Diet often contains various factors that are irritating to the stomach, such as hot and cold, hard, sour, spicy, etc. What is more terrible is the high concentration of hydrochloric acid and pepsin contained in the gastric juice. The former is corrosive to the stomach wall, and the latter is digestible to the stomach wall. They are very damaging to the gastric mucosa. In addition, sometimes bile poured from the duodenum into the stomach can also make waves. However, in normal people, the gastric mucosa can resist various noxious stimuli, and the stomach tissue itself will not be digested or damaged.

　　 This is because the gastric mucosa has a mechanism (defense factor) to resist the above-mentioned stimulating factors, mainly including "cell protection", "mucus-bicarbonate barrier" and "gastric mucosa barrier". It is easy to understand that if these defensive factors are destroyed, such as Helicobacter pylori infection, excessive stomach acid, strong acid, strong alkali, alcohol, etc., then diseases such as gastritis and gastric ulcer will follow.

　　 This article focuses on the cytoprotection of gastric mucosa. In recent years, it has been found that certain substances present in the stomach wall have a strong cytoprotective effect on gastric mucosal epithelial cells. Cell protection refers to the ability of certain substances to prevent or reduce the damage and necrosis of cells caused by various harmful stimuli. These substances are more complex, and there are many studies on prostaglandins (PG), epidermal growth factor, gastrointestinal peptides (frog skin hormone, neurotensin, somatostatin and calcitonin gene-related peptide, etc.) and so on. The protective effect of these substances on gastric parietal cells is also called "direct cell protection" (direct cytoprotection).

　　In addition, in recent years, it has also been noted that the often-existing weak stimuli can effectively reduce or prevent the subsequent strong stimuli from damaging the gastric mucosa. This phenomenon is called gastric adaptation Sex cell protection" (adaptivc cytoprotection). That is to say, the stomach mucosa is often given some irritating factors, such as cold, hot, hard, sour, spicy, etc., which can exercise the stomach healthier, have a stronger ability to defend against strong stimulation, and are less likely to suffer. Gastritis, gastric ulcer and other diseases. In short, just like a person’s body needs exercise, so does the stomach.

In fact, not only the stomach, this protective effect can also be observed in liver, pancreas and other tissues. It is most likely a universal adaptation phenomenon of the body. Therefore, the liver, pancreas and other tissues also need the same exercise-often given weaker stimuli to get the ability to resist stronger stimuli.

All in all, the traditional view that "don’t eat raw, cold, hard, spicy, acid and other irritating foods to protect the gastric mucosa" is actually wrong. A healthy stomach needs exercise. The more exercise The healthier.

　　The next question is, if you already have gastritis or gastric ulcer, will you also benefit from "stomach exercise" and recover faster? At present, I have not seen direct research evidence However, just as a sick body (except those who have to rest in bed) often has to exercise, people with gastritis or gastric ulcers cannot emphasize the reduction of stimulation to "protect" the gastric mucosa.