🌿 Folk Prescriptions

Faster modern lifestyles and irregular eating habits increase gastric disease prevalence. As the saying goes: “The stomach thrives on care.” Besides medication, dietary therapy is crucial for gastric patients. Here are three recommended remedies.
One: Yipi Pie
Ingredients and usage: 500g red dates, boiled and peeled. Take 250g of date flesh, 60g chicken gizzard lining, 120g raw Bai Zhu, 60g dry ginger powder. Clean chicken gizzard lining and Bai Zhu, gently dry over low heat, grind into fine powder. Mix with dry ginger and date flesh, crush into paste, form small pies, bake in oven until dry. Store in plastic bag. The pie tastes delicious, suitable as snack or dessert—eat slowly, enjoyed by patients and children alike.
Benefits: Red dates are sweet, warming the spleen, boosting qi and blood. Modern studies confirm they’re rich in protein and vitamin C—protein aids ulcer repair; vitamin C enhances disease resistance. Chicken gizzard lining is sweet and astringent, neutral in nature, strengthens digestion. Bai Zhu tonifies spleen qi, dries dampness, promotes urination. Combined, this formula strengthens the spleen, warms the center, improves digestion.
Indications and contraindications: Suitable only for non-bleeding peptic ulcers diagnosed as spleen deficiency-cold type—symptoms include persistent dull stomach pain, preference for warmth and pressure, reduced appetite, fatigue, loose stools, cold limbs. Not suitable for those with burning epigastric pain, irritability, acid regurgitation, dry mouth, bitter taste—indicative of liver-stomach heat syndrome.
Two: Peach Kernel Porridge
Ingredients and usage: 10g peach kernels, 10g raw Rehmannia. Soak peach kernels, remove skins and tips. Wash both herbs, add water, boil vigorously, then simmer gently. After 30 minutes, remove residue, add 100g rice, cook into porridge. Stir in 2g cinnamon powder (available at pharmacies) and 50g brown sugar. Adjust consistency per taste. Consume 1 small bowl per serving, 3–4 times daily. The porridge is red, glossy, soft, fragrant, and smooth.
Benefits: TCM theory: “Pain arises from blockage; unblocking relieves pain.” Peach kernels activate blood, resolve stasis, lubricate intestines. Raw Rehmannia nourishes yin, clears heat, activates blood. Cinnamon and brown sugar warm blood vessels, relieve pain. Rice is sweet and neutral, tonifies spleen and stomach, contains protein, fat, carbohydrates, calcium, iron, and vitamin B1. Brown sugar provides energy and iron—key materials for blood production. Overall, this formula resolves stasis, unblocks channels, relieves pain, nourishes the spleen and stomach.
Indications and contraindications: Suitable for peptic ulcers after bleeding has stopped or without bleeding, diagnosed as blood stasis syndrome—epigastric pain like needle pricks, fixed location, purple tongue or ecchymosis. Avoid during active bleeding.
Three: Fresh Reed Rhizome Porridge
Ingredients and usage: 100g fresh reed rhizome, 5g green peel, 100g rice, 2 slices ginger. Wash reed rhizome, cut into 1cm segments, combine with green peel in pot, add water, soak 30 minutes, boil vigorously, then simmer 20 minutes. Strain out residue, add washed rice, cook until rice blooms and broth thickens. Add ginger 5 minutes before removing from heat. Consume twice daily, warm. The porridge blends rice’s richness with reed’s fragrance—smooth and refreshing.
Benefits: Reed rhizome clears heat, nourishes yin. Green peel moves qi, relieves pain. Ginger harmonizes stomach, stops vomiting. Rice tonifies spleen and stomach. Together, they clear heat, harmonize stomach, nourish yin, relieve pain.
Indications and contraindications: Ideal for peptic ulcers diagnosed as liver-stomach heat syndrome—epigastric burning pain, irritability, acid regurgitation, dry mouth and bitter taste. Avoid if epigastric pain worsens with cold, prefers warmth, loose stools.