burden on the stomach and intestines: The more you chew your food, the more saliva you secrete, which has a protective effect on the gastric mucosa.
8. Timing of water intake: The best time to drink water is on an empty stomach in the morning and one hour before each meal. Drinking water immediately after meals will dilute gastric juices, and eating rice soaked in soup will also affect food digestion.
9. Take precautions against cold: A cold stomach can impair its function, so it is important to keep your stomach warm and avoid getting chilled.
10. Avoid irritants: Do not smoke, as smoking constricts blood vessels in the stomach, affecting blood supply to the stomach wall cells, reducing the resistance of the gastric mucosa, and inducing stomach problems. Limit alcohol consumption and avoid spicy foods such as chili peppers and black pepper.
11. Supplement with Vitamin C: Vitamin C has a protective effect on the stomach. Maintaining a normal level of Vitamin C in gastric juice can effectively support stomach function, protect the stomach, and enhance its disease resistance. Therefore, eat more vegetables and fruits rich in Vitamin C.
In my country, the proportion of people suffering from stomach problems is quite high. Currently, there are no specific drugs for treatment, making prevention and self-care even more important. So, how can we prevent stomach problems?
First, avoid prolonged mental stress and maintain a cheerful mood. Stomach health is closely related to mental factors. Excessive mental stimulation, such as prolonged tension, fear, sadness, and depression, can cause dysfunction of the cerebral cortex, promote vagus nerve dysfunction, and lead to spasmodic contraction of blood vessels in the stomach wall, thereby inducing gastritis and gastric ulcers. Therefore, it is important to maintain a cheerful mood, an optimistic personality, a strong will, and the ability to extricate oneself from difficulties. At the same time, avoid overwork. Overwork can cause insufficient blood supply to the gastrointestinal tract and disordered gastric mucosal secretion, which can also lead to various stomach problems.
Secondly, a balanced diet is essential. Irregular eating habits, such as eating when hungry and overeating, can cause significant damage. When hungry, the stomach is empty, and the gastric acid and pepsin secreted by the gastric mucosa irritate the stomach lining. Conversely, overeating causes excessive expansion of the stomach wall, resulting in food remaining in the stomach for too long. It is crucial to chew food thoroughly and slowly, allowing it to be properly ground and mixed with saliva in the mouth. This reduces the burden on the stomach and makes food easier to digest.
Secondly, avoid smoking and limit alcohol consumption. Nicotine in tobacco irritates the stomach, delaying the emptying of stomach contents and increasing gastric acid secretion, thus worsening gastritis and gastric ulcers. Drinking alcohol, especially on an empty stomach, is even more harmful to those with stomach problems. The ethanol in alcohol is highly irritating to the gastric mucosa, causing strong contractions and expansions in the stomach, which can easily lead to gastric bleeding or perforation of gastric ulcers, potentially posing a life-threatening risk.
Fourth, avoid drinking strong tea or coffee. Both strong tea and coffee are central nervous system stimulants that can cause gastric mucosal bleeding, secretory dysfunction, and damage to the mucosal barrier through nerve reflexes and direct effects, thus promoting ulcer formation.
Fifth, pay attention to food hygiene. Helicobacter pylori infection is a major cause of gastritis, ulcers, and stomach cancer. It can be transmitted through shared utensils, toothbrushes, and kissing. Therefore, practicing good hygiene, avoiding sharing utensils and toothbrushes with others, and preventing Helicobacter pylori infection can prevent various stomach diseases.
Sixth, avoid indiscriminate use of medications. Many drugs are highly irritating to the stomach, and prolonged use can damage the gastric mucosa, leading to erosive gastritis, hemorrhagic gastritis, and ulcers. Antipyretic analgesics such as aspirin, phenylbutazone, and indomethacin; hormonal drugs such as prednisone and dexamethasone; and antibiotics such as erythromycin should be used strictly according to a doctor's prescription and with caution.
Treating stomach ailments should not involve indiscriminate use of medication, but rather a gradual adjustment through diet. As the saying goes, a healthy stomach is cultivated slowly. Below are some recipes for regulating stomach ailments:
1. Papaya and Carp Tail Soup: Requires 1 papaya and 100g carp tail. First, peel and cut the papaya into chunks. Then, pan-fry the carp tail briefly in oil. Add the papaya and a few slices of ginger, along with enough water to cover, and simmer for about 1 hour. This soup is nourishing and aids digestion. It has a supplementary effect on indigestion and abdominal distension. Papain in papaya helps with food digestion and absorption, and is effective for indigestion, dysentery, stomach pain, gastric ulcers, and duodenal ulcers. Lipase in papaya can break down fats into fatty acids, which is beneficial for the digestion and absorption of fats in food. Papain can also promote and regulate pancreatic juice secretion, and has a therapeutic effect on indigestion caused by pancreatic insufficiency. Carp, sweet in taste and warm in nature, has the effects of warming the stomach, harmonizing the middle jiao, and aiding digestion.
2. Chicken Stew with Astragalus and Lion's Mane Mushrooms: Requires 100g of lion's mane mushrooms, 1 hen (approx. 750g), 10g each of astragalus, codonopsis, and jujubes, and appropriate amounts of ginger slices, scallion knots, Shaoxing wine, chicken broth, and cornstarch. First, wash the lion's mane mushrooms, remove the stems, and after soaking, squeeze out the remaining water to remove bitterness. Then, slice it into 2mm thick pieces. Remove the head and feet of the hen, chop it into cubes, and place it in a stewing pot. Add ginger slices, scallion knots, Shaoxing wine, and chicken broth. Top with the lion's mane mushroom slices and the soaked and washed astragalus, codonopsis, and jujubes. Simmer over low heat until the meat is tender. Season to taste.
Hericium erinaceus, also known as monkey head mushroom, aids digestion and benefits the five internal organs. It is suitable for indigestion, gastric ulcers, duodenal ulcers, chronic gastritis, antral gastritis, stomach pain, bloating, and neurasthenia. Chicken nourishes qi and blood, strengthens the spleen and stomach, treats deficiency, and effectively tonifies the five internal organs. Astragalus membranaceus tonifies qi and strengthens the exterior, promotes wound healing and tissue regeneration, promotes hematopoiesis, and has anti-ulcer and anti-inflammatory effects. Codonopsis pilosula tonifies the middle jiao and benefits qi, nourishes blood and generates fluids. Jujubes strengthen the stomach and nourish blood, providing overall nourishment and strength.
3. Amomum villosum and Astragalus membranaceus with Pork Stomach: Requires 6 grams of amomum villosum, 20 grams of astragalus membranaceus, and one pork stomach. First, clean the pork stomach, then stuff it with the amomum villosum and astragalus membranaceus. Add water and simmer until cooked. Season to taste before serving. This dish can invigorate qi and strengthen the spleen, aid digestion, and stimulate appetite. It is suitable for those with weak spleen and stomach, poor appetite, loose stools, and stomach pain. It can also be used for patients with gastroptosis and chronic gastritis.
4. Chinese Yam and Honey Decoction: Requires 30g of Chinese yam, 9g of chicken gizzard lining, and 15g of honey. First, decoct the Chinese yam and chicken gizzard lining in water to extract the juice, then add the honey and stir well. Take one dose daily, divided into two warm servings. Chinese yam and honey decoction can strengthen the spleen and aid digestion, and is used for indigestion and loss of appetite due to weak spleen and stomach.