Dietary Therapy for Gastric Ptosis
Gastric ptosis is a common digestive disorder among middle-aged and older adults, more prevalent in women than men. It results from laxity of gastric ligaments or reduced gastric wall tone. TCM attributes it to deficiency of central qi and sinking of qi. Mild cases may show no obvious symptoms, but severe cases often present with emaciation, bloating, nausea, belching, irregular upper abdominal pain worsening after meals, relief when lying down, and constant splashing sounds in the abdomen. Some patients may also experience dizziness, fatigue, and palpitations. After diagnosis, the following dietary therapies may be used:
One: Pork Stomach and Astragalus Soup
【Ingredients】1 pork stomach, 200g Astragalus, 30g Tangerine Peel. 【Method】Remove fat and membranes from pork stomach, wash thoroughly. Wrap Astragalus and Tangerine Peel in gauze, place inside the stomach, tie tightly with thread. Add water and simmer gently until stomach is cooked. Add seasoning, eat warm stomach and drink soup, divide into four portions consumed over two days. Five stomachs constitute one course. 【Efficacy】Astragalus is a key herb for tonifying qi; Li Shizhen called it “the foremost tonic herb,” especially effective in boosting qi and lifting yang to treat organ prolapse. Tangerine Peel regulates qi, strengthens the spleen, harmonizes the center, and eliminates stagnation. The *Sui Xi Ju Food Spectrum* states pork stomach “tonifies the stomach and benefits qi.” This soup tonifies central qi, strengthens the spleen and stomach, moves qi stagnation, and relieves pain—highly effective for gastric ptosis due to central qi deficiency and spleen-stomach weakness.
Two: Pig Spleen and Jujube Rice Porridge
【Ingredients】2 pig spleens, 10 jujubes, 100g rice. 【Method】Wash and slice pig spleens, stir-fry lightly in a pan. Add jujubes and rice, add water, cook into porridge. Sweeten with sugar as needed. Consume on an empty stomach, once daily. One course lasts half a month. 【Efficacy】Pig spleen strengthens the spleen and aids digestion; jujubes harmonize the stomach, nourish the spleen, invigorate qi, and calm the center; rice replenishes stomach qi and nourishes gastric fluids. Together, they form a porridge highly effective for recovering from emaciation, epigastric fullness, poor appetite, and fatigue caused by gastric ptosis.
Three: Lotus Seed and Yam Porridge
【Ingredients】1 pork stomach, 50g lotus seeds, 50g yam, 100g glutinous rice. 【Method】Remove fat and membranes from pork stomach, wash and chop finely. Crush lotus seeds and yam, mix with glutinous rice in a pot, add water, simmer gently into porridge. Consume twice daily, every other day. One course lasts ten days. 【Efficacy】Pork stomach is a key ingredient for tonifying the spleen and stomach; yam, lotus seeds, and glutinous rice tonify central qi and nourish stomach yin. With strengthened spleen and stomach, central qi becomes robust, allowing prolapsed organs to return to normal.