At the beginning of December 2023, the topic of "don't mention pants to the belly button" rushed to the hot search on Weibo, and there was a view that "traditional Chinese medicine recommends not to raise pants too high, otherwise it will hurt the spleen and stomach, and even make people gain weight". Is this statement reliable?The reporter interviewed Dr. Ma Yunfei of the Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Luoyang New Mile Hospital (formerly CITIC Central Hospital) in Henan Province.
From the perspective of traditional Chinese medicine, raising the pants too high may indeed have a certain impact on the spleen and stomach. Ma Yunfei said that in the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, the navel eye, also known as the Shenque acupoint, is an important acupuncture point in the human body. The belly button eye circle (belt around the area), known in traditional Chinese medicine as the belt vein, is an important meridian and acupoint dense area of the human body, such as the kidney meridian, bladder meridian, etc., these parts are closely related to the body's digestion, metabolism, urinary and other physiological functions. Lifting the pants too high will put pressure on the belly button, which will affect the normal function of the spleen and stomach. In the long term, it may lead to spleen and stomach disharmony, indigestion, stomach pain, diarrhea and other symptoms.
Ma Yunfei reminded that the elasticity of pants is also very important. When the pants are too tight, it will restrict the circulation of qi and blood in the abdomen, resulting in local qi and blood flow. This not only affects the function of the spleen and stomach, but can also cause other problems. In addition, the area around the belly button is more sensitive, so take extra care when cleaning and caring. Avoid using harsh cleaning products that can cause damage to your belly button.
Dressing is closely related to health, and it is important to choose the right pants and the way you wear them. Ma Yunfei advises to avoid wearing tight pants as much as possible, especially tight clothing around the waist and abdomen. The pants just need to be in the right place, they don't have to be too high. At the same time, it is also important to keep the abdomen warm to avoid cold in the belly button. (Zhang Baofeng, Yang Kai).
*(Originally published in Luoyang Evening News A8 edition on December 9, 2023).