How the Stomach Becomes Sick
Gastritis is a disease that occurs as a result of inflammation of the membrane lining the inner surface of the stomach. It is also called stomach inflammation or stomach catarrh.
Predisposing causes: Heavy meals, excessively dry or hard foods, pastries, sweets, spicy and hot foods, alcohol, drinking too much tea and coffee, smoking, irregular mealtimes, eating quickly without chewing, taking too much medication, febrile illnesses, liver or gallbladder diseases, heart diseases, or rheumatism.
Before starting treatment, it is necessary to identify the cause of the disease.
Symptoms: Stomach pain, nausea or vomiting, headache, loss of appetite, sudden fever, dizziness, a white coating on the tongue, and fatigue are seen. Pain is also felt when pressure is applied to the stomach. These symptoms increase especially in the spring and autumn months.
Treatment: Diet and rest are essential. The causes that led to the disease are eliminated. Light foods are eaten. Medications such as aspirin are not used. Meals are eaten slowly and with thorough chewing.
With this summary, we aim to help you better understand the basic relationships of your own complaints and to help you ease any symptoms that may arise. This short introduction, written about the functions of the stomach, will explain to you why proper nutrition will be beneficial. The practical recommendations and adaptations you'll find here will make your daily life easier.
THE STOMACH – A DIGESTIVE ORGAN
After food is mechanically broken down by the teeth in the mouth and softened with saliva, various events take place in the stomach. Here, the food is mixed further, protein digestion begins, and finally, this resulting food puree is pushed through into the intestine. The stomach's secretory glands produce an average of about 1.5 liters of gastric juice every day, composed of water, hydrochloric acid, protein-breaking enzymes, and a coarse mucus. Thanks to the stomach's acid, microbes taken in with food are partially killed.
In addition, the stomach mucosa produces another substance called intrinsic factor, necessary to obtain vitamin B12 from food. Vitamin B12 is a vitamin that also has important functions in blood formation.
Gastric juice is secreted when needed. The production and secretion of gastric juice is managed via the senses of taste and smell, the vegetative nervous system, and hormones. Excitement, stress, and anger affect the stomach. The expressions "to hit someone in the stomach" or "to sit heavy on the stomach" are not without reason. The stomach is a sensitive, multifunctional "digestive pre-processor." When the stomach's functions are restricted, the burden on the digestive organs that come into play afterward increases, because they cannot take on all of the stomach's functions.
HOW DOES THE STOMACH BECOME SICK?
The inner surface of the stomach is covered with a protective mucosal layer that prevents this organ from digesting itself. Factors that continuously irritate it and lead to increased hydrochloric acid production can damage this mucosal layer. This stage is followed by acute inflammation, or, if the causes are not eliminated, chronic inflammation. Acute inflammation of the stomach mucosa can occur as a result of spoiled food, various medications (such as pain relievers containing salicylic acid, as in the case of aspirin, or cortisone), alcohol, or other diseases or injuries. Stomach inflammation manifests itself as a vague feeling of discomfort in the upper abdomen, or as nausea and vomiting.
When certain medications must be used long-term, and other factors such as stress, smoking, improper nutrition, or other factors are added to the mix, the inflammation can become chronic. As a result, the stomach mucosa shrinks to the point where it can no longer fulfill its functions.
Inflammation of the stomach mucosa can also be linked to the Helicobacter pylori bacterium. This microbe can be found on many foods. Helicobacter pylori, which appears acutely and is "an unexpected travel souvenir," is not only resistant to the stomach's acidic environment, but also continuously stimulates the stomach's acid production, subjecting the stomach mucosa to constant irritation. This bacterium also plays a role in the formation of stomach ulcers, which have other causes as well.
For more comprehensive information about digestion, I recommend you take a look at my books "Discover Life, Discover Detox, The Emotional Brain-Gut Connection, Beautiful Happy Healthy, and Living to 100 Is Possible."
In my next article, I will address the topic of "Proper Nutrition in Gastritis."