One of the adverse effects of modern lifestyles is the decline in the overall level of health in society. Changes in daily routines, eating habits, food choices, and dining practices have contributed to many health problems and digestive disorders. In particular, improper food choices, unsuitable combinations of foods, irregular eating habits, and neglecting traditional principles of dining can gradually affect the proper functioning of the digestive system.
Indiscretion in choosing food, setting the table, eating habits, and dining etiquette can cause various problems in the body. Among the undesirable consequences of these incorrect dietary practices are stomach and digestive problems, including what is traditionally described as stomach coldness. According to Persian Traditional Medicine, the stomach has a particular temperament, and changes or imbalance in its natural condition may lead to various digestive symptoms and discomfort.
Recognizing the signs and underlying causes of stomach coldness can therefore be important for choosing appropriate traditional approaches to improve the condition. Understanding the relationship between food, eating habits, digestion, and the traditional temperament of the stomach can also help provide a more comprehensive approach to digestive health.
In this article, ACPFOOD examines what stomach coldness is, what symptoms may be associated with a cold stomach, and which factors may contribute to its development. We will also discuss stomach coldness and its treatment according to Persian Traditional Medicine and introduce traditional approaches and dietary recommendations that are used to help address this condition. By understanding these traditional principles, readers can become more familiar with the causes, symptoms, and treatment approaches associated with stomach coldness.
Factors Causing Cold and Wet Stomach (Maltemperament)
Before understanding what a cold stomach is, it is important to understand the factors that can contribute to its development. According to Persian Traditional Medicine, stomach coldness is associated with the predominance of phlegm in the stomach and digestive system. From this traditional perspective, addressing stomach coldness involves reducing and removing excess phlegm from the body and avoiding habits and foods that may contribute to its accumulation.
There are several dietary and lifestyle factors that are traditionally considered to contribute to a cold and wet stomach. Among the most important causes of stomach coldness are the following:
- Drinking water and cold drinks: Drinking excessive amounts of cold water and other cold beverages is traditionally considered one of the main causes of stomach coldness.
- Excessive consumption of cold and wet foods: Frequently consuming foods with a cold and wet temperament, especially yogurt, cucumber, ice cream, cold water, fish, cheese, and similar foods, may contribute to stomach coldness.
- Eating cold foods for breakfast: Consuming foods such as cheese, tomato, cucumber, and cold milk at breakfast is traditionally considered unsuitable for people prone to a cold stomach.
- Drinking water or eating fruit at inappropriate times: Drinking water or eating fruit immediately after waking from sleep, after prolonged exercise, after sexual activity, or following a long period of hunger may contribute to stomach coldness according to Persian Traditional Medicine.
- Eating heavy and slow-digesting foods: Foods that are difficult for the stomach to digest completely may contribute to digestive weakness and stomach coldness. Examples include beef, pasta, fruits, beans, most legumes when they are not adequately cooked, hard-boiled eggs, noodles, and lasagna.
- Prolonged hunger and overeating: Both remaining hungry for long periods and eating excessive amounts of food are traditionally considered factors that can disturb digestion and contribute to stomach coldness.
- Eating quickly and hastily: Eating food too quickly and without sufficient attention to proper chewing can interfere with digestion and may contribute to digestive problems associated with stomach coldness.
- Unnecessary snacking: Frequent consumption of unnecessary snacks between meals may place an additional burden on digestion and is traditionally considered another contributing factor.
- Drinking liquids with meals: Consuming liquids together with food or drinking them after only a short interval following a meal may interfere with proper digestion according to Persian Traditional Medicine.
- Combining foods that interfere with digestion: Eating certain foods together that are traditionally considered incompatible with digestion, such as yogurt or tomato and cucumber salad with meals, may contribute to digestive problems and stomach coldness.
- Sleeping on the stomach: Sleeping in a prone position is traditionally considered one of the other factors that may contribute to stomach coldness.
- Insufficient or excessive physical activity: Lack of physical activity, as well as performing excessive exercise continuously, may affect digestion and contribute to stomach coldness.
- Sexual activity with a full stomach: Engaging in sexual activity soon after eating and while the stomach is full is traditionally considered unfavorable for digestion and may contribute to stomach coldness.
- Not keeping the stomach and abdomen warm: Failing to keep the stomach and abdominal area adequately warm is also traditionally considered a contributing factor to a cold stomach.
Therefore, according to Persian Traditional Medicine, avoiding these factors can be an important part of stomach coldness and its treatment. Paying attention to eating habits, food combinations, meal timing, physical activity, and keeping the stomach warm may help improve digestive problems traditionally associated with a cold and wet stomach, including indigestion, sour belching, excessive salivation, flatulence, stomach pain, and a feeling of heaviness after eating.
Symptoms of Cold and Wet Stomach Maltemperament
According to Persian Traditional Medicine, the predominance of coldness and wetness in the stomach can affect not only digestion and the proper functioning of the digestive system but also other aspects of the body because of the traditional connection described between the stomach, brain, and reproductive system. From this perspective, stomach coldness may be associated with various problems, including different types of headaches, fertility problems, delayed menstruation, anemia, and other health complaints.
Recognizing the symptoms associated with a cold and wet stomach can help in understanding the condition and choosing an appropriate approach to stomach coldness and its treatment. The following symptoms are traditionally associated with stomach coldness:
- Pickling or a sour sensation in the stomach.
- Abdominal bloating accompanied by pain.
- Indigestion and difficulty digesting food.
- An increase in abdominal size or abdominal distension.
- Nausea and lethargy.
- A burning sensation in the esophagus and stomach.
- Stomachache or discomfort in the stomach area.
- Abdominal muscle spasms, which may be associated with symptoms of stomach coldness.
- Diarrhea or, in some cases, constipation.
- Slow digestion of food and prolonged digestion after meals.
- Increased hunger or a greater desire to eat.
- Reduced thirst or feeling less thirsty than usual.
- Acidic or sour belching.
- A preference for eating light foods because heavier foods may feel difficult to digest.
- A change in complexion toward a yellowish or pale-white appearance.
- Excessive drooling or increased salivation.
- Aversion to wet foods, such as soups.
It is important to note that these symptoms may vary from person to person. According to Persian Traditional Medicine, the intensity and combination of symptoms can depend on the individual’s temperament, dietary habits, lifestyle, and the degree of coldness and wetness affecting the stomach. Therefore, recognizing the overall pattern of symptoms is an important part of understanding cold and wet stomach maltemperament and considering suitable approaches to its treatment.
Stomach Coldness Treatment in Traditional Medicine
According to Persian Traditional Medicine, treating stomach coldness is important because addressing this condition is traditionally considered helpful in preventing the development of further health problems. Therefore, stomach coldness should be taken seriously, and appropriate measures should be followed consistently. The following methods are traditionally suggested for stomach coldness and its treatment:
- Chew food thoroughly and eat with concentration. One of the ways traditionally recommended for the immediate improvement of stomach coldness is to chew food well and remain focused while eating. Proper chewing can help the stomach process food more easily.
- Reduce the amount of food and avoid overeating. Eating smaller portions and stopping before becoming completely full is traditionally considered one of the useful approaches for treating stomach coldness at home.
- Massage the abdomen with suitable oils. Rubbing the abdominal area with olive oil, mastic oil, quince oil, or rose oil is traditionally recommended. Gentle dry cupping of the abdomen may also be used under the supervision of a traditional medicine expert.
- Exercise regularly and moderately. Regular, moderate physical activity, particularly before meals, is considered another traditional approach to improving stomach coldness and supporting digestion.
- Choose light and easily digestible foods. Consuming foods that are light and easy for the stomach to digest is one of the important dietary approaches traditionally recommended for stomach coldness.
- Consume warm and suitable breakfasts. Traditional recommendations include warm breakfast foods such as fruit honey jam, soft-cooked egg yolk, almond milk, and other suitable foods as part of stomach coldness treatment.
- Warm milk before consuming it. If milk is included in breakfast, it is traditionally recommended to heat it and consume it with some honey and cinnamon. This is considered another traditional approach to treating stomach coldness at home.
- Use digestive aids with meals. Small amounts of digestive herbs and ingredients such as thyme leaves, dill, mastic, cumin, and saffron may traditionally be consumed with food. Their use should be based on individual needs and the advice of a traditional medicine practitioner.
- Consider fasting and honey. Fasting, consuming a thick honey syrup, or taking a spoonful of honey is also included among the traditional approaches recommended for stomach coldness.
- Moderate yogurt consumption. People who experience indigestion, constipation associated with coldness, or a cold body or stomach are traditionally advised to moderate their consumption of yogurt. Thin and sour yogurt is particularly considered unsuitable for these individuals.
- Warm the stomach before addressing excessive appetite. According to Persian Traditional Medicine, people with a cold temperament may have difficulty resisting the desire to eat. From this traditional perspective, the stomach should first be warmed with suitable medicines or other traditional approaches. Warming the stomach does not necessarily require the use of medicines alone; traditional methods for warming the stomach can also be considered.
- Use warming medicinal herbs appropriately. Ginger and cinnamon are traditionally considered warming medicinal herbs and are recommended for people with a cold temperament in some traditional approaches. However, the appropriate amount can differ from one person to another. In general, the traditional recommendation mentioned here is to use approximately one gram of these herbs daily. The contraindications and individual considerations associated with ginger and cinnamon should also be taken into account, particularly with continuous or frequent use.
- Use peppermint hydrosol and Plantago seed. The combination of peppermint hydrosol and Plantago seed is traditionally known as a preparation for digestive problems. It is described as helping relieve bloating, abdominal spasms, and gastritis and is traditionally considered a soothing preparation for digestive discomfort.
These dietary and lifestyle approaches form part of the traditional recommendations for stomach coldness and its treatment. According to Persian Traditional Medicine, paying attention to eating habits, meal quantity, food selection, physical activity, and the traditional temperament of the stomach can all contribute to a more comprehensive approach to improving stomach coldness and digestive problems.
Prescriptions of Traditional Iranian Medicine to Treat Stomach Coldness
Persian Traditional Medicine includes various traditional prescriptions for addressing stomach coldness. The following prescriptions are traditionally recommended as part of stomach coldness and its treatment:
- Mix 10 grams of each black myrobalan (Terminalia chebula Retz.), amla (Phyllanthus emblica), ginger, black seed (Nigella sativa L.), cardamom, ajwain seed (Trachyspermum ammi), cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.), common polypody (Polypodium vulgare L.), and Gentiana (Gentiana lutea L.), and grind them. Make a stiff paste with a little honey and form pills the size of hazelnuts. Put one pill in your mouth every morning, noon, and night, and swallow it with water.
- Eat bread with cheese, fresh mint, and tarragon leaves every morning.
- Eat bread with cheese and dates every morning.
- Mix equal amounts of Agarikon (Fomitopsis officinalis), dodder (Cuscuta epithymum), amla (Phyllanthus emblica), and rock candy, and grind them well. Every morning on an empty stomach, put a dessert spoonful of the mixture in your mouth and swallow it with water.
- Peel the fresh parsley root and eat it.
- Every day, mix and brew 5 grams of Shirazi thyme (Zataria multiflora), marjoram (Origanum majorana L.), and germander (Teucrium polium). Then filter it, mix it with a little honey, and drink it.
- Dissolve 15 grams of Astragalus Manna in hot water and drink it every day.
- Dissolve a teaspoon of baking soda in half a cup of cold water and drink it.
- Boil 2 grams of valerian root (Valeriana officinalis L.) and common polypody (Polypodium vulgare L.) each. Filter the decoction, sweeten it with honey, and drink it.
- Take 15 grams each of ajwain seed (Trachyspermum ammi), cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.), and anise (Pimpinella anisum) with 150 grams of grated rock candy, one tablespoon a day.
- Make a suppository by mixing some astragalus manna, red sugar, and manna of hedysarum, and put it inside the anus.
- Massage the stomach with castor oil and cover it with a hot towel, or place a hot water bag on it.
- Half-burn the rock candy over a fire, grind it, mix it with rose water and some water, and drink it.
- Dissolve 75 grams of grape sap in water and drink it.
- Vomit and then drink a glass of boiling water with rock candy.
- Boil 3 grams of dodder (Cuscuta epithymum) and drink it with rock candy.
- Brew 5 grams of chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.), yarrow (Achillea millefolium L.), lemon balm (Melissa officinalis L.), marjoram (Origanum majorana L.), and germander (Teucrium polium), and drink it twice a day for three days.
- Sprinkle black seeds (Nigella sativa L.), fenugreek, sesame, and cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) on the bread, cook it, and eat it. Repeat this for seven days.
- Eat 1 piece of pounded black myrobalan (Terminalia chebula Retz.) every night, adding one piece every night until reaching 40 pieces, and then decrease by 1 piece every night until reaching one piece.
- Make a mixture of 15 grams of anise (Pimpinella anisum), ajwain seed (Trachyspermum ammi), walnut kernels, and rock candy. Prepare a soft mixture and eat one tablespoon a day in the morning before breakfast.
- Prepare saffron in an amount equal to 3 chickpeas, 6 grams of Moldavian balm seeds (Dracocephalum Moldavica L.), and 6 grams of mountain basil seeds (Ocimum basilicum L.), and grind them well. Add 100 grams of rose water, 100 grams of musk willow hydrosol (Salix aegyptiaca L.), and 100 grams of honey, and mix them well. Eat 2 tablespoons of the mixture every morning, noon, and night.
- For 40 days, eat a dessert spoonful of honey every morning on an empty stomach.
- Boil 3 grams of common polypody (Polypodium vulgare L.) and 3 grams of black cardamom (Amomum subulatum). Filter the decoction, sweeten it, and drink it in the morning before breakfast.
- Boil 3 grams each of Gentiana (Gentiana lutea L.) and common polypody (Polypodium vulgare L.). Strain the decoction, sweeten it with honey, and drink it.
These traditional prescriptions represent various approaches described in Persian Traditional Medicine for stomach coldness and its treatment. They include dietary preparations, herbal infusions, traditional mixtures, and topical methods that have been traditionally used to address the symptoms and characteristics associated with a cold stomach.
Conclusion
Stomach coldness is one of the problems that may appear as a result of an incorrect lifestyle, unsuitable eating habits, or self-neglect, and it can be accompanied by various digestive problems and discomforts. Therefore, it is necessary to first understand what a cold stomach is, recognize its causes and symptoms, and then consider appropriate approaches for stomach coldness and its treatment.
According to Persian Traditional Medicine, paying attention to food choices, eating habits, meal timing, physical activity, and the traditional temperament of the stomach can play an important role in addressing stomach coldness. In this article, ACPFOOD introduced the main factors traditionally associated with a cold and wet stomach, its common symptoms, dietary and lifestyle recommendations, and traditional Iranian medicine prescriptions used for its treatment. Understanding these principles can provide a more comprehensive view of stomach coldness and the traditional approaches used to address it.