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, approximately half of all residents of our country experience painful symptoms of gastritis to one degree or another.
Diet for gastritis
Many people ask themselves: what diet to follow for gastritis? This is a very important issue, as proper nutrition is an important part of treating gastrointestinal diseases. If you have gastritis, you should always follow a moderate diet, and if your health improves, you can only gradually return to normal eating habits. In some cases, doctors prescribe a personalized diet for gastritis.
It is also necessary to remember that with gastritis, enzyme deficiency develops, therefore, in some cases, along 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 (aggravates with the appearance of infectious diseases);
- catarrhal (accompanied by a violation of the integrity of the outer lining of the stomach);
- phlegmonous (causes purulent inflammatory processes in the gastric walls);
- corrosive (one of the side effects of poisoning).
Chronic disease, in turn, presents itself in the following forms:
- superficial;
- hypertrophic;
- polyposis;
- bacterial;
- granulomatous;
- autoimmune.
Another form of chronic gastritis is typical for those people whose stomach walls are damaged due to the systematic intake of alcohol in large quantities.
Key Diet Principles for Gastritis Diseases
Remember that a proper diet for gastritis is the key to successfully overcoming symptoms. If the acidity of gastric juice increases, you need to eat foods that help reduce its activity. Follow three rules:
- Mechanical principle. Avoid foods that contain rough fibers. These products include onions, veined meat and bran. Furthermore, 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, stays in the stomach longer than usual.
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 omelet;
- oat and buckwheat porridge;
- milk;
- zucchini, pumpkin, tomatoes, carrots, various vegetables;
- berries with a high sugar content;
- cooked and pureed fruits.
What should be missing from the diet?
If you have been diagnosed with gastritis caused by the bacteria Helicobacter pylori, it is not advisable to prescribe a diet. 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 pastries, especially rye bread, as well as puff pastries. Instead, it's better to eat white bread, plain cookies and pies.
- Soups with rich broth, including mushroom soup, cabbage soup, and borscht. These dishes should be replaced with light vegetable soups with potatoes, cabbage, carrots and onions.
- Smoked dishes, as well as meats with fat and veins. Instead, it is better to eat dishes made from boiled or steamed meat (cutlets, meatballs). The permitted types of meat are chicken and lamb.
- Boiled eggs and fried omelets. They should be replaced with boiled eggs and steamed omelets.
- Any salty and seasoned dishes, marinades, chocolate, soft drinks, coffee and kvass.
- Alcohol.
Diet for high acidity
With this form of gastritis, you should not overuse fruits and vegetables, as they can worsen your health. However, you should not completely remove these products from the menu. Avoid foods that can stimulate stomach acid production and opt for acid-reducing foods. By eating well, you are more likely to lose some weight than gain weight. Below is a table showing permitted and prohibited products:
Vegetables: carrots, pumpkin, potatoes, beets. Light vegetable salads. Tomatoes: ripe, chopped. Skinless cucumbers. | Vegetation. |
Fruits: non-acidic, ripe, without peel (banana, pear, apple). It is best to eat fruit not raw, but baked. Watermelons and melons - in very limited quantities. | French fries, pickled foods, sauerkraut. |
Milk (cow or goat), cream, yogurt. Fresh cottage cheese. | Sour cream, kefir, hard cheese. |
Soup with dietary broth. | Cabbage soup and borscht in rich broth. |
Pasta | Legumes |
Boiled chicken or rabbit meat, lean river fish. | Smoked meats, fish and meat with a high fat content, canned foods. |
Oats and buckwheat | Dry fruits |
Boiled eggs. | Chocolate |
Biscuits, white bread (which has been sitting around for a few days), dry biscuits. | Boiled eggs, fried omelet. |
Weak tea and coffee, cocoa with the addition of milk. | Rye and freshly baked bread. Cakes, confectionery products with cream filling. |
Low acidity diet
Under these conditions, you need to eat differently than in the previous case. You need to eat foods that promote gastric secretion. The table below shows dishes suitable for remission. If you experience severe stomach pain, you should exclude dishes from the menu that irritate stomach tissue.
Vegetables: baked potatoes, tomatoes, greens, carrots, beets, pumpkin, pickles.
Diet for gastritis - general recommendations
Patients with gastritis should exclude seasonings used in the cooking process from the menu. You can improve the taste of food with fresh herbs (parsley, dill, celery). Vegetables also help add vitamins to your diet: try seasoning as many dishes as you eat with finely chopped vegetables.
It is necessary to eat small meals, but avoid snacking; this way the stomach will not have difficulty digesting the food. Chew your food well and eat slowly. Food consumed in a hurry can worsen health and aggravate gastritis. Chew your food until it turns into an easily digestible paste.
Don't forget that an adequate and balanced diet is the key to treating gastritis. Many patients who followed a strict diet during 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 stomach gastritis?
Every day the statistics about gastritis and gastric ulcers in children and adults increase. This also applies to other inflammatory diseases of the digestive tract. Patients feel constant pain, which affects their quality of life. It is necessary to contact a gastroenterologist in a timely manner to make a comprehensive diagnosis and identify the source of the lesion. With adequate and timely treatment, the risk of complications is reduced. It is important not only to take medication, but also to create a proper diet under the supervision of your doctor and nutritionist. This is the basis of prevention and therapy.
Features of gastritis
Gastritis is a chronic inflammatory condition of the stomach lining that causes 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 small deviation that does not require treatment. They think that the disease will not cause any harm and will gradually disappear on its own without treatment. But if treatment methods and diet are not applied 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 the basis for the development of inflammatory pathologies of the stomach is Helicobacter pylori. This is a bacteria that attacks the walls of the stomach and duodenum. Most people are just carriers of bacteria, but under the influence of negative factors it begins to actively multiply, causing pathology. It is Helicobacter pylori that over time can lead to the development of atypical cells of the mucous membrane, which will cause malignant degeneration.
Doctors have identified the main harmful factors that can cause stomach inflammation:
- Eating poor quality food. It includes fatty, fried, spicy, smoked and excessively salty foods. This type of food aggressively affects the stomach walls, causing an inflammatory process. Due to damage, Helicobacter pylori begins to multiply actively.
- KureniIt is. Nicotine and air pollution during smoking spread through the respiratory tract and digestive system. It negatively affects mucous membranes, causes irritation and increased inflammation.
- Drinking large amounts of alcohol. This has a toxic effect on any tissue in the body, including the gastrointestinal tract. This leads to the occurrence or intensification of inflammation.
- Stress. Great physical and psycho-emotional stress. These factors cause active production of cortisol. This leads to increased release of hydrochloric acid. If it acts on the walls of the stomach in the absence of a food bolus, damage occurs.
If the patient is simultaneously affected by several factors, the disease develops more quickly.
Clinical signs
In the early stages, the patient and doctor may not notice visual signs. The more damage occurs, the more actively the inflammatory process develops. Therefore, over time, the following symptoms appear:
- pain in the epigastric region, aggravated by stress, food, hunger;
- nausea, vomiting that occurs regardless of food intake;
- constipation, diarrhea.
There are signs that can be used to determine whether a patient has gastroenterological pathology.If a person has more than 4 symptoms, it is recommended to contact a gastroenterologist:
- frequent occurrence of epigastric pain;
- pinpoint pain in the middle of the abdomen;
- heartburn;
- frequent burping;
- constipation, diarrhea;
- occasional nausea;
- vomit for no reason;
- the presence of any gastroenterological disease in close relatives;
- presence of bad habits (smoking, frequent alcohol consumption, excessive eating);
- periodic use of a strict diet.
It is impossible to independently determine the diagnosis, since symptoms may be present in temporary disorders or other acute and chronic diseases. It is important to undergo examination and diagnosis by a doctor who will prescribe conservative or radical treatment, depending on the developing lesion.
Diet
The diet is prescribed by 2 doctors:
- gastroenterologist;
- nutritionist.
It is best for these doctors to work together to provide quality treatment.But they first undergo examinations and diagnostic tests to determine the following factors:
- degree of damage to the mucous membrane;
- the degree of spread of the lesion to different parts of the gastrointestinal tract;
- reasons for the defeat.
After collecting complete information, a nutritional regimen is drawn up. This is one of the fundamental treatment methods that reduces the load on the gastrointestinal tract.There are 2 diets for the development of inflammatory stomach pathologies:
- with high acidity;
- with low acidity.
Regardless of the type of diet chosen, the gastroenterologist must remember the fundamental principles of proper nutrition during illness.
- Dividing. The total volume of products that the patient should consume in 1 day is identified. It is divided into 6 parts, evenly distributing meals throughout the day. In other words, the patient must eat food every 3 hours. You should not overeat or starve, as these factors negatively affect the condition of the stomach. A portion of food is approximately the volume of two palms.
- To chew. 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 thoroughly.
- Rest after eating. You need to sit and lie down for 30 minutes for the digestive process to begin without hindrance.
- Temperature. If an inflammatory process is suspected, eat hot foods. It should not be excessively hot or cold.
- Water mode. Drink at least 2 liters of water per day to maintain a stable fluid and electrolyte balance and avoid developing dehydration. Drink water little by little throughout the day.
- Mandatory protein intake. Proteins are the foundation from which the body is built. Thanks to them, damaged tissues recover faster after gastritis.
- Prohibition of eating excessively rough foods. It should not contain pieces that could damage the affected structure of the mucous membrane.
- Proper kitchen. It is boiled, steamed, baked. Frying or smoking is prohibited.
- Prohibition of alcohol consumption, caffeine, energy drinks, soft drinks.
- Maintain vitamin concentrations. If they are normal, metabolism and metabolism improve, the nervous system and digestive tract are strengthened. If there are not enough nutrients, multivitamin preparations are used.
Applying these rules reduces the load 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 food: it is not recommended to consume food with a temperature above 40-50 ⁰C. Fruits can be consumed pureed, steamed, boiled, roasted or stewed, or in purees, mousses, jellies, jellies or compotes. It is not recommended to consume fruits with a high content of organic acids (pomegranates, citrus fruits, fresh apricots), unripe or acidic fruits. During an exacerbation, all fruits should be consumed only in pureed form. The rest of the time it is better to use:
- sweet varieties of apples;
- avocado.
Fruits with low acidity
For the opposite form of gastritis, when acidity decreases, doctors recommend other fruits:
- 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 can only be consumed 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
If a patient develops this type of stomach inflammation, the following processes are formed:
- excessive production of hydrochloric acid;
- increased acidity of hydrochloric acid.
Normally, hydrochloric acid is intended to break down stomach contents. But it must be within certain limits so as not to damage the body's own tissues.If the pH increases, irritation of the stomach walls begins, which will lead to successive stages:
- inflammation;
- erosion;
- ulcer;
- drilling.
Gastritis can develop at different ages. Prolonged exposure to a damaging factor is enough for the development of an inflammatory process. If the acidity of gastric juice increases, it is necessary to adhere to a certain diet that will reduce these indicators.
Attention! Many patients know that taking antacids reduces the acidity of gastric juice. However, taking these medications on your own is prohibited. They have contraindications and side effects.
When dieting, it is important to follow certain rules for success to occur.
- Avoid foods that cause or worsen damage to the stomach walls. This is a food that contains fiber and solid elements. For example, cereals, breads, bran, fibrous meat. All foods should be as bland and easily digestible as possible.
- Refusal of any foods and drinks that cause increased acidity of hydrochloric acid. For example, citrus fruits, canned foods, coffee, alcohol, soft drinks.
- Eat food at a hot temperature. Do not consume boiling water, hot liquids or food. Cold foods are also unacceptable. The ideal limits are 25-35 degrees.
If a patient's gastritis worsens severely and causes unbearable pain, it is necessary to immediately begin a strict diet. This will help to significantly reduce the inflammatory process and allow tissues to recover. On the 3rd day, the person will feel relief. But this is possible only with the help of additional use of medications prescribed by a doctor.
When prescribing a strict diet, the following foods and dishes are recommended:
- low-fat chicken or vegetable broth with crackers, which can be replaced with soft porridge (for example, oatmeal);
- noodle soup with milk (hard dough is allowed);
- young potatoes boiled without cream, salt;
- milk with reduced fat content, so as not to cause an increase in the load on the gastrointestinal tract due to the appearance of a high concentration of lactose.
If there is an intense exacerbation 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 the food causes nausea or increased pain, it is better to replace it with other types of food.
As soon as the acute period passes, the diet continues.It is expanded with the following types of products and dishes:
- boiled and baked eggs contain a high concentration of proteins (the yolk can be removed to limit the amount of fat);
- lean meats 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 nervous system;
- milk that needs to be boiled first;
- soups with the addition of cereals (any cereals are allowed except semolina);
- vegetables that are sold in the store according to the season;
- fruits, which are recommended to be consumed between main meals, so as not to cause stress on the gastrointestinal tract, but also to not 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;
- offal, of which the liver has the most positive effect, as it contains a large amount of microelements and vitamins;
- soft cheeses;
- honey, weak tea, herbal decoctions, dried fruit compotes.
The following types of products should be limited:
- bakery products, muffins, fresh pastries;
- sweets, chocolate;
- dairy products.
All of these foods increase stomach acidity. Carbohydrates negatively affect any part of the digestive tract, causing strong acidity, an environment favorable to the proliferation of Helicobacter pylori. Furthermore, chewing gum should be avoided, as hydrochloric acid is actively produced during its use. If there is too much, acid gastritis will intensify. This can lead to 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 is reduced. Therefore, food is poorly digested, large pieces of food enter the intestine, which causes a large load on it. This negatively affects the entire state of the digestive tract. Typically, people aged 40 and over suffer from this gastritis.
If the pathology is not treated in a timely manner and a diet is not used, the following complications arise:
- atrophic condition of the gastric mucosa;
- tissue thinning;
- decreased function of parietal cells.
Gastritis with low acidity is one of the most dangerous and difficult to treat diseases. Therefore, it is important to start treatment at an early stage, before a precancerous condition develops.
To correct the pathology, it is necessary to consume foods that stimulate the production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. It is also necessary to increase its acidity for the food bolus to be processed.
Attention! It is necessary to simultaneously increase acidity and not overload the gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, the use of fatty, spicy, fried, smoked foods, fast food and alcohol is prohibited, regardless of whether they increase acidity.
In case of illness, gastroenterologists advise adhering to certain nutritional principles:
- before eating, drink 200 ml of lightly carbonated mineral water;
- chew food well, consuming each piece little by little; the complete meal takes at least 30 minutes;
- Between meals it is recommended to eat fruits that increase acidity, you can pre-bake them so as not to cause stress.
With the development of hypoacid gastritis, it is necessary to consume the following types of food or dishes:
- lean types of meat - chicken, turkey, rabbit, young veal;
- any types of fruits and vegetables that do not have a coarse fiber structure (citrus fruits, white cabbage and cauliflower are recommended);
- vegetable and meat broths;
- a small concentration of carbohydrates in the form of sweets and baked goods;
- any types of fermented dairy products;
- canned food;
- herbal decoctions, tea, berries and compotes.
As milk, in any form, reduces the acidity of gastric juice, it is prohibited to consume it when preparing a diet.
Gastritis is one of the most common digestive problems in the population. The disease can affect patients of any age. It can be avoided if you follow the prevention rules. But if the pathology has already developed, it is important to make a timely diagnosis and begin treatment to prevent the development of complications. Therapy is based on correct and quality nutrition, improving lifestyle and avoiding bad habits. The diet is selected individually for each patient, depending on the degree of damage and the acidity of gastric juice.