Kumquat: Can regulate qi, relieve depression, resolve phlegm, reduce bloating, and sober up. "Bencao Gangmu" describes it as "promoting qi flow and relieving chest oppression." "Sui Xi Ju Yin Shi Pu" also states: "Orange awakens the spleen, repels foul odors, resolves phlegm, and aids digestion." For either qi-stagnation or food-stagnation type bloating, it is advisable to drink kumquat as a decoction or as an infusion. It is a common practice to make kumquat cakes, and chewing one or two pieces when bloated is recommended.
Buddha's Hand: Can regulate qi, resolve phlegm, and also aid digestion and sober up. "Ben Jing Feng Yuan" says it "specifically breaks stagnant qi." "Ben Cao Bian Du" also notes: "Buddha's hand, its function is to regulate qi and relieve chest oppression." "Sui Xi Ju Yin Shi Pu" also claims it can "awaken the stomach, clear phlegm, repel evil, sober up, aid digestion, and relieve pain." Therefore, for anyone with bloating, whether caused by qi-stagnation or food-stagnation, it is advisable to use 12-15 grams of fresh Buddha's hand or 6 grams of the dried product, steeped in boiling water as a tea.
Areca Nut: Can descend qi and reduce bloating, and also aid digestion and sober up. "Yong Xin Fa" states: "Areca nut, its bitterness breaks stagnation, and its pungency disperses pathogens; it specifically breaks stagnant qi and directs it downward." "He Lin Yu Lu" once pointed out: "People in the Lingnan region drink areca nut as tea; it can sober up the intoxicated. Chewing it after drinking alcohol relieves qi, disperses phlegm, and resolves the discomfort. It can make the full feel hungry; eating it after a meal makes food pleasant and easy to digest." It is suitable for those with bloating due to qi-stagnation or food-stagnation. However, areca nut is ultimately a substance that breaks and consumes qi, making it suitable only for strong individuals for short-term consumption. [China Cuisine]
Radish: Can strengthen the stomach and aid digestion, and also promote qi flow and relax the middle jiao. "Si Sheng Ben Cao" records: "For anyone who has overeaten, chewing it raw and swallowing will aid digestion." "Ben Cao Gang Mu" also states: Radish "is very effective for treating acid regurgitation, resolving food stagnation, and detoxifying alcohol." It is evident that radish is especially suitable for those with bloating due to food stagnation. It can be consumed as a juice or as a decoction. Besides fresh radish, radish seeds, radish leaves, and old radish roots, when decocted in water, are also suitable for those with bloating from food stagnation.
Coriander: Has the effect of aiding digestion and promoting qi descent. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is often used to treat food stagnation. Cui Yuxi's "Shi Jing" calls it "regulating food and descending qi." "Shi Liao Ben Cao" says it "greatly aids digestion, increases appetite, treats intestinal wind, and can be eaten with hot cakes." "Ri Yong Ben Cao" also believes coriander "aids digestion and transforms qi, and relieves stagnation in the large and small intestines." Therefore, it is especially suitable for those with bloating from food accumulation.
Green Vegetables: Can promote the smooth flow of the intestines and stomach, and are suitable for those with bloating from either qi-stagnation or food-stagnation. Green vegetables are rich in vitamins and dietary fiber, which can stimulate gastrointestinal motility, promote urination and bowel movements, aid digestion, and relieve abdominal bloating and discomfort.
Cowpea: Contains a large amount of dietary fiber and vitamins, has a digestive-aiding effect, and is especially suitable for those with bloating from food stagnation. "Sichuan Ben Cao Zhi" records: "Cowpea strengthens the spleen and stomach, aids digestion, and treats food stagnation and bloating." Chengdu's "Common Herbal Medicine Treatment Manual" also introduces a treatment for food stagnation bloating and belching: "An appropriate amount of raw cowpea, chewed finely and swallowed, or pounded into a paste and soaked in cold water to drink."
Hawthorn: Can resolve food stagnation, especially meat stagnation. "Dian Nan Ben Cao" says: "It resolves meat stagnation and descends qi." "Ri Yong Ben Cao" also states: "It resolves food stagnation, moves stagnant qi, strengthens the stomach and widens the chest, and eliminates blood stasis and qi masses." "Ben Cao Gang Mu" also records a case of a neighbor's child who had bloating from food stagnation, with a distended abdomen like a drum. After eating hawthorn until full, he returned home and vomited a large amount of phlegm and water, and his illness was cured. Therefore, those with bloating from food stagnation should eat more hawthorn.
Bayberry: Can harmonize the stomach and aid digestion. The Tang dynasty food physician Meng Shen believed bayberry "harmonizes the five organs and can cleanse the intestines and stomach." The modern "Chinese Medicinal Plant Atlas" also states: "It is effective for treating heart and stomach qi pain." "Quan Zhou Ben Cao" records a formula: "For gastrointestinal bloating, use bayberries pickled with salt. The longer they are pickled, the better. When using, take a few and soak them in boiling water to drink."
Hops: Can strengthen the spleen and aid digestion, and is suitable for those with bloating from indigestion. It is a common folk practice to use 10-15 grams of hops, steeped in boiling water as a tea, which is effective for bloating from qi-stagnation or food-stagnation.
Perilla Leaf: Is a condiment and can detoxify from fish and crab, and has the effect of regulating qi and reducing bloating. "Ri Hua Zi Ben Cao" calls it "for heart and abdominal bloating and fullness." "Ben Cao Gang Mu" states: "Perilla leaf moves qi and widens the middle jiao." "Ben Cao Hui Yan" also says it "disperses cold qi, clears lung qi, widens middle jiao qi, calms fetal qi, resolves stagnation qi, and transforms phlegm qi; it is a divine medicine for treating qi disorders." Therefore, it is especially suitable for those with bloating from qi-stagnation. It can be used by decocting 10 grams of perilla leaf in water, or steeping it in boiling water as a tea.
Amomum Fruit: A commonly used aromatic condiment in folk medicine, it can move qi, harmonize the stomach, and reduce bloating. It is suitable for those with epigastric and abdominal distension and loss of appetite. The Ming dynasty Li Shizhen said it "regulates original qi, opens the original qi, disperses cold and resolves bloating and distension." It is especially suitable for those with bloating from qi-stagnation, particularly cold-bloating after being exposed to cold. 3-5 grams can be used daily, pounded, and decocted in water. Or it can be steeped in boiling water as a tea.
Cardamom: An aromatic stomach-strengthening condiment, it can move qi, warm the stomach, aid digestion, widen the middle jiao, and reduce bloating. Its effects are similar to Amomum Fruit. For those with bloating from qi-stagnation or food-stagnation, 3-5 grams of cardamom can be decocted in water as a tea. In addition, those with bloating should also eat barley malt, carrots, orange peel, sword beans, Chinese cabbage, celery, water spinach, winter melon, bottle gourd, tomato, bitter melon, fennel, xiebai (Allium macrostemon), orange, and tea.
2、Foods to Avoid
Those with bloating should avoid glutinous rice, jujubes, longan pulp, lotus seeds, malt sugar, soy milk, onions, soybeans, Euryale ferox seeds, buckwheat noodles, brown sugar, white sugar, as well as Astragalus root, Polygonatum root, Atractylodes root, Ginseng, and Licorice root.