When To See A Gp
If you have indigestion and stomach pain, you can try treating this yourself with changes to your diet and lifestyle, or with medicines you can get from a pharmacy, such as antacids.
See a GP if:
- you have indigestion symptoms lasting a week or longer, or it’s causing you severe pain or discomfort
- you think it’s brought on by medicine you have been prescribed
Stomach ache and abdominal pain are not always a sign of gastritis.
The pain could be caused by a wide range of other things, from trapped wind to irritable bowel syndrome .
What To Eat On A Gastritis Diet
Some foods may help manage your gastritis and lessen the symptoms.
Diet does not generally cause chronic gastritis, but eating some foods can make the symptoms worse. These may include foods that are:
- fried
Some people find that the following foods and drinks help ease symptoms of gastritis:
- high fiber foods, such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and beans
- low fat foods, such as fish, lean meats, and vegetables
- foods with low acidity, including vegetables and beans
- noncarbonated drinks
2016 review , some studies say that probiotics could help with stomach complications caused by bacteria called Helicobacter pylori, also known as H. pylori.
These bacteria cause an infection in the digestive system, which can lead to gastritis or stomach ulcers. In fact, H. pylori is the most common cause of gastritis, accounting for
- sauerkraut
Eating smaller, more frequent meals can also help ease symptoms.
Some types of gastritis can make it more difficult for your body to absorb iron or vitamin B12, leading to deficiencies. Talk with your doctor about taking supplements to prevent deficiencies.
Foods To Eat On The Gastritis Diet:
- Foods that are high in fibre: E.g. fruit, vegetables, whole grains and beans
- Low-fat foods: E.g. turkey mince instead of beef, fish and chicken
- Alkaline foods, low in acidity: Such as bananas and green leafy vegetables
- Still drinks: avoid carbonated drinks like cola and sparkling water as much as possible
- No caffeine: caffeine is known to irritate the stomach lining.
Its also suggested that you eat foods that are high in good protein, like eggs.
In some cases, consuming more probiotics, the good bacteria for your gut, has been proven to help those with gastritis as well, as they combat bad bacteria that can lead to stomach infections.
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Foods To Avoid On The Gastritis Diet:
- All alcohol
- Caffeinated drinks: E.g. tea, coffee, energy drinks
- Acidic foods: Such as tomatoes and some types of fruit
- Fruit juice: Some fruits are naturally acidic and combined with the often added sugars, its likely to irritate your stomach lining.
- Fatty foods: E.g. processed foods and red meat
- Fried and spicy foods
If you are suffering from a stomach ulcer as a result of gastritis as well, then you might need to take milk out of your diet. Although it may take away the pain at first, it could return even worse later.
Add A Probiotic To Your Diet
Though its not recommended to take a bunch of supplements during a flare-up since they may be irritating to your stomach, adding a probiotic supplement is likely to help with your symptoms. A probiotic supplement contains a variety of good bacteria that can help reduce inflammation in your intestines and aid with the breakdown of food. A chewable supplement might be the best idea when you are in the middle of a flare-up, simply because it allows for mechanical digestion to break down the supplement, so you dont need to rely on your stomach and intestines to break down any capsules or coatings.
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Foods To Help Treat Gastritis
Two foods that may help treat gastritis are broccoli and yogurt.
Broccoli contains a chemical called sulforaphane, which has antibacterial properties. It also contains antioxidants, which can help protect against cancer. For this reason, eating broccoli sprouts may help relieve or prevent gastritis and decrease the risk of stomach cancer.
Authors of an older study, published in 2009, found that participants with H. pylori infection who ate 70 grams more than half a cup of broccoli sprouts per day for 8 weeks had lower levels of infection and inflammation than those who did not eat broccoli.
In 2006, another team investigated whether eating about 2 cups of probiotic yogurt daily before using a combination of antibiotics could boost the ability of the medication to combat drug resistant H. pylori infection.
After 4 weeks, the researchers found that the participants who consumed the yogurt and antibiotics tended to eliminate the infection more effectively than those who only took antibiotics.
The results may have stemmed from the yogurts active cultures of beneficial bacteria that help improve the bodys ability to combat infection.
Dietary Habits That Reduce Symptoms Of Gastritis
Patients may be recommended to start consuming around 5-6 small meals throughout the day, as opposed to 3 big meals. Eating meals in small quantities can help the stomach heal by reducing the effect of stomach acid.
Patients are also asked to drink plenty of water. Those who consume alcohol frequently must reduce their intake, given that it increases the content of acid in the stomach, leading to inflammation.
Certain nutritional supplements may be recommended by doctors including Omega-3 fatty acids and probiotics. Any vitamins or nutritional supplements should be cleared with a GP prior to their incorporation in a gastritis diet.
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Know When To Be Concerned
Not all gastritis is caused by stress or whatever you are eating and drinking. Another cause of gastritis is the aforementioned H. pylori bacteria. These bacteria, according to the experts at the UCDavis Health, are incredibly adaptive.
The bacteria, explains UCDavis, adhere to the mucosal lining of your stomach. They have adapted so well that when mucosal cells are about to be sloughed off your stomach lining, the H. pylori bacteria simply jump to newer mucosal cells, avoiding that plunge into the chemical bath that would kill them.
An untreated H. pylori infection can lead to the development of gastric ulcers. Even more concerning, cautions UCDavis, is that chronic H. pylori that is left untreated can develop into one of the fastest-moving and deadliest cancers: Gastric cancer, UCDavis explains, is very hard to treat, moves quickly and kills 1 million people worldwide every year.
Read more:Foods to Avoid for Gastritis
Top Foods That Prevent Inflammation In Your Body
If you have heart disease, high blood pressure, bacterial or viral infections, osteoporosis, arthritis, acid reflux, candidiasis, or acne, then you could also have chronic, low-grade inflammation. In fact, if you have any number of other diseases, it is likely you have inflammation. And if you want to get or remain healthy, you definitely want to reduce the damaging effects of it!
Diet is a key part of your inflammation-fighting plan, and some foods have amazing anti-inflammatory properties.
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What Is The Outlook For A Person With Gastritis
Most people recover from gastritis. Depending on the many factors that affect the stomach lining, gastritis symptoms may flare-up from time to time. Overall, gastritis is a common ailment that responds well to simple treatments.
On occasion, rare forms of gastritis can be serious or even life-threatening. Severe, ongoing symptoms or internal bleeding should alert a health-care professional to search for a more serious underlying cause.
Kombucha Is Healthy When Made Properly
Kombucha is a probiotic-rich tea with many potential health benefits.
You can purchase it in stores or make it yourself at home. However, be sure to prepare it properly.
Contaminated or over-fermented kombucha can cause serious health problems and even death. Homemade kombucha may also contain up to 3% alcohol (
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What Is Inflammation In Stomach
Inflammation in the stomach is also known as gastritis. Gastritis is a condition that occurs when the stomach is inflamed or swollen . It is a relatively clear pathology. However, the term is often abused to explain some symptoms of the digestive system, such as heartburn and indigestion. Actually, gastritis may not cause clinical symptoms at all. According to medical experts, gastritis is a consequence of irritation of the mucosa by exogenous or endogenous factors such as toxicity, infection, and immune disorders. The mucosa is the innermost layer of the stomach that is composed of three layers, including the epithelial layer, the cushion, and the mantle. Depending on the study in the world, the rate of acute inflammation in the stomach in the population is eight per 1000 people.
The disease is not dangerous and may quickly turn better after treatment. However, in some cases, gastritis may lead to stomach ulcers or increase the risk of cancer. Inflammation in the stomach may occur suddenly or prolonged . Each group has its own characteristics. In fact, through daily medical examination and treatment, physicians encounter mainly chronic gastritis. This condition increases with age and accounts for 40-70% of gastric diseases.
- Acute Gastritis
- Chronic Gastritis
Food Items To Be Excluded From A Gastritis Diet
Certain food items need to be excluded from these types of diets to ensure that stomach acid isnt increased, inadvertently. While these dont necessarily pose negative health effects, they may trigger symptoms of gastritis in those with this condition.
Certain beverages such as coffee, alcohol, carbonated drinks, and citrus-based fruit juice are known to exacerbate gastritis.
Acidic food including tomatoes and certain types of fruit, spicy food, allergenic or symptomatic food, fried and fatty food should also be avoided if patients wish to prevent pain and discomfort.
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Gastritis Diet Strategies And Recommendations
Gastritis is a digestive condition that arises as a result of irritation, inflammation or erosion of the lining of the stomach. This is caused as a result of excessive acid in the stomach. As part of the long-term treatment strategies recommended by gastroenterologists, gastritis diet recommendations are important.
Given the long-term effects of this condition, including ulcers, ongoing pain, inflammation, bleeding, and even stomach cancer, individuals need to consider the benefits of food items that make up a gastritis diet. This post identifies dietary recommendations deemed useful to manage gastritis symptoms and those that should be left out of these diets.
If patients are already on a special diet or are suffering from other health conditions, medical guidance from a gastroenterology specialist is required before dietary changes are made.
Course Of Disease And Prognosis
An acute gastritis usually has a good prognosis. It often heals on its own after a few days or weeks without further treatment. However, there are also severe courses, for example when patients have erosive gastritis. If haemorrhagic gastritis is accompanied by bleeding, this can be life-threatening. In addition, an inflammation of the stomach lining can develop into a stomach ulcer.
A chronic inflammation of the stomach lining usually lasts for several weeks, months or even years. Due to the constant irritation of the stomach lining, chronic gastritis increases the risk of cells degenerating and causing stomach cancer. First, the cells of the stomach mucosa transform into intestinal cells. This is called intestinal metaplasia .
Anyone who has chronic gastritis should therefore have a gastroscopy regularly every three years. In this way, cancer and precancerous stages can be detected and treated in time.
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What To Eat During An Episode Of Intestinal Inflammation
Generally, when you have issues with intestinal inflammation, your diet will vary depending on whether you are currently experiencing a flare-up, or if you are between flare-ups. Here we created two lists to help you manage your digestive inflammation both during an episode and between episodes.
When you are experiencing an episode of intestinal inflammation, eating simple foods is the name of the game. Lets go through some of the best foods to eat when you are having a flare-up of intestinal inflammation.
Then Its Time To Restore The Good Bacteria In The Gut To Rebuild The Stomach Lining
Once your stomach lining is starting to heal you can increase your pre and probiotics. Its so important to grow those colonies of probiotics to ward off any bugs or bad bacteria, to allow your stomach lining to heal. Over the next few months you will need to eat lots of prebiotic and probiotic foods. I would also recommend that you read our article on eating for good gut health for the path forward, once your stomach lining is healed.
More information such as this can be found in our nutrition guides which can be downloaded below
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How Can Gastritis Be Prevented
If a person knows what causes their gastritis, the simplest approach is to avoid the cause.
Alcohol
- Aspirin and alcohol are the two most widely used substances that cause gastritis.
- Alcohol should be avoided if the person develops an upset stomach and nausea after drinking alcohol.
The mainstay of gastritis prevention is to avoid those things that irritate or inflame the stomachs lining.
- Aspirin
- NSAIDs such as ibuprofen or naproxen
- Caffeine and other caffeine-like substances
- Alcohol
If the patients health-care professional has prescribed a medication that they think is causing gastritis symptoms, talk to the doctor before you stop taking the medication. The medication may be very important for the patients health.
Causes Of Chronic Gastritis
Type A gastritis
Type A gastritis is also known as autoimmune chronic gastritis. Autoimmune means that the bodys own defence system is directed against the body itself: It forms antibodies that attack the bodys own structures. Type A gastritis is the rarest form of chronic gastritis with about 5 percent of cases.
They attack the document cells that produce stomach acid. Therefore less gastric acid is released. Other antibodies are directed against the intrinsic factor. This protein is produced in the stomach and is necessary for the absorption of vitamin B12. The consequence is a lack of Vittamin B-12.
Type A gastritis accounts for about five percent of chronic gastritis. It can be inherited and mainly affects northern Europeans. The inflammation is often located in the main section of the stomach. Many patients also suffer from other autoimmune diseases, for example
Type B gastritis
About 80 percent of cases of chronic gastritis are of type B. They are usually caused by the bacterium Helicobacter pylori . The stomach germ can be transmitted via saliva or stool. More rarely, related pathogens are also the cause of type B gastritis such as Helicobacter heilmannii, which is transmitted from dogs or cats to humans.
In the case of gastritis caused by bacteria, the protective mucous layer is destroyed by the germs. The stomach acid now attacks the mucous membrane directly.
Type C gastritis
The backwashing of bile into the stomach can also lead to chronic gastritis type C.
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Kombucha May Help Protect Against Cancer
Cancer is one of the worlds leading causes of death. It is characterized by cell mutation and uncontrolled cell growth.
In test-tube studies, kombucha helped prevent the growth and spread of cancerous cells due to its high concentration of tea polyphenols and antioxidants .
How the anti-cancer properties of tea polyphenols work is not well understood.
However, its thought that the polyphenols block gene mutation and growth of cancer cells while also promoting cancer cell death .
For this reason, it is not surprising that tea drinkers are much less likely to develop various types of cancer .
However, whether kombucha has any anti-cancer effects in people has not been confirmed. Further studies are needed.
Summary Test-tube studies show that kombucha may suppress the growth of cancer cells. It is unknown whether drinking kombucha has any effects on cancer risk in people.
Healing The Gut Naturally
We cant discuss gut health or healing remedies without discussing the importance of bacteria. Totaling more of our body composition by weight than our own cells, bacteria comprise a formidable ally or opponent, depending on the situation.
In a journal article describing the importance of gut flora, researchers detailed the collective metabolic activity equal to a virtual organ within an organ, created by bacterial populations in the body.
If youre squirming in your seat at all of this talk of bacteria, youve probably internalized the kills 99.9% of bacteria line that keeps us from caring about our microscopic partners in health. More likely than not, you also have gut damage to heal.
Without restoring or protecting the bacterial balance in the gut, remedies and healing techniques will be ineffective or short lived or both. Fortunately, digestive-wellness essential oils are typically safe, and will presumably be used as part of an overall shift toward holistic wellness.
Be sure you dont discount the importance of gut health because it is responsible for a vast majority of your immune function! From a seminal 2008 report:
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Foods To Avoid On A Gastritis Diet
Foods that are high in fat may worsen inflammation in the lining of the stomach.
For some people, food allergies can trigger gastritis. In these cases, identifying and avoiding these foods may treat and prevent the condition.
Some forms of gastritis are caused by drinking alcohol too often or drinking too much in a short period.
Foods that may irritate the stomach and make gastritis worse include:
- acidic foods, such as tomatoes and some fruits
- alcohol
- spicy foods
- tea
If you notice that a certain food or food group makes your symptoms worse, avoiding this food can prevent symptoms. This is particularly true when it comes to food allergies.