There are different opinions about where to start when people are old. In ancient China, Huangdi Neijing, an authoritative work of traditional Chinese medicine, realized more than 2,000 years ago that people always start from the stomach. With the growth of age, our gastric mucosa naturally began to shrink and thin, showing a state of chronic gastritis. Gastric peristalsis also weakened. Even if you eat your favorite food, you will still feel undigested after 6 ~ 7 hours, and you will often feel bloating. In this sense, to delay aging, we must start with the maintenance of the stomach. Wei, Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jiangsu Provincial Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Let's discuss the advantages and disadvantages of gastric acid first: Although gastric acid is an attack factor, we should not think that it leads to pantothenic acid and ulcers when it is mentioned. In fact, gastric acid plays the role of the patron saint of the stomach more often. Gastric acid can not only digest food, but also prevent the spoilage and fermentation of stomach contents. It is an indispensable component in gastric juice. The balance between aggressive factors and protective factors in the stomach is very important. A balanced stomach is a healthy stomach. So is stomach acid. With the increase of age, gastric acid secretion will decrease. The secretion of gastric acid is reduced, and the mucus that protects gastric mucosa and prevents gastric acid erosion is also reduced, thus causing inflammation. Stomach acid decreases, and eating meat is prone to indigestion. The decrease of gastric acid makes the absorption of vitamin B and magnesium worse. When gastric acid decreases, the sterilization ability will also decrease, which is prone to food poisoning. As a countermeasure, eating plums before meals can promote gastric acid secretion. Old people will also lose their appetite because of decreased gastric acid secretion. Eating foods rich in citric acid before meals can promote the secretion of gastric acid and make eating fragrant. Also note that when you see a doctor, you take antacids, such as Losec and Oak. Be sure to ask about the course of treatment. You can't keep buying and taking it just because it was effective at that time. Generally, the course of treatment of antacids is 2-3 weeks, and severe ulcers may take 2-3 months or even longer, depending on the doctor's advice. Otherwise, unprincipled long-term use will lead to the above-mentioned problem of low gastric acid. Assisted dietotherapy for gastric acid deficiency Radish contains hundreds of digestive enzymes represented by amylase to decompose starch. It can promote the digestion of food and keep the stomach young. It is reported that radish contains powerful digestive enzymes, which can digest starch, protein and fat. Radish contains a lot of dietary fiber and is rich in nutrition, which is the representative of vegetables in China. Nanjing people have a soft spot for radishes. Radish leaves contain carotene, vitamin C and calcium. Baigen contains vitamin C and hundreds of enzymes, which can help digest food and is a well-known stomach-strengthening vegetable. In addition, it also contains active oxygen and enzymes that decompose carcinogens. Digestive enzymes such as amylase and vitamin C will lose their function when heated. It's best to make radish puree to eat. From autumn to spring is the season of radish. Try to choose fresh radish with leaves. Fried radish leaves are also delicious. Besides radish, papaya and pineapple in fruits also contain enzymes. Fruits produced in South China contain proteolytic enzymes represented by papain and chymopapain, and also contain special ingredients that act on starch and fat. These exist in immature fruits and are also materials for digesting enzyme preparations. Pineapple also contains proteolytic enzyme (bromelain), which makes the meat tender and helps digestion. Often used in barbecue preparation and seasickness side dishes. Gastric acid deficiency, in traditional Chinese medicine, is mostly manifested as deficiency of stomach yin or food accumulation. From ancient times to the present, the therapeutic methods and prescriptions such as sweet and sour, yin-dissolving, digestion-promoting and stagnation-inducing have been summarized. The ancient peony and licorice soup and Baohe pill are the representatives of these two therapies. Chinese herbal medicines, such as Radix Paeoniae Alba, Mume Fructus, Fructus Crataegi, Massa Medicata Fermentata, Fructus Hordei Germinatus, and Endothelium Corneum Gigeriae Galli, are mostly good therapeutic drugs. You can make tea under the guidance of a doctor.