Waking up before dawn, rushing with the crowd to squeeze onto buses and subways, fighting the clock to work at the office, grabbing a quick lunch, and often working overtime... This war-like life takes a toll on people's digestive systems first—many white-collar workers suffer from issues like acid reflux, belching, and bloating. Due to poor dietary management and overindulging, their stomach conditions often worsen. Hua Xin, a nutritionist at the Nutrition Department of Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, says that stomach problems are mainly managed through care, with dietary therapy being the most important part.
Many office workers, in a hurry in the morning, take bread straight from the fridge and eat it without toasting it. Nutritionist Hua Xin explains that staples like bread slices and steamed bun slices are carbohydrates. Eating them this way often stimulates gastric acid secretion, worsening acid reflux. However, toasting them before eating can have a "stomach-nourishing" effect. This is because a gelatinized layer forms on the toasted bread and bun slices. This substance can neutralize gastric acid, inhibit its secretion, and protect the gastric mucosa. "This is an ancient dietary therapy method, mainly suitable for patients with chronic superficial gastritis, and it is also applicable to most people with poor gastrointestinal health."
In addition, Hua Xin reminds everyone to pay attention to the following points: first, be mindful of the toasting; toast until it is orange-red or golden, but do not burn it, as the drawbacks would outweigh the benefits. Second, for those with poor digestion, it's not advisable to eat too many toasted bread or bun slices at once; 1-2 pieces each time is sufficient. Third, toasted bread and bun slices do not have to be eaten while hot; letting them cool slightly is also fine. Lastly, this dietary therapy method is only suitable for mild stomach conditions, such as chronic superficial gastritis. If it progresses to atrophic gastritis, one must see a doctor and cannot rely on this method alone.