Modern people eat everything, yet their stomachs haven't become stronger as a result; on the contrary, they've become increasingly fragile. Many people enjoy calling friends and family together for a late-night meal to reward their tired bodies. Little do they know that this is not a good time to replenish nutrients; "the better you eat, the more your stomach suffers." So, how can one take good care of their stomach?
I. Avoid Mental Stress
When a person is tense, upset, or angry, these negative emotions can spread from the cerebral cortex to the limbic system, affecting the autonomic nervous system. This directly leads to gastrointestinal dysfunction, causing excessive secretion of gastric acid and pepsin, contraction of gastric blood vessels, pyloric spasm, delayed emptying, and damage to the gastric mucosal protective layer, resulting in self-digestion and ulcer formation.
II. Avoid Overexertion
Whether it's physical or mental labor, excessive fatigue can cause insufficient blood supply to the gastrointestinal tract, disrupt secretory function, lead to excessive gastric acid and reduced mucus, and damage the mucosa. Modern people eat everything, yet their stomachs haven't become stronger as a result; on the contrary, they've become increasingly fragile. Many people enjoy calling friends and family together for a late-night meal to reward their tired bodies. Little do they know that this is not a good time to replenish nutrients; "the better you eat, the more your stomach suffers."
III. Avoid Excessive Drinking
Alcohol itself can directly damage the gastric mucosa. It can also cause cirrhosis of the liver and chronic pancreatitis, which in turn aggravates the damage to the stomach.
IV. Avoid Compulsive Smoking
Smoking can cause the blood vessels of the gastric mucosa to constrict and reduce the synthesis of prostaglandins, which are protective factors for the mucosa. Smoking can also stimulate the secretion of gastric acid and pepsin, exacerbating the damage to the mucosa.
V. Avoid Irregular Eating Habits
When hungry, the high concentration of gastric acid and pepsin in the stomach, with no food to neutralize them, can easily lead to the self-digestion of the mucosa. Overeating, on the other hand, can damage the stomach's self-protection mechanisms; excessive expansion of the stomach wall and prolonged food retention can also contribute to gastric injury.
VI. Avoid Unhygienic Food
Infection with *Helicobacter pylori* is a significant cause of stomach and duodenal ulcers. In patients with ulcers, the detection rate for this bacterium is as high as 70%-90%. However, the bacterium also disappears after the ulcer is cured. Ulcer patients can transmit the infection through close contact such as tableware, dental utensils, and kissing. Unclean food is also one of the causes of infection.
VII. Avoid Overeating at Dinner
Some people tend to concentrate a day's nutritional intake in their dinner, or they enjoy late-night snacks or eating something before bed. This practice not only leads to poor sleep and can cause obesity but can also stimulate the gastric mucosa to secrete excessive gastric acid, inducing ulcer formation.