Diet For Ulcers And Gastritis

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Jul 3, 2023.

• Care notes
• Aftercare
• Ambulatory
• Español

What is a diet for stomach ulcers and gastritis?

A diet for ulcers and gastritis is a meal plan that limits foods that irritate your stomach. Certain foods may worsen symptoms such as stomach pain, bloating, heartburn, or indigestion.

Which foods should I limit or avoid?

You may need to avoid acidic, spicy, or high-fat foods. Not all foods affect everyone the same way. You will need to learn which foods worsen your symptoms and limit those foods. The following are some foods that may worsen ulcer or gastritis symptoms:

• Beverages to avoid:
  • Whole milk and chocolate milk
  • Hot cocoa and cola
  • Any beverage with caffeine
  • Regular and decaffeinated coffee
  • Peppermint and spearmint tea
  • Green and black tea, with or without caffeine
  • Orange and grapefruit juices
  • Drinks that contain alcohol
• Spices and seasonings to avoid:
  • Black and red pepper
  • Chili powder
  • Mustard seed and nutmeg
• Other foods to avoid:
  • Dairy foods made from whole milk or cream
  • Chocolate
  • Spicy or strongly flavored cheeses, such as jalapeno or black pepper
  • Highly seasoned, high-fat meats, such as sausage, salami, bacon, ham, and cold cuts
  • Hot chiles and peppers
  • Tomato products, such as tomato paste, tomato sauce, or tomato juice

Treatment options

The following list of medications are in some way related to or used in the treatment of this condition.

• Protonix
• pantoprazole
• Carafate
• Protonix IV
• Tagamet HB

View more treatment options

Which foods can I eat and drink?

Eat a variety of healthy foods from all the food groups. Eat fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat dairy foods. Whole grains include whole-wheat breads, cereals, pasta, and brown rice. Choose lean meats, poultry (chicken and turkey), fish, beans, eggs, and nuts. A healthy meal plan is low in unhealthy fats, salt, and added sugar. Healthy fats include olive oil and canola oil. Ask your dietitian for more information about a healthy meal plan.

What other guidelines may be helpful?

• Do not eat right before bedtime. Stop eating at least 2 hours before bedtime.
• Eat small, frequent meals. Your stomach may tolerate small, frequent meals better than large meals.

Care Agreement

You have the right to help plan your care. Discuss treatment options with your healthcare provider to decide what care you want to receive. You always have the right to refuse treatment. The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.

© Copyright Merative 2023 Information is for End User’s use only and may not be sold, redistributed or otherwise used for commercial purposes.

Learn more about Diet for Stomach Ulcers and Gastritis

Treatment options

• Medications for Stress Ulcer Prophylaxis

Symptoms and treatments

• Stress Ulcer Prophylaxis Health Guide

Further information

Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure the information displayed on this page applies to your personal circumstances.

Medical Disclaimer

Foods to Eat and Foods to Avoid

We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission Here’s our process.

Healthline only shows you brands and products that we stand behind.

Our team thoroughly researches and evaluates the recommendations we make on our site. To establish that the product manufacturers addressed safety and efficacy standards, we:

• Evaluate ingredients and composition: Do they have the potential to cause harm?
• Fact-check all health claims: Do they align with the current body of scientific evidence?
• Assess the brand: Does it operate with integrity and adhere to industry best practices?

We do the research so you can find trusted products for your health and wellness.

Read more about our vetting process.

Was this helpful?

Eating certain foods, including blackberries, broccoli, and foods containing probiotics, may be helpful against ulcer-causing bacteria.

Stomach ulcers are open sores that develop within the lining of your stomach.

According to the American College of Gastroenterology, an organization of doctors who specialize in the digestive tract, there is no specific diet a person with ulcers needs to follow. Food choices don’t cause ulcers or make them worse.

Current diet recommendations are now based on research that certain foods may have ingredients that fight against the bacteria Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), a main cause of ulcers.

In the majority of all ulcer cases, the cause of ulcers can be linked to an H. pylori infection, as well as to the chronic use of over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as aspirin and ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil).

Since the H. pylori bacteria is now known to be an important cause of ulcer formation, scientists are exploring what foods may have a role in fighting against an infection.

In addition to taking the antibiotics and acid-blocking medications recommended by your doctor for your ulcer treatment, eating these foods may also be helpful against the ulcer-causing bacteria:

• cauliflower
• cabbage
• radishes
• apples
• blueberries
• raspberries
• blackberries
• strawberries
• cherries
• bell peppers
• carrots
• broccoli
• leafy greens, such as kale and spinach
• probiotic-rich foods, such as yogurt, kefir, miso, sauerkraut, and kombucha.
• olive oil and other plant-based oils
• honey
• garlic
• decaffeinated green tea
• licorice
• turmeric

Why they help

If your stomach ulcer is caused by an H. pylori infection, foods that are rich in antioxidants may be beneficial. They could help protect and activate your immune system and help fight the infection. They may also help protect against stomach cancer.

Foods like blueberries, cherries, and bell peppers are packed with antioxidant power. Leafy greens such as kale and spinach contain calcium and B vitamins.

Broccoli contains sulforaphane, a compound that exhibits anti-H. pylori activity. Some research shows that the fatty acids contained in olive oil can also help treat an H. pylori infection.

Fermented probiotic foods have shown promise in clinical studies for ulcer treatment. These foods, such as miso, sauerkraut, and kimchi, may prevent reinfection.

Turmeric is currently being studied as a potential treatment for ulcers as well.

Garlic, decaffeinated green tea, and licorice round out the list of things you might want to incorporate in your diet.

Supplements may be beneficial

If your stomach ulcer is being treated with an antibiotic, consider taking a probiotic supplement as part of your diet plan. This can help reduce antibiotic-associated symptoms. It may also improve the effectiveness of the antibiotic.

Ask your doctor what probiotics would be best to take with your antibiotic medication. Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Saccharomyces supplements have shown benefits in people with H. pylori ulcers.

Deglycyrrhizinated licorice (taken one hour before meals) and curcumin extracts have shown promise in some ulcer research due to their action against H. pylori.

Some people who have an ulcer also have acid reflux. In some people, certain foods can relax the lower part of the esophagus, known as the lower esophageal sphincter (LES).

A relaxed LES makes it easier for acid to back up into the esophagus and causes heartburn, indigestion, and pain.

Foods that may make acid reflux worse include:

• coffee
• chocolate
• spicy food
• alcohol
• acidic foods, such as citrus and tomatoes
• caffeine

Overeating and eating within two to three hours before bed may also worsen reflux symptoms.

Ulcers caused by H. pylori will most likely need to be treated with antibiotics. Strict adherence to your treatment plan and close follow-up with your doctor are the best ways to make sure your treatments are effective and your ulcers are healing.

You will also be prescribed a medication that temporarily keeps your stomach from making or secreting as much acid as it normally would. This medication may be a proton pump inhibitor or h3 blocker.

Learn more about treatment for a peptic ulcer.

What drinks help ulcers?

You can try beverages that contain probiotics, such as kombucha. In addition, research has found that drinking cranberry juice may help fight an H. pylori infection.

How do you calm an ulcer quickly?

You can get fast relief by taking acid blockers like famotidine (Pepcid).

Will a stomach ulcer go away on its own?

A stomach ulcer could go away on its own, but this is less common. More often, the symptoms of a stomach ulcer continue for weeks or even months until a person seeks treatment.

Most ulcers caused by H. pylori are completely treatable. But untreated stomach ulcers can lead to more serious problems, like internal bleeding and stomach cancer.

If you suspect you have an ulcer, don’t ignore it. Speak to your healthcare professional, make a plan, and get treatment.

Diet for peptic ulcer | Sanatorium Gorny

Peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum is a disease in which the mucous membrane is affected with the formation of defects on it (ulcers). Treatment of gastric ulcer should be carried out in a complex way: therapeutic nutrition + drug therapy. The basic principle of nutrition in gastric ulcer is to exclude products that irritate the mucous membrane.

General rules. duration of the diet.

With an exacerbation of the disease, diet No. 1 should be followed. And when the symptoms subside, you can switch to diet number 5

Nutrition for gastric and duodenal ulcers consists of several important rules:

1. A certain way of preparing food. Food can be baked without a crust, boiled, stewed.
2. The number of meals should be at least 5-6 times a day. The volume of food is not more than 200 ml per 1 meal.
3. Food should be warm (32-38 C), not hot or cold.
4. Meals must be nutritious and balanced in nutrients.
5. Drinking mode. The amount of fluid drunk per day should be at least 2 liters of fluid.
6. Do not eat food that irritates the mucous membrane, as well as carbonated drinks.
7. Minimize salt intake

The diet must be followed even in the case of a long remission. Any violations in nutrition can lead to an exacerbation of the disease and the development of complications.

Nutrition for an ulcer during an exacerbation:

During the period of exacerbation of the disease, it is necessary to follow a strict diet. Food should have enveloping properties. Dishes are best boiled or steamed. Food should be ground to a gruel or served in the form of mashed potatoes. The number of meals should be increased.

Notice! An ulcer during an exacerbation is a contraindication for spa treatment: it is better to go to a hospital.

If you have a chronic form, then you should regularly carry out preventive treatment .

Nutrition for chronic peptic ulcer:

With peptic ulcer, proper nutrition is a fundamental condition for recovery and stable remission.

The diet should be selected by the attending physician, taking into account individual characteristics, concomitant diseases, stage of the disease, age and body weight of the patient.

For all patients suffering from peptic ulcer in remission, when compiling the menu, certain rules are followed:

• Complete exclusion from the diet of foods that irritate the mucous membrane.
• Fractional meals 5-6 times a day in small portions
• Last meal 2 hours before bedtime. You can drink warm milk before going to bed
• In the case of persistent and prolonged remission, it is possible to switch to a zigzag diet under the supervision of the attending physician.

Nutrition after surgery:

1. A special diet must be followed in the early postoperative period. For the adaptation of the stomach, the first three days after the operation, you can not eat.
2. On the 4th and 5th day, doctors allow you to drink sweetened herbal tea, berry jelly.
3. In the future, the diet can be expanded. You can eat vegetable soups in the form of mashed potatoes, cereal milk porridge.

Diet types:

For stomach ulcers, table number 1 is prescribed:

• 1A – a strict diet that is prescribed during an exacerbation of the disease or in the postoperative period. Fractional nutrition 6-7 times a day with puree-like food.
• 1B – less stringent than 1A. A mushy consistency of dishes is allowed. The number of meals is 5-6 times a day.

List of approved products:

List of fully or partially restricted products:

Nutrition menu for peptic ulcer.

Diet.

Proper nutrition for gastric and duodenal ulcers is a guarantee of health and the possibility of a long-term remission of the disease.

It is necessary to follow a daily diet:

• Fractional frequent meals
• Eating only warm food
• Portions should be small
• Reduce salt in meals
• Cooking is best steamed or boiled. Grind food
• Drink enough water without gas.

Diet recipes for peptic ulcer:

Breakfast: Buckwheat porridge with milk. Rosehip decoction.

Second breakfast: steam omelet. Baked pear.

Lunch: Vegetable soup with chicken meatballs. Mashed potatoes with boiled fish (perch). Herb tea

Snack: low-fat yogurt. Galette cookies. Apple compote.

Dinner: rabbit, potato and cauliflower casserole

Before going to bed you can drink a glass (more than 200 ml) of warm milk

Dietitian comments:

Diet for peptic ulcer plays an important role in the treatment of ulcers. A properly composed menu makes it possible to eat tasty and healthy food, which will also be useful for the entire digestive tract.

“The right choice of a sanatorium is a significant step towards the preservation and enhancement of health. “Gorny” is a resort complex that combines the experience and knowledge of Russian and Soviet balneology. The availability of modern medical equipment and innovative installations, the professionalism of the staff and love for their work will serve as a guarantee for extending longevity,” – the head doctor of the sanatorium Karaulov Alexander Olegovich.

do’s and don’ts, menu for the week

In the modern rhythm of life, we completely forget about proper nutrition. But it is of particular importance when stomach problems have already appeared. What can and what absolutely can not be eaten with a stomach ulcer? We analyze recipes for delicious dietary dishes together with an expert.

Marina Perekalina

head of the gastroenterology department of the Stavropol Regional Clinical Hospital, Candidate of Medical Sciences, chief freelance gastroenterologist of the Ministry of Health of the Stavropol Territory

What is a stomach ulcer?

Basic diet rules for stomach ulcers

What can you eat with stomach ulcers?

What can not be eaten with a stomach ulcer?

Diet menu for ulcers

Recipes for delicious and dietary meals

Main myths about the diet for ulcers

Conclusion

What is a stomach ulcer?

When several unfavorable factors add up, defects appear in the stomach wall. This is how such a chronic disease as a stomach ulcer is formed.
In the process of the disease, other organs of the digestive system can be affected: often ulcers form not only in the stomach itself, but also in the duodenum. Some studies suggest that duodenal ulcers are four times more common than gastric ulcers. The spread of a stomach ulcer can lead to life-threatening complications. As a rule, with an ulcer, periods of exacerbation alternate with periods of remission.

Gastric and duodenal ulcers are similar in many ways in terms of causes and symptoms. Therefore, experts often combine these diseases and talk about gastric and duodenal ulcers . Read more about this disease and the causes of its occurrence in the material “Stomach ulcer: causes and main symptoms ” .

Diet guidelines for stomach ulcers

Of course, dietary nutrition will not solve all problems in the treatment of the disease. However, proper nutrition can greatly help when combined with medication and physical therapy. For this, a number of requirements must be taken into account.

First of all, feeding the patient should be carried out in small portions, fractionally. Meals should be more frequent than usual – 6-7 times a day strictly according to the schedule , without long breaks and subsequent overfeeding.

Among food products, you need to choose those that do not affect the secretory activity , have a “quenching” effect on the acidity of the stomach. Food irritants are strictly prohibited. All foods that sharply increase acidity (containing extract substances), difficult to digest (with fiber) should be excluded from the patient’s diet.

What can you eat if you have a stomach ulcer?

Cooking and cooking boiling, use of double boilers, stewing is allowed when expanding the dietary list of dishes in the remission stage.

What is allowed to eat with peptic ulcer?

Dairy products

First of all, milk, cream, kefir, non-acidic cottage cheese and sour cream are allowed for “ulcerers”. For ulcer patients, cow’s milk is one of the most useful products, containing many essential substances. If you do not like milk, then try to add it to coffee or tea, or drink it in small portions.

Bread

You have to be careful here. For ulcer sufferers, any bread will not do. It must be dried or stale. It can be crackers or lean pastries.

Vegetables

Ulcer sufferers would benefit from making something out of vegetables, such as a vegetarian soup. Vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, pumpkin, zucchini, non-acidic tomatoes are allowed.

Berries and fruits

Berries and fruits without hard shells are suitable, such as strawberries, strawberries, apples (without skin) and bananas. And also various sweet fruit and berry compotes and kissels, mousses and jelly are allowed.

Sweet

For sweets, you can eat marshmallows and fruit-based marshmallows.

Beverages

Non-carbonated water, non-acidic juices diluted with water, and rosehip decoction or wheat bran decoction are allowed. Decoctions have a beneficial effect and treat the stomach.

Lean meats and fish, eggs

Chicken, beef, rabbit meat may be boiled or steamed. The same cooking methods can be applied to lean river fish. Soft-boiled chicken eggs, steamed omelet can also be added to the diet.

Porridges

For patients with ulcers, you can prepare porridges from soft cereals boiled in milk or water. Suitable cereals such as rice, oatmeal, buckwheat and semolina.

What can not be eaten with a stomach ulcer?

It must be remembered that with such a serious illness fried, smoked and pickled foods, as well as pickles are strictly prohibited.

It is necessary to exclude from the diet products that increase the release of hydrochloric acid.

Spicy foods, pickles, smoked products

Horseradish, mustard, various sauces, preserves, dressings and spicy preserves, smoked meats will have to be excluded from the menu. This also includes canned and pickled foods, including home-cooked foods

Fried foods

Fried foods are prohibited for patients with stomach ulcers in any form.

Bread

Rye bread, rich or puff pastries are forbidden in patients with ulcers. It is undesirable to use fresh bread in principle.

Vegetables

Patients with ulcers should not eat hard vegetables that contain a lot of fiber. Fresh vegetables with a rough skin will have to be excluded from your menu.

Berries, fruits and nuts

Fresh sour berries are forbidden in patients with stomach ulcers. Hard-skinned fruits and berries are prohibited. Some dried fruits should also be excluded from the diet: dried apricots, raisins, figs and dates. We’ll have to give up and seeds with nuts.

Sweet

Ice cream and chocolate should disappear from the menu of a patient with a stomach ulcer.

Drinks

Soda, kvass and strong coffee must be excluded from drinks. Sour juices and fruit drinks are banned. And, of course, alcohol in any form is prohibited for patients with an ulcer.

Fatty fish and meats

Fatty meats (such as pork, lamb, poultry skins, lard and layers of fat) will need to be eliminated from your diet. Under the ban and broths from them for soup, decoctions. We will have to give up sausages, sausages, sausages.

Cereals

Legumes: peas, lentils and beans should also be banned. We’ll have to forget about cereals from “hard” cereals: millet, pearl barley, corn. It is undesirable to use undercooked pasta.

Diet menu for ulcers

Mechanical sparing is achieved by grinding, boiling and processing products to a liquid state. The list of dishes in the daily menu depends on the stage of the disease, which is determined by the attending physician.

In accordance with the classification of dietary tables according to Pevzner, depending on the complication of the ulcer, the patient will be able to eat dietary tables No. 1A, 1B and No. 1. The differences lie in the degree of sparing of the stomach and intestines.

Diet No. 1A is prescribed for the first few days (from 7 to 10 days). It eliminates all irritating factors as much as possible.

Diet No. 1B is considered a transitional form of nutrition. It is needed to replenish the body with useful substances and energy.

Diet №1 can be eaten outside the period of complications. It is as close as possible to the common table, but retains restrictions.

As a rule, the result of the diet is relief of abdominal pain and normalization of the stomach. It is advisable to avoid hard peel on fruits, large pieces of food – it will be difficult for the stomach to digest them. It is advisable to dilute juices with water, and replace sugar with honey. Salt should be added to food as little as possible.

When dieting, food temperature is very important : foods that are too cold or too hot should not be eaten. The temperature of food should approach 38 degrees: this way it will be better absorbed.

May be moderately added to food butter and vegetable oil . Oils, like animal fats, provide faster healing of stomach and intestinal ulcers.

Recipes for tasty and healthy meals

Multicooker chicken with vegetables

Ingredients:

• chicken breast – 1 pc.
• carrots – 1 pc.
• marrow – 1 pc.
• frozen cauliflower – 1 package (or 300 g fresh)
• vegetable oil – 2 tbsp.
• salt
• thyme

Cooking steps:

1. Peel carrots and courgettes. Cut them into cubes.
2. Switch on the multicooker in the “frying” or “baking” mode. Slightly fry the vegetables, avoiding the appearance of a crust.
3. Add cabbage, broken into florets.
4. Cut the chicken into cubes, season with salt. Add to vegetables.
5. Sprinkle dried herbs over vegetables.
6. Pour in a glass of water.
7. Switch on the extinguishing mode.
8. Simmer for approx. 1.5 hours.

Potato and pumpkin soup

Ingredients:

• potatoes – 2 pcs.
• pumpkin – 120 g.
• cream – 2 tbsp.
• greens
• salt

Cooking steps:

1. Boil pumpkin and carrots in a little water.
2. Pass the prepared vegetables through a sieve and mix with the remaining vegetable broth.
3. Add salt and cream.
4. Return to heat and bring to a boil.
5. Sprinkle with herbs before use.

Steam cutlets

Ingredients:

• , meat of turkey or chicken) – 100 g.
• wheat bread – 1 piece
• olive oil – 1 tsp
• water or milk – 15 ml
• salt

Preparation steps:


1. Pass the meat through the meat grinder several times until smooth.
2. Add olive oil, salt and bread soaked in water to the minced meat.
3. Place the cutlets in a water bath for 40 minutes. You can use a steamer.
4. Boiled rice, mashed potatoes or mashed vegetables are a good garnish. 1 cup 0012
5. milk – 3 cups
6. 1 cup sugar – 1 cup
7. sweet pears – 5-6 pcs.
8. vanillin
9. 3-4 eggs – 3-4 pcs.
10. butter – 2 tbsp.

Cooking steps:

1. Boil the milk, skim off the foam.
2. Pour the sifted semolina into the milk.
3. Add vanilla.
4. Boil the porridge until it thickens. Add oil.
5. Mash egg yolks with sugar and add to hot porridge.
6. Slice the pears and add to the porridge.
7. Whisk the egg whites into a strong foam, add to the porridge.
8. Place the pudding in a saucepan or greased dish.
9. Boil in a water bath for half an hour.

We have prepared something useful for you (in every sense prepared and in every sense useful).

Together with the chef we will try to prove that tasty, easy to prepare and healthy is not always about different food.

Key Ulcer Diet Myths

Myth #1: Ulcers Cause Improper Diet

Improper diet alone cannot cause ulcers. Of course, fried, spicy and fatty foods do not harm our body. But only this factor cannot become the cause of an ulcer.

Myth #2: Baking soda helps with pain

It was once common to use baking soda for pain. You can’t do that. At first, soda really reduces pain. But later they become even stronger, because soda has a leavening effect. At the same time, food in general relieves pain, even if it is ordinary water. Milk will also help.

Myth #3: Diet can cure an ulcer

Alas, diet alone cannot help cure the disease. Especially if it is provoked by an infection. This requires drug therapy. But in the complex, the diet can provide an invaluable service for stomach ulcers.

Conclusion

Strictly adhering to the menu, which includes only permitted foods for ulcers, you can defeat the disease. All unpleasant symptoms gradually disappear, painful sensations occur less often, the load on the stomach decreases.