We often encounter such situations in our life: stomachache and discomfort when the cool wind blows or eating cold food; stomach bloating and loss of appetite after eating a little more… This is likely to be a manifestation of weak stomach function.
Stomach is an organ that “one-third depends on treatment and seven-fold depends on nourishment”. Proper daily maintenance can also reduce the burden on the stomach and reduce the risk of disease. But there are some misunderstandings about nourishing the stomach, and many people are recruited!
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Three misunderstandings about nourishing the stomach, too many people are recruited
With the deepening of medical science, many people know that eating less and eating more meals and drinking more porridge may not necessarily nourish the stomach, and it varies from person to person. But some friends have fallen into other misunderstandings about nourishing the stomach. For example:
Abstain from spicy food to nourish the stomach?
In the concept of many people, nourishing the stomach = light diet = no spicy food, which is actually wrong.
First of all, a light diet refers to less oil, less salt and less sugar, not abstaining from spicy food; secondly, peppers, green peppers, etc. are rich in capsaicin, and proper consumption can speed up gastric peristalsis and blood circulation, and promote the secretion of gastric mucus, which has a certain Repair the function of gastric mucosa.
That is to say, eating a small amount of spicy food has a certain effect of nourishing the stomach. However, for people who already have stomach diseases, there are many inflammatory injuries or wounds in the stomach, so try to eat less spicy food to avoid the stimulation of capsaicin from aggravating the disease.
Eating alkaline water and soda biscuits can nourish the stomach?
Some people like to eat soda biscuits and alkaline water when they have acid reflux, which can alleviate symptoms such as acid reflux, so many people often eat it to nourish their stomachs. This is mainly because the surface of soda biscuits and alkaline water are alkaline, which can neutralize stomach acid, but cannot nourish the stomach.
For healthy people, eating soda biscuits often may reduce the acidity of the stomach environment, which is not conducive to killing bacteria, but it is easy to increase the risk of disease.
For people with high gastric acid levels and symptoms of acid reflux, if they blindly use alkaline foods such as soda crackers to suppress symptoms, it is easy to delay the disease.
Stomach-warming means nourishing the stomach?
Stomach cold and stomach deficiency are common stomach discomforts, so in the impression of many people, warming the stomach is equal to nourishing the stomach, but in fact this is also a misunderstanding. For example:
Black tea is warm in nature and has the effect of warming the stomach, but the tea polyphenols in it have astringent properties and have a certain stimulating effect on the stomach; and there is caffeine in the tea, which has the effect of promoting the secretion of gastric juice. Therefore, most patients with stomach problems are not suitable for drinking tea.
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4 dietary principles + 3 foods
Healthy “step to the stomach”
Once you step into the misunderstanding of nourishing the stomach, it is likely that the more you nourish it, the more “injured” it will be. So how do we properly care for our stomachs? Cocoa summarized 4 dietary principles + 3 kinds of food for everyone.
4 dietary principles
Meal pattern
As long as a person eats, the stomach will secrete gastric acid to digest the food. If the three meals are regular, the gastric acid secretion will be relatively normal. This is equivalent to ordering from the factory, and the factory will produce as much as we need.
If the three meals are irregular and there is no fixed time for gastric acid secretion, it is easy to break the normal state of balance, resulting in excessive or too little gastric acid secretion, thereby causing indigestion, acid regurgitation, heartburn, gastric erosion, gastric ulcer, etc. disease.
Therefore, it is necessary to develop the living habit of regular and quantitative three meals, and eat only 70 to 80% full at each meal, which will help to make the pacemaker cells of the stomach and the secretion of gastric acid to form a regular pattern, so that the function of the stomach is more coordinated, thereby To achieve the purpose of nourishing the stomach.
Chew slowly
Gastric acid secretion is divided into cephalic phase, gastric phase and intestinal phase. Among them, the amount and acidity of gastric acid secreted in the cephalic phase are high, and the content of pepsin is also high. Chewing slowly can increase the secretion of gastric acid in the first stage and promote food digestion.
And eating slowly, it can also allow enough time for the signal of fullness to be transmitted to the brain, avoiding the burden of eating and increasing the gastrointestinal burden.
Generally, it is advisable to chew about 20 times per mouthful of food, and the elderly and those with bad teeth should increase the number of times appropriately.
A bowl of soup before dinner
Many people like to drink soup with meals, but if you drink too much, it will dilute the concentration of gastric acid, which is not conducive to food digestion; and drinking soup after a meal is equivalent to further filling the stomach on the basis of fullness, which will weaken the stomach. Peristalsis, affecting digestion.
It is more recommended to drink a bowl of light vegetarian soup before meals. On the one hand, it is equivalent to adding “lubricant” to the digestive tract of the mouth, throat, esophagus, and stomach, so that food can be swallowed smoothly and prevent dry and hard food from stimulating digestion. On the other hand, it can also stimulate gastric acid secretion, which is conducive to food digestion and absorption.
And drinking soup before meals can also occupy a certain amount of stomach capacity, help control calorie intake, and is also good for stabilizing blood sugar after meals.
Don’t drink alcohol
The stomach is the main absorption site of alcohol, and the gastric mucosa is stimulated by alcohol, which is easy to cause inflammation. Studies have found that people who drink 100 to 150 grams a day and who have been drinking for more than 10 years have an incidence of gastritis as high as 60%; chronic alcoholism, 80% suffer from gastritis; Cause bile reflux gastritis. [1]
3 foods to help nourish the stomach
Like taro and yam are well-known foods that help strengthen the spleen and stomach; pumpkin is rich in pectin, which can bind and eliminate bacterial toxins and other harmful substances in the body, reducing gastric mucosal damage. But in addition, Cocoa recommends 3 delicious “stomach-protecting ingredients” for you:
Gumbo
The pectin and galactan contained in okra can help digestion, treat gastritis and gastric ulcer, and protect the skin and gastric mucosa. The mucin secreted by it has the function of protecting the stomach wall, and promotes the secretion of gastric juice, improves appetite, and improves indigestion embolism.
【Tips】The okra that is lighter in color, smaller in size, harder and more fluffy is of better quality. If you want to blanch the water when cooking, it is recommended to blanch the whole root before cutting into sections, which can reduce the loss of nutrients.
Hericium erinaceus
Hericium erinaceus has a saying of “mountain treasures Hericium erinaceus, seafood bird’s nest” since ancient times. It was also mentioned in the program that Hericium erinaceus can improve the transformation rate of lymphocytes and the effect of white blood cells, thereby improving immunity.
In addition, Hericium erinaceus contains a variety of amino acids and rich polysaccharides, and studies have shown that Hericium erinaceus mycelium polysaccharides and fruiting body polysaccharides have a good protective effect on gastric mucosa [2], and have a good effect on gastritis, gastric ulcer, etc. Diseases have certain benefits.
Cabbage
Cabbage is the third best food recommended by the World Health Organization, known as “natural stomach medicine”, it is rich in vitamin U, which is an anti-ulcer agent, not only can repair the wounded gastric mucosa , Promote gastric ulcer tissue regeneration, but also keep gastric cells active and reduce the risk of gastric lesions.
It should be noted that: food can only play a role in auxiliary maintenance, and it is necessary to pay attention to the appropriate amount, and if there is a disease, it is necessary to seek medical treatment in time, and actively treat it.
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Appropriate exercise + good mood
It is also the two “magic weapons” for protecting the stomach
Stomach can be said to be one of the organs most closely related to diet, so many people think that stomach protection can only start with eating and drinking, but in fact, proper exercise and maintaining a good mood are also the two “magic weapons” for stomach protection.
Exercise therapy: enhance gastric motility and promote digestive juice secretion
Exercise is the “good medicine” for nourishing the stomach. Appropriate exercise can strengthen the peristalsis of the gastrointestinal tract, promote the secretion of digestive juice, strengthen the digestion and absorption function of the gastrointestinal tract, and relieve the process of inflammation. [3]
Exercise also helps to improve the blood circulation of the gastrointestinal tract, strengthen the defense mechanism of the gastrointestinal mucosa, and especially has a positive effect on promoting the healing of peptic ulcers.
【Suggestion】Generally, simple housework such as washing dishes, sweeping the floor, or standing against a wall can be done after meals, while exercise such as walking and brisk walking should be done at least half an hour after meals.
Mood Therapy: Improve mood, protect stomach health
In life, I often hear people say, “I can’t eat my food because I’m so angry”, “I’m so angry that my stomach hurts”, etc. In fact, the stomach and emotions are indeed closely related.
The stomach is known as the “second brain of the human body” and is one of the most emotionally affected organs. Data show that 57% to 70% of patients with functional dyspepsia are accompanied by emotional abnormalities.
Depressive emotions such as anxiety, depression, and fear often lead to low gastrointestinal motility, which can easily lead to discomfort such as loss of appetite, belching, hiccups, early satiety, and fullness. Lead to gastrointestinal hyperdynamic response, causing gastric acid secretion, increased gastrointestinal motility, inducing gastritis, gastric ulcer, gastroesophageal reflux, etc.
[Suggestion] When you are in a bad mood, you can relieve yourself by exercising, shouting, listening to music, etc. You can also eat nuts, whole grains, deep-sea fish and other foods rich in B vitamins, which will help improve your mood.
【Four Flowers Tea】
Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the liver controls the flow of fluids and is the valve of emotional regulation, especially spring is a good time to nourish the liver. Therefore, Guo Rongjuan, vice president of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine Oriental Hospital, brought us a tea recipe for soothing the liver and regulating qi.
[Recipe] 3g each of rose, wild chrysanthemum, Chinese rose, and white plum, soak in water instead of tea.
[Efficacy] Roses, Chinese roses, and white plum blossoms can soothe the liver and regulate qi, and chrysanthemum can not only soothe the liver and regulate qi, but also clear the fire of the heart and liver. This recipe is very suitable for irritable people, but it is not suitable for people with spleen and stomach deficiency.
(I am the official WeChat account of a big doctor)