TRADITIONAL Chinese medicine offers advice for tummy troubles common in the hot, humid season. Zhang Qian reports.

Stomach problems are common for many people, especially hard-working and stressed urban professionals. Hot, humid weather makes people feel worse, often causing loss of appetite.

Long hours, irregular meals, poor nutrition and stress can trigger various stomach problems, such as indigestion, pain, bloating, gas, diarrhea and other unpleasantness.

A healthy lifestyle - regular, moderate meals, good nutrition - is important in recovering from stomach problems, especially chronic ones. Certain foods and acupressure may help relieve symptoms.

According to a survey released last month, the body of an average Chinese is 8.2 years older than his or her chronological age. The survey by Ping'an Insurance, a major insurer, covered 6,000 people aged 18 to 64 in 57 cities across China. Results indicate that men's health condition is generally worse than women's and that people working in IT, advertising, media and business consulting - all high stress - scored very low in both physical and mental health.

Weakened digestive systems may be a factor in widespread "subhealthy" conditions today, according to Dr Tang Zhipeng, head of the Stomach and Spleen Department of Longhua Hospital attached to Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

"TCM holds that stomach and spleen (the digestive system) are the root of acquired constitution, providing the nutrition we need for growth and activities," Dr Tang says. Insufficient nutrition due to a poorly functioning digestive system may adversely affect other organs and result in a generally poor constitution.

An irregular eating schedule - missed meals, late meals, meals on the run - often triggers stomach problems, while stress from work and home can aggravate the situation.

"My stomach is stuck possibly due to my over-eating" is a common statement by young patients, according to Dr Cai Wei, associate chief physician of the Gastroenterology Department of Yueyang Hospital attached to Shanghai University of TCM.

"Eating nothing or suddenly eating a lot is not unusual for young people who do intensive work and may have long, flexible, irregular hours," Dr Cai says. "This is very bad for the stomach, which prefers timely, proper meals."

Gas and loss of appetite are common symptoms of occasional, temporary indigestion, but chronic stomach inflammation may be result from long-term bad eating habit. Chronic inflammation is at the top of the list, in terms of patient numbers, at the Gastroenterology Department. These people usually suffer frequent stomach pain and other discomfort.

Brain-gut axis

Another major factor undermining young people's digestion is "omnipresent psychological pressure," according to Dr Tang.

"Huangdi Nei Jing" ("The Medical Classic of the Yellow Emperor") says that "over-thinking" usually causes energy stagnation in the spleen (digestive system), which can damage overall health and the digestive system.

In Western medicine, the link between stress and stomach problems is sometimes described as the "brain-gut axis."

"It's usually bidirectional," Dr Tang says. "Psychological pressure can lead to poor digestion, while a poorly functioning digestive system often results in a bad mood and more nervousness."

Working on difficult problems while eating is a bad habit and it's also not recommended to hold important work discussions or negotiations at dinner or lunch. Working lunches may be efficient, but over time they take a toll.

Yang wei (nourishing the stomach) is a common term for stomach treatment in TCM, since stomach problems usually cannot be cured instantly with medication, but require long-time "nourishment" for full recovery. Thirty-percent treatment and 70-percent nourishment is considered the TCM principle for stomach recovery.

Nourishment in TCM requires a healthy diet schedule and wise choice of food. Eating at around the same time every day is a must.

In TCM, the stomach needs a yang ("warm" energy) and dry environment, not excessive yin ("cold" energy) and damp. People with stomach problems should avoid cold environments and cold (temperature) foods such as iced drinks and ice cream.

They are tempting in summer but some people should avoid them or partake only sparingly.

Though coarse-grain food is a popular health food, it doesn't benefit a sensitive stomach. Foods that are soft, easy to digest, and warm in temperature are recommended. These include noodles, congee and mantou or Chinese bread.

Fried foods and seafoods are hard to digest. Spicy food, alcohol and coffee are too stimulating for the stomach and beans often lead to gas.

Congee is widely recommended for treating stomach problems, but Dr Tang says too much congee, which is metabolized quickly, isn't a good idea. He recommends a balanced diet with less fat and grease, cooked to a softer-than-usual consistency.

"Congee makes people feel full fast, but they quickly feel hungry again. Congee alone cannot provide needed nutrition," Tang says.

TCM also recommends some foods and herbs such as pearl barley, lotus seeds, yams, jujube, fu ling (poria cocos, a medicinal fungus) and dang shen (codonopsis pilosula, which is milder and less costly than ginseng).

Regular rubbing on certain acupuncture points like zhong wan and zu san li also helps, according to Dr Cai.

Papaya and grass carp tail soup

Ingredients: 1 papaya, grass carp tail (100g), ginger slices to taste

Preparation:

1. Peel and chop papaya.

2. Quickly pan-fry carp tail.

3. Combine ingredients in sauce pan with water.

4. Add ginger to taste.

5. Cook for an hour on low heat.

Benefits: Nourishes stomach, aids digestion, treats indigestion and gas.

Ginger congee

Ingredients: Ginger pieces (3g), rice (60g)

Preparation:

1. Cook decoction with ginger and water.

2. Filter decoction and make congee with rice.

Dose: Eat 1-2 times daily.

Benefits: Warms stomach, relieves stomach ache related to internal cold.

Acupressure

Note: Cun is a traditional Chinese unit of measurement representing the width of a person's thumb at the knuckle. It is usually considered to represent 3.3cm.

Zu san li

Location: Knee, 3 cun below outer sunken point

Technique: Rub hard spot with thumb.

Benefits: Helps relieve pain, distention, diarrhea, vomiting.



Zhong wan

Location: Upper abdomen on anterior midline, 4 cun above the center

Technique: Covers zhong wan with palm, rubs clockwise direction around 30 times, then repeat counterclockwise.

Benefits: Helps relieve numerous symptoms including indigestion, pain, vomiting, distention, diarrhea and insomnia.