Gastritis is an acute or chronic inflammation of the gastric mucosa caused by various factors, often accompanied by epithelial damage, mucosal inflammatory response, and epithelial regeneration. It ranks among the most common digestive system disorders.
Eating is an essential daily activity. Precisely because we consume food every day, maintaining gastric health is crucial. Poor habits like irregular meals and excessive cold intake have left our stomachs battered and bruised.Both acute and chronic gastritis lurk within us, waiting for an opportunity to strike. So, for these two entirely different types of gastritis, does Traditional Chinese Medicine offer any effective treatments? Let's take a look!
Gastritis is inflammation of the gastric mucosa caused by various factors. Based on clinical characteristics, it can be classified into acute gastritis and chronic gastritis.
Clinical Manifestations of Acute Gastritis
Acute gastritis is an acute inflammation of the gastric mucosa caused by different factors. Clinically, it is classified into simple gastritis, erosive gastritis, corrosive gastritis, and suppurative gastritis based on different causes and pathological changes. Among these, acute simple gastritis is the most common, which can be caused by various factors such as chemical agents, physical stimuli, stress, and bacteria.
Acute gastritis is characterized by sudden onset and variable symptom severity. Common manifestations include upper abdominal pain, decreased appetite, nausea, and vomiting. Additional symptoms may include diarrhea, chills, and headache. Severe cases may present with fever, dehydration, acidosis, and shock. The disease course is generally brief. With appropriate treatment, dietary adjustments, and removal of the causative factor, recovery typically occurs within a short period.
Nutritional Management Principles
Nutritional management for acute gastritis primarily involves dietary adjustments to reduce gastrointestinal burden, avoiding foods that irritate the gastric mucosa, and protecting the stomach lining.
1. Address the Underlying Cause
Provide symptomatic treatment and bed rest. Temporary fasting is recommended for patients with severe vomiting, abdominal pain, or diarrhea.
2. Replenish Fluids
Significant fluid loss from vomiting and diarrhea necessitates ample hydration to alleviate dehydration and accelerate toxin elimination. Consume lukewarm water or diluted fruit juice at 100–150 ml per hour. Warm rice water, thin lotus root starch soup, or lightly salted water may also be consumed in moderation.
3. Provide Light Liquid or Low-Residue Diet
During acute episodes, offer liquid diets to rest the stomach, such as rice water, lotus root starch, red date soup, or almond tea. Gradually introduce milk, egg drop soup, and steamed egg custard as symptoms improve.As the condition improves, transition to mild, low-residue semi-liquid foods like rice porridge, lean meat congee, preserved egg congee, egg drop congee, noodle soup, or small wontons.During the recovery phase, transition to low-residue soft rice dishes like steamed white rice, steamed buns, bread, mantou, or steamed sponge cake. Easily digestible options like fish, shrimp, meat broth, and finely chopped low-fiber vegetables are also suitable. To minimize gastric irritation, prioritize cooking methods such as steaming, boiling, braising, blanching, and stewing.
4. Avoid gas-producing foods during the acute phase
Such as milk, soy milk, and sucrose; exclude coarse-fiber vegetables like celery, leeks, and onions; avoid hard-to-digest fried foods and pickled/smoked fish or meat;Avoid all alcoholic beverages, ethanol-containing drinks, and carbonated beverages. Refrain from consuming extremely hot or cold foods and pungent seasonings like hot tea, hot beverages, cold drinks, chili peppers, curry, vinegar, mustard, and pepper.
5. Eat small, frequent meals
Have 5-7 meals daily, keeping portion sizes modest to minimize gastrointestinal burden.
Sample Meal Plan
Breakfast: Rice porridge (25g rice), steamed egg custard (50g egg), 2 slices salted bread (50g flour), 15g pickled vegetables.
Snack: Lotus root starch drink (200ml, 25g starch).
Lunch: Soft rice (100g rice), steamed fish (125g grass carp).
Snack: Almond milk 200ml.
Dinner: Rice porridge (rice 50g), steamed egg pancake (egg 50g, flour 100g), braised tofu 150g.
Snack: Fresh orange juice 250ml (fresh orange juice 150ml, water 100ml).