Part 5: The Pancreas-Stomach Dominant Types: Overactive Digestion, Sensitive Emotions

This question highlights a fundamental insight from Eight-Constitution Medicine (ECM): a naturally strong digestive system can become problematic when overstimulated by the wrong foods and lifestyle choices.

Pancreas and Stomach Dominant Types
In ECM, two constitutional types exhibit naturally strong pancreas-stomach systems:
- Pancreotonia: pancreas and stomach are proportionally strong
- Gastrotonia: stomach and pancreas are proportionally strong

While having powerful digestive organs might seem advantageous, these
types have naturally weaker kidney and bladder systems which can be
easily suppressed when the pancreas and stomach become overactive,
creating the harmful 'over-imbalance' we discussed in Part 2.

Common Traits
- Energetic, quick-thinking, enthusiastic
- Emotionally expressive, artistic, colourful personalities
- Strong appetite and tendency to overeat
- Prone to emotional fluctuations and impatience
- Tend to feel heat in the abdomen, face or upper body
- May experience digestive discomfort, fatigue or mood changes after spicy or rich foods

When Pancreotonias and Gastrotonias indulge in stimulating foods and drinks, what others experience as merely satisfying can trigger digestive distress, emotional reactivity, and systemic inflammation. The body is sending important signals about constitutional needs.

Foods That Can Harm
Examples of foods that further stimulate the already strong pancreas/stomach system:
- Spicy foods - chili, curry, hot pepper, mustard, wasabi, turmeric, cinnamon
- Chicken, turkey, duck and other poultry
- Apples, mango, tomato, oranges and other citrus fruits
-Ginseng, honey, ginger, raw onion, and other warming herbs and spices
-Legumes, nuts - almonds, cashews, pistachios
- Coffee, alcohol, chocolate and other stimulants

Beneficial Foods
Examples of foods that cool and balance the digestive system while
supporting weaker kidney function:
- White rice, barley, rye, buckwheat
-Pork, seafood, shellfish, cheese
-Green vegetables - salad leaves, lettuce, cabbage, cucumber, zucchini, avocado
-Melons, watermelon, grapes, berries, banana, pineapple, fig, pomegranate
- Aloe vera, mint, chamomile and other cooling herbs

Lifestyle Tips
- Avoid rushing during meals—eating slowly and mindfully is essential
- Limit stimulation - caffeine, sugar, spicy foods, intense environments

-Drink cool water in the morning to help regulate stomach heat
- Practice relaxation techniques such as yoga and meditation to reduce emotional reactivity
- Get adequate rest and maintain regular sleep patterns

Conditions to Watch For
- Bacterial and viral infections, allergic dermatitis, gout, arthritis, rheumatism
- Emotional sensitivity, anxiety, mood disorders, chronic migraine
- Fatty liver disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease
- Acid reflux, gastritis, ulcers
- Chronic indigestion, abdominal bloating, fatigue after eatingSleep disturbances, restlessness

The conventional belief that a strong digestive system means you can eat anything without consequences doesn't apply to everyone. Spicy foods and stimulants are often promoted as anti-inflammatory, but they can be particularly problematic for these types.

For these pancreas-stomach dominant constitutions, a cooling, calming
diet rich in mild foods can function as medicine, while seemingly ordinary
stimulating foods may trigger physical and emotional distress.

For more details, please visit the official Eight-Constitution Medicine website here:
Pancreotonia Constitution
Gastrotonia Constitution

Disclaimer
The above descriptions reflect general tendencies for the constitutional
types and do not represent absolute or fixed characteristics.
Coming Next in This Series:

Part 6. The Cold-Bodied Kidney-Bladder Dominant Types: When Summer
Weakens You

Catch up on past articles here