Читать книгу Holistic Herbal: A Safe and Practical Guide to Making and Using Herbal Remedies - David Hoffmann - Страница 96

The stomach is the organ that takes the brunt of the liberties we sometimes take with the food and drink we consume. Too much alcohol, too much refined food, too many cigarettes, too many aspirins, all will affect the stomach.

The main task of the stomach is to prepare the food for further processing in the small intestine, which it accomplishes by mixing it with hydrochloric acid and powerful enzymes.

Before we look at the stomach, two problems with the oesophagus (the tube down which swallowed food travels) will be examined. If there is a burning sensation in the oesophagus or acid rising into the mouth, the symptom is due to a problem in the stomach. It can be treated with the help of demulcents, but the condition of the stomach has also to be examined. If there is a problem with swallowing, the problem (dysphagia) should be examined professionally. It is often due to nervous tension and anxiety and may be relieved by the use of nervines like Hops, Valerian or Wild Lettuce.