Gastritis diet

Gastritis is a specific medical term for an inflammation of the stomach lining. There are many reasons why someone may suffer from gastritis and these include drinking too much alcohol, smoking cigarettes, taking drugs for pain relief, high levels of stress and taking medication for arthritis. Gastritis will come about due to the stomach lining being damaged and then the naturally produced stomach acid will set about harming your internal cells and thus causing inflammation. Gastritis has also been known to be caused by bacterial infections. This is especially true of a microorganism called Helicobacter pylori. Although gastritis can be treated with medication, it is typically solved through certain behavioural changes, especially in your diet.

The most common way to treat gastritis is to avoid overeating. The best way to achieve this is to control what you eat between meals times, and also the amount you actually eat at each meal. The basic idea is to allow your stomach some time to break down the food before introducing new food into your stomach. This can be achieved by eating smaller meals. An example would be that rather than eating a large steak and a whole jacket potato, you can easily cut this meal in half and eat it over two separate sittings. This will allow your stomach more than enough time to break down the food, which will dramatically reduce the chances of irritation occurring within the stomach.

There are also certain drinks and beverages that you should look to avoid if you are someone who suffers with gastritis symptoms. These include black tea, coffee, soda, alcohol and orange juice. All of these drinks either contain high amounts of acid or caffeine which can cause severe irritation of the stomach lining. It is also advisable to avoid chocolate-based drinks such as cocoa and chocolate milk. It is best to consume drinks that are naturally low in acid, alcohol and caffeine. Without doubt, one of the best drinks for someone suffering from gastritis is water. You will actually find that there are certain manufacturers who make low acid coffees and orange juices.



If there are certain foods that typically give you gas, you should look to avoid these as well. Some foods that are well known for causing gas include broccoli, beans, cabbage and peppers. Rather than completely cutting these foods from your diet, you can actually prepare them in a way that reduces their gas forming abilities. An example would be to take dried beans or peas and soak them in water in order to reduce their gases. You have the choice of either soaking them overnight or initially boiling them for a few minutes prior to soaking them for a few hours. The majority of vegetables will have some very specific instructions on the product label which will explain exactly how to soak them.

Foods that are high in fat are well known for causing many stomach related problems. These problems can become far worse for someone who is suffering from gastritis. Certain fatty meats such as luncheon meat, ground beef and pork sausages should be avoided. You should also look to reduce the number dairy products that are made with whole milk from your diet. Once again you do not need to completely cut these foods out of your diet, but merely look to consume the less fatty alternatives. You can purchase the majority of dairy products as a reduced fat or fat-free variety. Ground beef can also be purchased with substantially reduced fat content.

Foods that contain a high amount of seasoning have been known to encourage the symptoms of gastritis. These may include chilli, spaghetti and soups. Certain spices such as chilli powder, ground peppers, cloves and nutmeg can also cause your gastritis to flare up. The majority of these spices are high in acid and fat content and are therefore more than likely to irritate gastritis symptoms. You should look to cut down on certain condiments such as gravy, mustard and salad dressing. A fantastic alternative is to cook meat far slower and add freshly chopped herbs. For example you can cook chicken in a slow cooker and add certain fresh herbs such as rosemary. This helps to avoid the use of gravy, sauces and dips and your chicken will still remain tender and flavoursome.

Some ideal foods to eat if you suffer from chronic gastritis are rice, barley and wheat bran. It is also essential that you eat plenty of vegetables especially the green, leafy variety. Vegetables that are high in water content such as cucumber, celery, pumpkin and sprouts can also soothe the stomach and its lining. It is also a good idea to replace vegetable or corn oil with olive oil and look to regularly eat fruits that are not considered acidic.