Stomach Ulcer Diet

A stomach ulcer diet, also known as peptic ulcer diet, is a diet plan to help people with GI ulcers, decreasing the symptoms and helping the treatment next to medications.
The main reasons for peptic ulcers are Helicobacter pylori infection, gastritis or inflammation of the stomach, taking aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), corticosteroids, and stress. Using alcohol or concentrated ethanol can worsen symptoms of peptic ulcers. Alcohol and smoking do contribute to ulcers and should be avoided. Indeed A low fiber diet can cause the recurrence of peptic ulcers. (1)
In the following, we wrote about foods to eat with a stomach ulcer, foods that help ulcers, and stomach ulcer foods to avoid.

Peptic ulcers or stomach ulcers are mild injury to the gastrointestinal tract. The condition that the inside linings of the stomach or upper part of the small intestine get injured, and it will have open sores. This situation is called peptic ulcers. (2)
Long-term use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which can damage the lining of your digestive tract, is a common cause of peptic ulcers. Others are caused by a bacterial infection called Helicobacter pylori. In both cases, a peptic ulcer diet help to heal faster.

Using pain-relieving drugs such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs, e.g. Advil, naproxen, diclofenac, celecoxib, mefenamic acid, ibuprofen) for the long term or being infected to bacteria such as Helicobacter pylori can induce peptic ulcers. Aspirin and NSAIDs will cause congestion, superficial ulcers, subarachnoid hemorrhage, and general ulcers. (1) The cause of these injuries is the suppression of endogenous prostaglandins. Suppose the peptic ulcer disease does not be controlled. In that case, it will complicate gastric cancer, hole and perforation in stomach linings, bleeding, and the blockage of passes of food through the gastrointestinal digestion system tracts. (3)

Many people even don't know they have peptic ulcers because they don't have any symptoms. However, there are some common symptoms among patients. (4) It may start an hour after eating and lasts for hours. Eating foods that you should avoid if you have an ulcer cause symptoms to worsen. Starvation and an empty stomach can aggravate this pain. We recommend eating frequent meals to prevent the stomach from being empty and using good foods to eat with an ulcer in your diet.
♦ Dull pain
♦ Abnormal and unexplained weight loss
♦ Decreased appetite and unwillingness to eat due to stomach pain.
♦ Heartburn
♦ Stomach discomfort
♦ Stomach pain
♦ Nausea
♦ Pain in the upper abdomen
♦ Fat intolerance
♦ Bloating
♦ Stomach acid can worsen the pain.
♦ Gastrointestinal bleeding may occur in patients with aspirin / NSAID-induced injury, stress-related injury, and port hypertension-induced gastropathy.
♦ Anemia and dark stools can occur due to stomach bleeding
♦ Fatigue

Peptic ulcer Treatment varies according to the severity and cause of the disease. Stomach ulcers may require antibiotics medications to treat a microbial, which may be a combination of different antibiotics. (5)
Using antacids and drugs that inhibit acid production in the gastrointestinal tract is another way to treat and relieve stomach ulcer pain; However, long-term use can cause osteoporosis and increase the risk of bone fractures. Therefore, avoid taking these drugs arbitrarily and continue your medication under the supervision of a doctor.
Using drugs that reduce stomach acid or have a protective effect on the gastric mucosa is another common drug used in treating gastric ulcers.
Patients with Helicobacter pylori infection should be aware that even if the disease's symptoms disappear, continue treating gastric ulcers until the infection is completely cured.
To cure stomach ulcers faster, patients should follow the stomach ulcer diet tips and eat ulcer friendly foods to prevent the aggravation of the disease and cause the healing of stomach ulcers more quickly.
In some cases, surgery may be needed to remove part of the stomach for stomach ulcer treatment, but it happens in rare cases.
A patient with peptic ulcer disease should be on a peptic ulcer diet for a while and be cautious about foods that should avoid with stomach ulcers. (6, 7, 8)

The peptic ulcer diet is needed to treat ulcers. It should be a balanced diet with no bulky and high-fat foods. A stomach ulcer diet should be full of high-quality foods to prevent malnutrition without stimulants foods.

♦ Protein foods can lower gastric secretions' acidity and stimulate the secretion of gastrin hormones, and the substance that can break down the proteins to amino acids and continue digestion. Low protein diets do not increase the total number of stomach lesions but increase their severity. So it is better to eat more protein in your peptic ulcer diet. (9)
♦ A Fiber-rich diet is a special way to protect the mucosal tissue of inner stomach linings. Adequate consumption of fruits and vegetables or adequate dietary fiber intake effectively treat gastric ulcer disease. A peptic ulcer diet should include soluble and insoluble fiber sources such as fruits, vegetables, oatmeal, brans, bran buds, legumes, and dried beans. (10)
♦ Dietitians limit high-fat foods such as high-fat dairy products, fried foods, cakes, muffins, and fast foods in the stomach ulcer diet.
♦ Milk and yogurt can help peptic ulcer treatment by protecting the stomach's linings, but they can't be a long-term treatment. You should note that high fat or whole milk is not suitable for the peptic ulcer diet. Fermented dairy and probiotic dairy are better choices in the stomach ulcer diet. (11)
♦ You should limit wine and beer in the stomach ulcer diet because they can increase stomach discharges. Although it has not been shown to cause peptic ulcers, it may worsen them. Avoid alcoholic beverages that may aggravate symptoms. (12, 13)
♦ Coffee and caffeine can stimulate stomach acid secretion, and it may loosen the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) anyway; none of them can't cause peptic ulcers. Still, too many of them can occur to the related diseases. Caffeinated beverages, coffee, and tea should be avoided in the peptic ulcer diet because they can worsen stomach ulcers by means of more secretion of gastric acids. (14, 15)
♦ Red and black pepper are seasonings that can increase acid secretion, but a low amount of them and their substitutes can increase mucus production and mucosal protection. However, a lot of pepper may lead to superficial mucosal damage, and you should avoid them in the peptic ulcer diet plan.(16)
♦ Phenolic compounds are protective foods like soybean, oat, red cabbage, basil, ginger, red onion, shallot, thyme, grapefruit, lemon, sweet orange, black raspberry, etc., which can lead to the eradication of Helicobacter pylori. Probiotics also can reduce the side effects of eradicating Helicobacter pylori, such as diarrhea, nausea, and indigestion. Probiotic foods include tofu, tempeh, kimchi, miso, yogurt, kefir, some cheeses, and sourdough bread which you can use in your peptic ulcer diet plan. (17, 18)
♦ The dietitians consider the foods with accurate pH in the diet plan based on the patient's condition who suffers from oral or esophageal ulcers.

♦ Consumption of ginger in the stomach ulcer diet can reduce nausea symptoms in patients. (19)
♦ It is recommended that eating 5 to 6 low volume meals rather than three bulky ones.
♦ Adequate rest, enough sleep, and no stress are the general cares that can improve the natural healing process. Peptic ulcer patients should cope with stress conditions to reduce the destructive effects on their disease.
♦ Adequate exercise and physical activities help patients to relieve stress. (22)
♦ Smoking cigarettes will lead to the progress of wounds and ulcers and slow down the healing process, so this habit should be stopped. (20, 21)
♦ Some deficiencies may be occurred due to the ulcers, so supplementation is needed. Patients with inflammation associated with gastric atrophy (thinning of the stomach's inner lining) have a low status of B12 due to the lack of internal gastric factor (IF) and acid. The decrease in stomach acid leads to decreased absorption of iron and calcium. Eradication of helicobacter pylori can improve iron absorption and increase ferritin levels. (23)
♦ Peptic ulcer patients should avoid using NSAIDs and Aspirin arbitrarily and without a doctor's prescription. (24)
♦ Drinking a moderate amount of alcohol does not seem to have a pathological effect on the ulcers despite other risk factors.
♦ Curcumin, the substance available in turmeric, has an anti-inflammatory and protective effect against cancer related to Helicobacter Pylori. (25) Studies have shown the eradication of foods such as green tea, kimchi, and black raisin oil on helicobacter pylori. Probiotics can prevent this condition. (26) You can enjoy them in your stomach ulcer diet.
♦ Peptic ulcers may be connected with other diseases such as Crohn's disease, celiac disease, and some other infections that they should be cured to fight Stomach ulcers.

Below are ulcer friendly foods which you can eat in a stomach ulcer diet without worrying:

♦ Cherries
♦ Blackberries
♦ Raspberries
♦ Berries
♦ Blueberries
♦ Cauliflower

♦ Broccoli
♦ Cabbage
♦ Kale
♦ Spinach
♦ Bell peppers
♦ Honey

♦ Garlic
♦ Healthy fats and Olive oil
♦ Lean meats
♦ Eggs
♦ Fish and seafood
♦ Legumes 

Foods to avoid with peptic ulcers are very similar to those that are avoided during induced acid reflux and GERD. Because they may worsen the symptoms, they have to be avoided and restricted in the stomach ulcer diet.

♦ Citrus fruits and their juices
♦ Alcohol and Alcoholic beverages
♦ Coffee

♦ Caffeine
♦ Salty foods
♦ Fried foods

♦ Chocolate
♦ Tomatoes and its products
♦ Spicy foods