The stomach is an organ of the digestive system , located between the esophagus and the small intestine. Covered with cells that welcome food, it can be affected by various ailments caused by stress or bad eating habits . Let’s find out how to treat it and keep it healthy.

>   Anatomical description of the stomach

>   Natural treatments and therapies

>   Yoga for the stomach

>   Traditional Chinese Medicine

>   Other disciplines for the stomach

>   Curiosities about the stomach

Anatomical description of the stomach

Located between the esophagus and the small intestine, the stomach  is lined with a carpet of special cells that receive food. Food is thermoregulated in the path of the esophagus and then reaches the stomach. In the stomach we find glands that secrete hydrochloric acid and pepsin , juices that attack foods for initial digestion. This organ can be divided into five districts: cardia, fundus, body, antrum and pylorus.

In the stomach there is a dense arterial network that originates from the branches of the celiac trunk; it is innervated by the parasympathetic nervous system (vagus nerve), responsible for stimulating the secretion of HCl and gastrin and controlling gastric motility, and by the sympathetic nervous system (splanchnic nerves originating from the celiac ganglion) which coordinates inhibitory, secretory and motor .

Natural treatments and therapies for the stomach

Stress  or overeating at the table can put a strain on the stomach. If bad eating habits become chronic, pathologies such as dyspepsia, gastritis and gastric ulcer are encountered . Disorders which in turn exacerbate the pain and increase the frequency with which it occurs. Stomach pain can finally have a bacterial origin (for example Helicobacter pylori ). 

In these cases the lactic ferments can help a lot to restore the natural defenses. In case of heaviness in the stomach: red tea and peppermint . Ginger is also a valid ally for the stomach.

The best diet for stomach purification and well-being is a balanced vegetarian diet , that is, conducted with great awareness of all aspects of adequate nutritional intake.

Discover the symptoms and natural remedies to cure stomach acid

Yoga

There are yoga techniques that regulate the functions of the stomach and give new vigor and effectiveness to digestion. In a broader sense, by relaxing the nervous system, yoga also works on the management of anxiety and all those ailments that constitute obstacles to harmonious digestion.

Remember that the stomach before the practice should be empty or at most a light meal 1 or 2 hours before practicing. If you suffer from blood sugar drops , a small handful of dried fruit 30 minutes before practice will suffice.

Traditional Chinese Medicine

In traditional Chinese medicine, the stomach and spleen are defined as “root of the posterior sky” or “origin of transformation and production”: the stomach provides for the absorption, the spleen for the transport and transformation of ingested food. Ren12 , point of the ‘extraordinary’ meridian Ren Mai is often painful in gastric pathologies. In TCM the Stomach can be hit by Void of Yin, attacked by the Liver, it can accept a stasis of Blood or Fire.

In the ideogram associated with the Stomach there is the notion of a bridge , of access to the exterior. Its name is Wei which is the name of a constellation located to the west, the celestial granary , which commands all the granaries and the 5 cereals, therefore the nourishment.

Other disciplines

In plantar reflexology , the stomach is located on both feet : the initial stretch on one foot, just below the channel of reflex points of the esophagus, and the other, final stretch, on the other foot, the right. It is massaged with an unloading motion of the thumb. Together with the spleen , it is included in the Earth’s lodge , an area which is often acted upon when the subject is in a general state of disequilibrium.

Stomach curiosity

Going for a ride in the stomach with Piero Angela is priceless … (Extract from the transmission “La Macchina Meravigliosa” , by Piero Angela, directed by R. Costantini – 1990)