Gastritis: Foods to Avoid

Irritation or inflammation of the lining of the stomach is a medical condition known as gastritis. The foods to avoid during gastritis are primarily those that are spicy and hard to digest.

There are many possible causes that can be responsible for the irritation of the stomach lining. The most significant cause of gastritis can be prolonged and excessive consumption of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs or medication that contains ibuprofen or aspirin. Excessive alcohol consumption, stress, and bacterial infection may also cause gastritis. The symptoms of gastritis can be any, or all of the following; abdominal pain, bloating, indigestion, loss of appetite, stomach cramps after eating, and vomiting, these are the symptoms that are commonly displayed in patients suffering from this condition.

Gastritis is diagnosed after conducting several medical examinations, and checking the patient’s and family’s medical history. Blood tests, an upper endoscopy, stool tests etc. are performed for the same. After proper medical intervention, the health care provider or dietitian may suggest a healthy diet plan that will alleviate any further trouble caused by gastritis.

Planning Your Gastritis Diet

The key to staying away from further complications like stomach cancer, that can arise due to gastritis, is knowledge of the food to avoid for gastritis. One must strictly stay away from spicy food items that are bad for your digestive health. Following a high fiber diet is always necessary for healthy intestinal functioning. A specially designed gastritis diet plan will always prove more than helpful for people suffering from this condition. Along with your personalized diet plan you must consider the following instructions while you’re sorting through the foods to avoid during gastritis.

• Deep-fried, fast-food, fatty food, pickles, peppers, spicy and salty food products should be among the list of the foods to avoid for gastritis.
• Avoid vinegar and food items made using vinegar, caffeine, soft drinks, alcoholic drinks, citric acid drinks and mustard.
• Follow your health care provider’s advice while taking ibuprofen and aspirin.
• Foods rich in flavonoids such as apples, cranberries, garlic, onions, and celery should be included as they help in curbing the growth of Helicobacter pylori, which is a gastritis-causing bacteria.
• Avoid high fat and high cholesterol foods as they are pretty hard on the digestive system and can certainly aggravate the condition.

Foods that can Harm

Here is a simple chart that will give you an exact idea about the foods to avoid for gastritis.

Foods that can Heal
Looking at the big list of foods to avoid during gastritis, you might obviously wonder about what exactly remains for you to consume then. Here are some points to consider while deciding upon the foods to have for gastritis.

• In order to retain the fluid count in the body, drink at least 6 glasses of water everyday.
• Eat foods that are high in calcium and vitamin B, like almonds, whole grains, legumes, sea vegetables and dark green vegetables.
• Rather than eating red meats, try to consume coldwater fish, chicken (skinned), turkey (skinned), tofu, or beans, which will provide the necessary protein.
• Use healthy oils like olive oil or canola oil.
• Drink spinach juice or carrot juice every now and then because it’s best for soothing the stomach inflammation. Moreover, vegetable juices are easily digestible.
• If food items like milk, beans, broccoli, cabbage, onions, etc. conduce to gas, avoid them.

Try to avoid activities that might increase your stress, as it is one of the reasons for causing gastritis. However, you must exercise for 30 minutes, at least 5 days a week. You need to have a balanced, low-fat diet, distributed into 5 to 6 small and frequent meals instead of three large and heavy meals. Make sure to continue the medication prescribed by the health care provider as they are very essential for your recovery from gastritis.