Stomach ulcers are very common in the United States of America. Over twenty million Americans suffer from this disease at least once in their lifetime. Though there are anti-inflammatory and other specific medications available to treat this condition, following a proper diet is equally important.
There are certain foods that can aggravate the ulcer condition and so should be avoided. At the same time, there are certain foods that accelerate the healing process. Following are some very useful diet tips for stomach ulcers.
General Diet Tips
– Bedtime snacks should be avoided. In fact, you should try not to eat anything within two to three hours before going to bed.
– Do not lie down in bed just after having your meals. Sit up while you are eating.
– Do not take your meals hurriedly. Be relaxed. Chew your foods properly. Eat slowly.
– You are also advised to eat 3 light snacks and 3 regular meals evenly spaced throughout the day.
– Quit smoking
Best Diet For Stomach Ulcers
1. Add Cranberries To Your Diet
Cranberries contain certain natural ingredients that can be very effective in preventing helicobacter pylori growth in your body. This way, cranberries can be a powerful diet remedy for stomach ulcers.
Though there are cranberry extract supplements available, an easier, cheaper and more effective alternative is to drink cranberry juice or eat cranberries directly as part of your regular diet plan.
2. Use Fresh Garlic In Your Dishes
Using fresh cloves of garlic in your dishes does not just add better flavor but also helps in faster healing of stomach ulcers.
The powerful antioxidants and flavonoids that garlic contains stimulate healing of the sores. At the same time, it also strengthens your immune system. If you cannot get fresh garlic, even packed jars of chopped garlic can also be used as an alternative.
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3. Eat Apples
Apples are a rich source of fiber and flavonoids. Where fiber-rich foods accelerate the process of recovery from ulcers, flavonoids restrict the further growth of those bacteria in your body that cause stomach ulcers.
It has been found in various studies that the chances of developing a stomach ulcer are very low in people who eat apples regularly. If you already have it, including apple in your regular diet will speed up the recovery.
4. Eat Yogurt
There are several reasons why yogurt should also be included in your regular diet plan. Yogurt contains high amount of probiotics, which are live bacteria that work powerfully against those bacteria (helicobacter pylori) in your body that cause ulcers.
In addition to that, these probiotics are also very helpful in minimizing the side effects of taking antibiotics. Since antibiotics are a major part of the medications for stomach ulcers, it gives all the more reason to treat yogurt as a power food for the patients suffering from this disease.
5. Drink Green Tea
Green tea can also make an effective diet remedy for stomach ulcers. Green tea contains powerful anti-inflammatory ingredients. It is also rich in anti-oxidants.
All these ingredients have the natural ability to work against H-pylori bacteria that cause the formation of stomach ulcers. Therefore, you should consider adding green tea also in your diet plan.
Foods That Are Safe To Eat For Stomach Ulcer Patients
Following is a list of certain foods that are safe for stomach ulcer patients.
– Lean meats of poultry, veal, lambs, pork and beef can be eaten. Poultry should be cooked without its skin.
– Low fat crackers
– Waffles, pancakes, muffins and French toast made with low-fat ingredients.
– Pastas, macaroni, spaghetti and enriched noodles
– Enriched barley and enriched rice
– Pita bread
– Dinner rolls
– Fresh, frozen or canned fruits and vegetable juices. Citrus fruits, however, should be avoided like pineapples and oranges.
– Non-fat (or at least low-fat) milk products
– Dry peas or beans (without fat)
– Tofu (soybean curd)
– Eggs
– Lean ham
– Crisp bacon
– Seedless jam
– Mildly flavored sauces and gravies
– Non-fat salad dressings
Foods Stomach Ulcer Patients Should Avoid
For proper and faster treatment of stomach ulcers, it is very important for you to avoid certain foods because they can make the healing process slow or can even make the condition worse. Following is a long list of such foods.
6. General
To start with, you must avoid eating pickles, highly spiced foods, strongly flavored condiments and seasonings (black pepper, horseradish, chili powder, chili pepper, barbecue sauce etc.), alcoholic beverages and the beverages that contain caffeine (orange soda, colas, tea and coffee).
7. Snacks And Fats
You must also avoid creamy candy, chocolate, coconut, doughnuts, pastries, pies, cookies, cakes and high-fat snacks like buttered popcorn, fried potatoes and chips. Highly seasoned salad dressings, cream soups and gravies should also be avoided.
8. Meat
Certain meat products are also very bad for stomach ulcers. The examples include fatty meat, fried fish, fried poultry, fried meats, highly-seasoned fish (like anchovies and sardines), highly-seasoned poultry and highly seasoned meats like luncheon meat and corned beef.
9. Milk And Dairy Products
In milk and dairy products, you should avoid strong flavored cheeses, cream, buttermilk, chocolate milk and whole milk.
10. Fruits
Certain fruits are also unhealthy for stomach ulcers and so should be avoided. Your fruits-to-avoid list must include figs, tangerines, pineapples, oranges, grapefruits and lemons.
11. Vegetables
In terms of vegetables, you should avoid tomatoes, vegetables prepared with added fat, turnips, rutabagas, green peppers, cucumber, cauliflower, onions, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli and corn. Eating raw vegetables are also not recommended at all.
12 Bread And Grains
In addition to the above food products, stomach ulcer patients must also avoid wild rice, bran cereals, bread products with dried fruits or nuts and cereals and breads that contain high-fat ingredients, such as granola-type cereals, biscuits and croissants.
13. Salt
Various medical studies have confirmed that high intake of salts may aggravate the condition of stomach ulcers. Therefore, while you are taking medications to treat stomach ulcers, you should also cut down your intake of sodium. Foods that are high in salt should strictly be avoided, such as cornflakes, blue cheese, bacon and other salted meats, salted nuts, corn and potato chips, tortilla chips, canned soup and others.
Overall, as you can see, diet plays a crucial role in the treatment of stomach ulcers. So, plan your diet carefully and focus on eating only those foods that help in the faster healing of ulcers.
