Gastritis Diet and Tips

Inflammation or irritation of the lining of the stomach is termed as gastritis. Stomach indigestion, vomiting, stomach pain and nausea are symptoms seen in this condition. Gastritis has two forms: Acute gastritis that occurs suddenly and is critical in nature and chronic gastritis that occurs gradually over a period of years and is not very severe.

Many factors such as eating spicy foods, prolonged alcohol consumption, having anti-inflammatory medicines such as Aspirin, bile reflux and pernicious anemia are responsible for gastritis. As all these factors are linked to the stomach, the diet we follow plays a major role in treating gastritis.

Diet Do's & Don’ts

• Have your meals regularly at proper timings
• Avoid eating in between the meals or overeating that could worsen your acidity
• Chew the food slowly & steadily, this helps in digestion process
• Avoid eating fatty and oily foods
• Have meals in small proportions, every few hours

Let’s have a look at the diet that you could actually follow:

Foods one can eat

• Fruits: Bananas, peaches, melon and pear
• Green leafy vegetables: Fenugreek, spinach & kale
• Coconut water
• Grains: Oatmeal, brown rice & wheat bran
• Meat & fish: Tender meat, seafood & skinless poultry
• Pasta & noodles
• Liquids such as fruit drinks & mild herbal teas

Foods one should avoid eating in gastritis

• Fried or oily foods such as French fries, deep fried chicken, pickle etc.
• Juices such as apple juice, lemon juice and orange juice
• Desserts such as ice creams, puddings and brownies 
• Salad dressings
• Alcohol
• Beverages such as tea and coffee
• Dairy products such as cheese and cottage cheese
• Fish such as Eel & Herring

Apart from the above, people with gastritis should drink plenty of water (at least 6 glasses everyday) as water helps to clean out the gastrointestinal tract and soften the fiber.

Treatment for gastritis

The treatment for gastritis depends on the cause. The doctor recommends antibiotics and acid blocking drugs for gastritis caused by Pylori infection. For Gastritis caused by pernicious anemia, B12 vitamin shots are prescribed. 

Also Antacids & Proton pump inhibitors such as Nexium (Esomeprazole) are used as they help to reduce the amount of acid made by the stomach. Gastritis when not treated could lead to stomach cancer.

Thus, by following a healthy diet chart with the consultation of qualified doctor, one can easily recover from gastritis without being too dependent on prescribed and over-the-counter (OTC) medicines.