There are a number of ailments in which the sufferer finds it difficult to take sufficient fruits or vegetables, on account of their bulky nature, and consequently he must receive the essential food mineral in the form of a bland solution, until he shall build up his reserve to such an extent that he is able to digest ordinary foods. Bran broth, when made without boiling, and seasoned with a little vegetable extract (vegex) and cream, is a palatable, bland mixture, non-irritating, and is rich in the essential organic iron, calcium, phosphorus, and vitamines. The following instruction for hyper-acidity cases, together with recipes adaptable to such conditions, will illustrate the point.
Hyperacidity and allied symptoms are often characterized by a burning or gnawing pain in the upper abdomen, which usually begins one or two hours after a meal. Flatulence, headache, and acid eructations are commonly associated. The object of the regimen is to select such articles of food as will combine most readily with the excess of acid, and to restrict temporarily such foods as would cause distress, in the meantime supplying in liberal amount the dietary essentials.
Such protein foods as milk, eggs, and sweet cottage cheese, taken in moderate amounts, seem to be very helpful, particularly milk. On the other hand, foods rich in starch and sugar ordinary baker’s bread, potatoes, fruits, et cetera should be taken sparingly if at all, in the acute stage, because free acid appears in the stomach soon after eating, and interferes with the normal digestion of the starch under the influence of saliva. In hyperacidity, the starches used should be in the dextrinized form, like corn flakes and zwieback. Fats may be increased, especially cream, as they tend to inhibit the .flow of acids and are soothing to an inflamed intestinal tract. For the noon meal, use the following bran broth, together with well cooked, tender spinach or other vegetable, mashed through a colander to remove the fiber, and seasoned with a little rich cream. Cream noodles (page 145), or macaroni, or dumplings (page 138), cooked plain, may be used with the above vegetable purées occasionally.
For the morning meal, follow the instructions given on pages 241, 242, for chronic colitis. With the browned white flour gruel, serve baked banana No. 1, page 235; or remove the skin after baking, and slice into the hot cream, and serve on toast sftened with hot cream. The cream should be thinner, however, for the latter banana toast, than when served separately. Or use bland, cellulose-free cereal, such as cream of wheat, with cream; or soft cooked egg; or prune purée with cream. Use a small proportion of zwieback or cream biscuit. Let the third meal consist largely of boiled milk, milk or cream toast, malted milk, prune purée, and cream or cereal coffee.