Gastritis is the name given to inflammatory processes in the gastric mucosa, which inevitably lead to digestive problems. A person begins to digest food poorly, as a result of which his health deteriorates and weakness and lethargy appear. According to statistics, about half of the residents of our country have painful symptoms of gastritis to one degree or another.
Diet for gastritis
Many people wonder: what diet should you follow for gastritis? This is a very important question, since proper nutrition is a major part of the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases. If you have gastritis, you should always follow a sweet diet, and if your health improves, you can only gradually return to normal eating habits. In some cases, doctors prescribe a personal diet for gastritis.
It is also necessary to remember that an enzyme deficiency develops with gastritis, so in some cases, together with a diet to improve digestion, it is worth using enzyme preparations such as Micrazim.
There are two types of gastritis: acute and chronic. In different people, these forms can be accompanied by high and low degrees of gastric acidity. Acute gastritis is of the following types:
- fibrinous (much with the appearance of infectious diseases);
- catarrh (accompanied by a violation of the integrity of the outer lining of the stomach);
- phlegmonous (causes purulent inflammatory processes on the gastric walls);
- corrosive (one of the side effects of poisoning).
Chronic diseases, in turn, come in the following forms:
- superficial ;
- hypertrophy;
- polyposis;
- bacterial;
- granulomatous;
- autoimmunity.
Another form of chronic gastritis is typical for those whose stomach walls have been damaged due to the systematic intake of alcohol in large quantities.
Main principles of diet for diseases of gastritis
Remember that a proper diet for gastritis is the key to successfully overcoming the symptoms. If the acidity of your gastric juice increases, then you need to eat foods that help reduce its activity. Follow three rules:
- Mechanical principle. Avoid foods with coarse fiber. Such products include onion crops, veined meat, and bran. In addition, dishes cooked in oil are strictly prohibited.
- Chemical principle. Avoid foods that can increase gastric secretion. This list includes alcohol, sparkling water, citrus fruits (including their juices), coffee, black bread, cabbage and rich meat broth.
- Thermal principle. Do not eat foods that are at very high or very low temperatures. They irritate the esophagus, and cold food, among other things, lingers longer than usual in the stomach.
What foods can you eat if you have gastritis?
Include lean meat (such as rabbit) in your diet. Duck, lamb and goose are not allowed, but chicken can only be eaten without the skin.
Other acceptable foods and dishes include:
- River fish;
- seafood;
- egg white omelette;
- oatmeal and buckwheat porridge;
- milk;
- zucchini, pumpkin, tomatoes, carrots, various greens;
- berries with a high sugar content;
- boiled and pureed fruit.
What should be missing from the diet?
If you have been diagnosed with gastritis caused by the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, then it is not advisable to prescribe a diet for yourself. Be sure to consult a gastroenterologist or nutritionist so that gastritis treatment is consistent and effective.
With this disease, the menu should not include:
- Fresh baked goods, especially rye bread, as well as puff pastry. Instead, it is better to eat white bread, plain cookies and pies.
- Soups with a rich broth, including mushroom soup, cabbage soup and borscht. Such dishes should be replaced by light vegetable soups with potatoes, cabbage, carrots and onions.
- Smoked dishes, as well as meat with fat and veins. Instead, it is better to eat dishes made from boiled or steamed meat (cutlets, meatballs). The types of meat allowed are chicken and lamb.
- Hard boiled eggs and fried omelettes. They should be substituted for soft-boiled eggs and steamed omelettes.
- Any salty and seasoned dishes, marinades, chocolate, carbonated drinks, coffee and kvass.
- Alcohol.
Diet for high acidity
With this type of gastritis, you should not overuse fruits and vegetables, as they can make your health worse. However, you should not completely remove these products from the menu. Avoid foods that can stimulate the production of stomach acid and opt for foods that reduce acid. By eating right, you are more likely to lose some weight than gain it. Below is a table showing permitted and prohibited products:
| Vegetables: carrots, pumpkin, potatoes, beets. Light vegetable salads. Tomatoes: ripe, chopped. Cucumbers without skin. | Greenery. |
| Fruits: non-acidic, ripe, without skin (banana, pear, apple). It is better to eat fruit that is not raw, but baked. Watermelons and melons - in very limited quantities. | Fried potatoes, pickled foods, sauerkraut. |
| Milk (from cow or goat), cream, yogurt. Fresh cottage cheese. | Sour cream, kefir, hard cheese. |
| soup with diet broth. | Cabbage soup and borscht in a rich broth. |
| pasta | legumes |
| Boiled chicken or rabbit meat, poor river fish. | Smoked meat, fish and meat with a high fat content, canned foods. |
| Oatmeal and buckwheat | Dried fruits |
| Soft-boiled eggs. | Chocolate |
| Crackers, white bread (which was sitting for a few days), dry biscuits. | Hard-boiled eggs, fried omelet. |
| Tea and weak coffee, cocoa with extra milk. | Rye and freshly baked bread. Cakes, confectionery products with cream filling. |
low acidity diet
In such conditions, you must eat differently than in the previous case. You must eat foods that promote gastric secretion. The table below shows dishes that are suitable for remission. If you have severe pain in the stomach, then you need to exclude from the menu dishes that irritate the stomach tissue.
Vegetables: baked potatoes, tomatoes, greens, carrots, beets, pumpkin, pickles.
Diet for gastritis - general recommendations
Patients with gastritis should exclude spices used in the cooking process from the menu. You can improve the taste of the food with fresh herbs (parsley, dill, celery). Greens will also help to add vitamins to your diet: try to season as many dishes as you eat with chopped greens.
You must eat small meals, but avoid snacking; in this way the stomach will not have difficulty digesting food. Chew your food well and eat slowly. Food eaten hastily can worsen your health and aggravate gastritis. Chew your food until it turns into an easily digestible dough.
Do not forget that proper and balanced nutrition is the key to treating gastritis. Many patients who followed a strict diet during the treatment say that it helped them successfully overcome all the symptoms and pain associated with this disease within 4 weeks.
Important: before use, read the instructions or consult your doctor.
What to eat for gastritis of the stomach?
Characteristics of gastritis
Gastritis is a chronic inflammatory condition of the lining of the stomach, which leads to pain, loss of appetite and other symptoms. Of all the pathologies of the digestive tract, most patients suffer from this disease.
Many people underestimate the importance of timely diagnosis of gastritis and consider it a minor deviation that does not require treatment. They think that the disease will not cause any harm and that it will gradually disappear on its own, without treatment. But if treatment methods and diet are not implemented in a timely manner, the pathology can gradually develop into peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum, and malignant transformation.
Etiological factors
Many studies have been carried out, statistics have been collected, according to which Helicobacter pylori is the basis for the development of inflammatory pathologies of the stomach. This is a bacterium that attacks the walls of the stomach and duodenum. Most people are just carriers of the bacterium, but under the influence of negative factors it begins to multiply actively, causing pathology. Helicobacter pylori can over time cause the development of atypical cells of the mucous membrane, which will lead to malignant degeneration.
- Eating poor quality food. It includes fatty, fried, spicy, smoked and too salty foods. This type of food aggressively affects the walls of the stomach, causing an inflammatory process. Because of the damage, Helicobacter pylori begins to multiply actively.
- Kurenie) Nicotine and smoke spread during smoking into the respiratory tract and digestive system. It has a negative effect on the mucous membranes, causing increased irritation and inflammation.
- Drinking large amounts of alcohol. This has a toxic effect on any tissue of the body, including the gastrointestinal tract. Inflammation occurs or is intensified.
- Stress. Great physical and psycho-emotional stress. These factors cause the active production of cortisol. It is the result of an increased release of hydrochloric acid. If it acts on the stomach walls in the absence of a food bolus, damage occurs.
If several factors affect the patient at the same time, the disease develops faster.
Clinical signs
In the early stages, the patient and the doctor may not notice visual symptoms. The more damage that occurs, the more actively the inflammatory process develops.
- pain in the epigastric region, worse by stress, eating, hunger;
- nausea, vomiting that occurs regardless of food intake;
- constipation, diarrhea.
There are signs that can be used to determine if a patient has gastrointestinal pathology.
- frequent epigastric pain;
- point pain in the middle of the abdomen;
- heart burn;
- frequent belching;
- constipation, diarrhea;
- occasional nausea;
- vomiting for no reason;
- the presence of any gastroenterological disease in close relatives;
- the presence of bad habits (smoking, frequent alcohol consumption, overeating);
- periodic use of a strict diet.
It is impossible to determine the diagnosis independently, since symptoms may be present in other temporary disorders or acute diseases. It is important to have an examination and diagnosis by a doctor who will prescribe conservative or radical treatment, depending on the lesion that is developing.
Diet
- gastroenterologist;
- nutritionist
It is better if these doctors work together to provide quality treatment.
- degree of damage to the mucous membrane;
- degree of spread of the lesion to different parts of the gastrointestinal tract;
- reasons for the defeat.
After gathering complete information, a nutritional regimen is drawn up. This is one of the basic treatment methods that reduces the burden on the gastrointestinal tract.
- with high acidity;
- with low acidity.
Regardless of the type of diet chosen, the gastroenterologist should remind you of the basic principles of proper diet during illness.
- Split up. The total number of products that the patient should eat in 1 day is identified. It is divided into 6 parts, distributing meals evenly throughout the day. That is, the patient must eat food every 3 hours. You should not overeat or get hungry, as these factors have a negative effect on the condition of the stomach. One serving of food is about the volume of two palms.
- Chewing. The food consumed begins to be digested in the oral cavity under the influence of saliva, which contains enzymes. Therefore, it is important to chew each piece for a long time.
- The rest after eating. You need to sit and lie down for 30 minutes so that the digestive process starts without obstacles.
- Temperature. If an inflammatory process is suspected, eat hot food. It should not be too hot or cold.
- Water method. Drink at least 2 liters of water per day to maintain a stable water-electrolyte balance and prevent dehydration from developing. Drink water a little throughout the day.
- Mandatory protein intake. Proteins are the building blocks of the body. Thanks to them, damaged tissues recover faster after gastritis.
- Prohibition of eating too coarse food. There should be no pieces that could damage the structure of the mucous membrane.
- Proper cooking. It is boiled, steamed, baked. It is forbidden to fry or smoke.
- Prohibition of alcohol consumption, caffeine, energy drinks, soda.
- Maintaining vitamin concentrations. If they are normal, metabolism and metabolism improves, the nervous system and the digestive tract are strengthened. If there are not enough nutrients, multivitamin preparations are used.
The application of these rules reduces the burden on the stomach during treatment.
Fruits with high acidity
Gastritis, accompanied by normal or high acidity, requires special nutrition. It is necessary to monitor the temperature of the food: it is not recommended to eat food with a temperature above 40-50 ⁰C. Fruit can be drunk in pure form, steamed, boiled, baked or stewed, or in wines, mousses, jelly, jelly or compote. It is not recommended to eat fruits with a high content of organic acids (pomegranates, citrus fruits, fresh apricots), unripe or sour fruits. During sharpening, all fruits should be used only in purified form. The rest of the time it is best to use:
- sweet varieties of apples;
- avocado.
Fruits with low acidity
Regarding the opposite form of gastritis, when acidity is reduced, doctors recommend other results:
- citrus fruits - prevent the formation of malignant cells, maintain normal acidity;
- pomegranate and its juice help restore the gastric mucosa;
- peaches - promote the production of gastric juice, but they can only be eaten by patients who are not allergic to the fruit.
Attention! For any gastrointestinal pathology, it is important not to overload the stomach and follow the diet prescribed by the doctor.
Diet for gastritis with high acidity
- excessive production of hydrochloric acid;
- increase in hydrochloric acid.
Normally, hydrochloric acid is intended to break down the contents of the stomach. But it must be within certain limits so that the body's own tissues are not damaged.
- inflammation;
- corrosion;
- ulcer;
- perforation.
Gastritis can develop at different ages. Prolonged exposure to a harmful factor is enough to develop an inflammatory process. If the acidity of gastric juice increases, you must follow a certain diet that reduces these indicators.
Attention! Many patients know that taking antacids lowers the acidity of gastric juice. However, it is forbidden to take these drugs on your own. They have contraindications and side effects.
When using a diet, it is important to follow certain rules in order to be successful.
- Avoid foods that damage or harm the stomach walls. This is a food that contains fibers and solid elements. For example, cereals, buns, bran, stringy meat. All food should be as sweet as possible and easily digestible.
- Refusal of any foods and drinks that cause an increase in hydrochloric acid. For example, citrus fruits, canned food, coffee, alcohol, soda.
- Eating food at a hot temperature. Do not consume boiling water, hot liquids or food. Cold foods are also unacceptable. The best limits are 25-35 degrees.
If the patient's gastritis has worsened significantly and causes unbearable pain, it is necessary to start a strict diet immediately. This will help to significantly reduce the inflammatory process and allow the tissues to recover. Already on the 3rd day one will feel relief. But this is possible only with the help of additional use of medicines prescribed by a doctor.
- low-fat chicken or vegetable broth with crackers, which can be replaced by soft porridge (for example, oatmeal);
- pasta soup with milk (hard pasta is allowed);
- boiled young potatoes without cream, salt;
- milk with a reduced fat content, so as not to put an increased burden on the gastrointestinal tract due to the appearance of a high concentration of lactose.
If there is a big aggravation and acute pain, each product is added gradually, in small portions. This will allow the digestive tract to get used to it and will not cause negative reactions. But if a food causes nausea or increased pain, it is better to replace it with other types of food.
As soon as the acute period is over, the diet is continued.
- boiled, baked eggs, which contain a high concentration of protein (the yolk can be removed to limit the amount of fat);
- lean meat of chicken, rabbit, beef, which can be baked, boiled, steamed (remove the skin before cooking);
- fish and seafood, which contain a large amount of omega-3, which has a beneficial effect on the digestive tract and the nervous system;
- milk that needs to be boiled first;
- soups with added grains (any grain except semolina is allowed);
- vegetables sold in the shop according to the season;
- fruit, which is recommended to be eaten between main meals, so as not to stress the gastrointestinal tract, but not to leave the stomach empty;
- quality sausages;
- olive, sunflower oil;
- dumplings and similar products prepared at home from natural minced meat and a thin layer of dough;
- laxative, which has the most positive effect on the liver, because it contains a large number of microelements and vitamins;
- soft cheeses;
- honey, weak tea, herbal decoctions, dried fruit compote.
- bakery products, muffins, fresh pastries;
- candies, chocolate;
- dairy products.
All these foods increase the acidity of the stomach. Carbohydrates have a negative effect on any part of the digestive tract, causing strong acidity. This is a favorable environment for the proliferation of Helicobacter pylori. In addition, they refuse chewing gum, since during its use hydrochloric acid is actively produced. If there is too much of it, acid gastritis will increase. This can result in the formation of erosions and ulcers.
Diet for gastritis with low acidity
With this type of inflammatory process of the stomach, the concentration and acidity of hydrochloric acid decreases. Therefore, food is poorly digested, large pieces of food enter the intestines, causing a heavy burden. This has a negative impact on the overall state of the digestive tract. Usually, such gastritis occurs in people aged 40 years and older.
- atrophic condition of the gastric mucosa;
- tissue thinning;
- decreased parietal cell function.
Gastritis with low acidity is one of the most dangerous diseases that are difficult to treat. Therefore, it is important to start treatment early, before a pre-cancerous condition develops.
To correct the pathology, you need to eat foods that stimulate the production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. You also need to increase its acidity so that the food bolus is processed.
Attention! It is necessary to increase acidity at the same time without putting pressure on the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, it is forbidden to use fatty foods, spicy, fried, smoked, fast food, and alcohol, regardless of the fact that they will increase acidity.
- before eating, drink 200 ml of slightly carbonated mineral water;
- chew food thoroughly, eating each piece gradually, the whole meal takes at least 30 minutes;
- Between meals it is recommended to eat fruits that increase acidity; you can pre-bake them so they don't stress.
- types of lean meat - chicken, turkey, rabbit, young veal;
- any kind of fruit and vegetables that do not have a coarse fibrous structure (citrus fruit, white cabbage and cauliflower are recommended);
- vegetable and meat broth;
- a small concentration of carbohydrates in the form of sweets and baked goods;
- any kind of fermented milk products;
- canned foods;
- herbal decoctions, tea, berries and fruit compote.
Since milk in any form reduces the acidity of gastric juice, it is forbidden to eat it when preparing a diet.
Gastritis is one of the most common digestive problems among the population. The disease can affect patients of any age. It can be prevented if you use the prevention rules. But if the pathology has already developed, it is important to undergo a timely diagnosis and start treatment to avoid developing complications. The therapy is based on a proper and high-quality diet, improving lifestyle, and avoiding bad habits. The diet is selected individually for each patient, depending on the degree of damage and acidity of gastric juice.