The use of "Pungent Principles"—a term generally referring to spicy or aromatic compounds found in herbs and spices like ginger, black pepper, and mustard—for supporting the stomach and digestive system is primarily rooted in traditional medicine. In systems such as Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Ayurveda, pungent herbs and spices have long been employed to stimulate digestive fire, promote appetite, and alleviate symptoms of indigestion such as bloating and nausea. For example, ginger is traditionally used to warm the stomach, enhance digestive secretions, and move “stagnant” food. Similarly, black pepper is believed to increase gastric motility and the secretion of digestive enzymes, thus aiding in the digestive process.

While there is a historical foundation for these uses, some modern studies provide partial support, particularly for individual pungent compounds like gingerol (from ginger) or piperine (from black pepper), which have demonstrated pro-digestive effects in laboratory and small clinical studies. However, the term "Pungent Principles" is broad and not always clearly defined in scientific literature, so the bulk of the evidence supporting their use for stomach health remains traditional rather than robustly validated by large-scale clinical research. In summary, the support for using pungent principles for stomach health is strong in traditional medicine, with some emerging scientific interest, but not enough to fully validate the practice by current evidence standards.