Ulcers are the sores on your stomach lining or sometimes on the lining of the small intestines.
Needless to say, Helicobacter pylori (or H. pylori) is the primary source that causes most ulcers. However, nutritional acids can cause discomfort and worsen the pain. Moreover, the use of aspirin or any other anti-inflammatory drugs for a long time could also trigger ulcers. Stress and foods with excess spice can also exacerbate an ulcer.
Around 30 to 40% of the individuals are impacted by stomach or peptic ulcers. A drug-induced peptic ulcer is more prevalent among women and older adults.
Essential Foods for Ulcers
1. Cranberry
Antibiotic resistance issues make it particularly crucial since cranberry(1) tannins seem to lock the bacteria. The bacteria can mutate or can sometimes become resistant to the therapy when antibiotics are in use. Cranberry does not allow the bacteria to get attached or by removes them from the body once they are connected and prevents the inflammation.
You can drink a cup of cranberry juice to avoid the discomfort of stomach ulcers.
Consuming around two 250mL cups of a cocktail of cranberry juice every day could decrease the threat of H. Pylori’s overgrowth on the surface of the ulcer.
[Also Read: How to Get Rid of Stomach Ulcer]
2. Green Tea
The latest research of white, oolong, green, and black teas indicate that these teas can inhibit the development of H. pylori, without causing any harm to beneficial bacteria types present in the stomach, including L. Acidophilus, L. Plantarum, B. lungum. Green tea is a mild diuretic with many advantages. However, drinking green tea may cause some individuals to experience adverse side effects. The side effects may include nausea, enhanced osteoporosis risk, and many more. Hence, you must consult a doctor before having green tea.
You can prepare green tea by just mixing some dried green tea leaves in a cup of boiling water. You can add some honey for the sweetness.
You can drink a cup of green tea every day.
3. Fiber-Rich Foods
Researches indicate that a high fiber diet can reduce the chances of developing an ulcer disease. Although both insoluble and soluble fibers demonstrate this correlation, there is a greater connection between highly soluble fiber diets and a lower chance of ulcer development.
Foods that generally have high soluble fibers include oats, legumes, flaxseeds, psyllium husk, barley, nuts, and some other types of vegetables and fruits, like carrots and apples.
Include all types of good food for stomach ulcers in your meals, as much as possible. It can help you in providing relief from the painful ulcers. You can occasionally consume fruits like apples.
4. Vitamin A Rich Foods
A vitamin A-rich diet can decrease the growth of duodenal ulcer. The same goes for the fruits and vegetables that have potentially high fiber content. Vitamin A improves the production of gastrointestinal mucus. Imbalanced mucosal protection can also lead to the occurrence of ulcers, and Vitamin A may, therefore, have a protective impact against ulcer disease growth.
Some of the beneficial vitamin A sources include vegetables like broccoli, sweet potatoes, broccoli, kale, spinach, carrots, collard greens, and liver are useful for ulcers.
Include these vegetables in your diet to increase the Vitamin A quantity in your body to avoid stomach ulcers.
[Also Read: Try 6 Natural Herbs That Heal Ulcers]
5. Honey
Honey(2) is a ubiquitous sweetener which is used throughout the United States. People who frequently ingest honey can have significant benefits from a variety of health advantages provided by it. A 2016 review states that honey extracted from Manuka has antimicrobial effects on the bacterium H. pylori. It indicates that honey might be helpful in the treatment of ulcers formed in the stomach.
You can replace the sweetening agents in your kitchen by replacing them with honey for ulcers.
Add honey to your platter, as per the desired sweetness level. Manuka Honey for ulcers is deemed beneficial if consumed in limited amounts.
[Read: Cranberry Tea Benefits]
6. Probiotics
Probiotics(3) are the living microorganisms that can assist the digestive tract to restore the equilibrium of the bacteria. They can help you with the treatment of ulcers as well as help attain the ideal gut health.
If taken along with other medicines, probiotics can help you in eradicating the harmful bacteria
You can add the probiotics to many food items, such as –
- Fermented foods
- Supplements, and
- Yogurt
7. Yogurt
Yogurt, along with active living bacteria, particularly during a flare-up, is a simple and easily accessible ulcer relief solution. Yogurt soothes and lines the stomach, and reduces the ulcer pain. Research shows that individuals who consume yogurt in their diet are less prone to develop ulcers in the stomach.
Add yogurt to your diet along with the other foods for ulcers.
[Read: Essential Oil for Ulcers]
Few scoops of yogurt for ulcers every day can help you in providing relief from pain and discomfort.
If you get an ulcer, prevention of certain foods is crucial. It implies avoiding spicy foods, alcohol, and smoking. If chronic and intense pain requires you to consume aspirin or any other anti-inflammatory drug, then you must consult a physician. Also, never forget to maintain a balanced diet. Whenever you suffer from pain, try eating frequent and small meals.
FAQs
1. What to eat if you have an ulcer?
Foods such as yogurt, kimchi, miso, sauerkraut, kombucha, and tempeh are filled with “healthy” bacteria, which are probiotics. By battling H. pylori, they can assist in the treatment of ulcers, infection with pylori or help treatments work better.
Apples, oatmeal, pears, and other high-fiber foods are two-way useful for your ulcers. Fiber can reduce your stomach’s acid while relieving other problems like pain and bloating. Research has also demonstrated that a fiber-rich diet can help you in avoiding ulcers.
2. Is milk good for ulcers?
People who have peptic ulcers are ideally recommended to drink loads of milk for several years. So that they can get a soothing sensation in the stomach and help to cure the ulcers, it is not always appropriate, though. While it may help you for a couple of minutes, but milk often induces your stomach to generate more hydrochloric acid, which can worsen the ulcers.
3. Does spicy food cause ulcers?
For years, doctors had already thought that spicy or more acidic foods are the cause of ulcers that occur in the stomach. The same applies in the case of stress, alcohol, smoking, and unhealthy eating practices in particular. These type of foods and traditions may infuriate existing ulcers, but many of them do not cause them. A bacterium known as Helicobacter pylori is typically responsible for the occurrence of ulcers.
4. What foods are good for stomach ulcers?
Foods or drinks do not cause or cure ulcers. However, some food items (such as fermented dairy products) may benefit you by repairing damaged tissue. Some foods can perpetuate acid build-up along with inflammation (caused by fried food items), which further worsen your ulcer and damage the natural protective layer of your digestive tract.
