Stomach Ulcers – Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, And Diet Tips
Stomach ulcers are most often caused due to:
- A bacterial infection caused by Helicobacter pylori
- Long-term use of anti-inflammatory medications like aspirin, ibuprofen, or naproxen
- A medical condition called Zollinger-Ellison syndrome that increases the production of your body acids
The risk factors for stomach ulcers are:
- Age above 50 years
- A history of ulcers
- Smoking
- Drinking alcohol
- Stress
- A diet that consists of spicy foods
Your diet plays a major role in causing as well as combating peptic ulcers. So, here’s a diet chart that includes the foods you must consume and avoid to get rid of stomach ulcers.
Diet Chart For Stomach Ulcers
Foods To Eat
- Protein-rich foods like white meat from chicken, turkey, or fish
- Fatty fish like salmon, sardines, and mackerel
- Low-fat cheese, yogurt, and peanut butter
- Fresh fruits and veggies like broccoli, carrots, kale, red/green peppers, grapes, cabbage, apricots, and kiwi
- Vitamin E-rich foods like wheat germ, hazelnuts, sunflower oil, and soybean oil
Foods To Avoid
- Alcohol
- Salted foods
- Processed or canned foods
- High-fat dairy products
- Too much of spices
- Caffeine
- Red meat
Here is a list of the best home remedies that can help in getting rid of stomach ulcers naturally.
How To Treat Peptic Ulcers Naturally
- Baking Soda And Apple Cider Vinegar
- Honey
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Turmeric
- Banana
- Green Tea
- Aloe Vera Juice
- Cabbage
- Cayenne Pepper
- Licorice
- Vitamin E
- Cranberry Juice
- Coconut
- Fenugreek Leaves
- Drumsticks
- Dandelion Tea
Home Remedies To Cure Stomach Ulcers
1. Baking Soda AndApple Cider Vinegar
You Will Need
- 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1 glass of warm water
- Honey
What You Have To Do
- Mix one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and half a teaspoon of baking soda with a glass of warm water.
- Add some honey to this mixture and drink once the frizz settles down.
How Often You Should Do This
Do this once daily.
Why This Works
Baking soda helps in restoring the pH of your stomach. It helps in treating the ulcers and, when combined with apple cider vinegar, also relieves the pain.
2. Honey
You Will Need
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- 1 glass of water
- A pinch of cinnamon powder
What You Have To Do
- Add a tablespoon of honey to a glass of warm water.
- Mix well and add a pinch of cinnamon to it.
- Drink the mixture.
How Often You Should Do This
You must consume this twice daily.
Why This Works
Honey contains an enzyme called glucose oxidase. This enzyme is known to produce hydrogen peroxide, which can help fight the bacteria responsible for causing peptic ulcers.
3. Garlic
You Will Need
2-3 cloves of raw garlic
What You Have To Do
- Add a few cloves of crushed raw garlic to salads and dishes.
- You can also chew on a few garlic cloves.
How Often You Should Do This
You must consume garlic daily.
Why This Works
Garlic releases a compound called allicin when it is crushed. This compound possesses powerful antimicrobial properties that help combat Helicobacter pylori, which are known for triggering peptic ulcers.
4. Ginger
You Will Need
- 1 teaspoon of grated ginger
- 1 cup of water
- Honey
What You Have To Do
- Add a teaspoon of grated ginger to a cup of water.
- Bring it to a boil in a saucepan.
- Simmer for 5 minutes and strain.
- After the tea cools down a little, add some honey to it and drink immediately.
How Often You Should Do This
Drink ginger tea thrice daily.
Why This Works
Ginger helps in treating the symptoms that develop as a result of stomach ulcers. It exhibits protective and preventive effects on the ulcers and reduces their severity.
5. Turmeric
You Will Need
- 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder
- 1 glass of warm water
- Honey (optional)
What You Have To Do
1. Add a teaspoon of turmeric powder to a glass of warm water.
2. Mix well and add some honey to it.
3. Consume the mixture.
How Often You Should Do This
You must drink this mixture 2 to 3 times daily for at least a month.
Why This Works
Turmeric contains a compound called curcumin that exhibits powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, which can help prevent as well as treat stomach ulcers.
6. Banana
You Will Need
1 ripe or unripe banana
What You Have To Do
- Consume a ripe banana.
- Unripe banana can be cooked or consumed in its powdered form.
How Often You Should Do This
Have a banana thrice daily for best results.
Why This Works
Banana, whether ripe or unripe, exhibits protective effects on your stomach. Raw bananas contain compounds like phosphatidylcholine and pectin that strengthen your stomach’s mucosal resistance to ulcerogens and may help treat peptic ulcers.
7. Green Tea
You Will Need
- 1 teaspoon of green tea
- 1 cup of water
- Honey
What You Have To Do
- Add a teaspoon of green tea to a cup of steaming hot water.
- Steep for 5 minutes and strain.
- Add some honey to it.
- Drink it while it is warm.
How Often You Should Do This
Drink green tea twice daily for effective results.
Why This Works
Green tea contains a polyphenol called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). This compound exhibits anti-ulcer activities and helps in accelerating the healing of the stomach ulcers.
8. Aloe Vera Juice
You Will Need
1 cup of fresh aloe juice
What You Have To Do
Consume a cup of fresh aloe juice.
How Often You Should Do This
Drink this juice 1 to 2 times daily.
Why This Works
Aloe vera gel is quite popular for its healing activities. It has anti-inflammatory properties that help in speeding the healing of stomach ulcers.
9. Cabbage
You Will Need
- ½ raw cabbage
- Blender
What You Have To Do
- Slice a cabbage into two halves.
- Cut one half of the cabbage into cubes and put them in a juicer.
- Extract the juice.
How Often You Should Do This
Drink cabbage juice once daily.
Why This Works
Cabbage is a rich source of an amino acid called glutamine. This compound helps in nourishing and repairing your gastrointestinal lining, which is damaged by ulcers. It also contains an anti-peptic ulcer factor (vitamin U) that speeds the healing of peptic ulcers.
10. Cayenne Pepper
You Will Need
- ½ teaspoon of powdered cayenne pepper
- 1 glass of warm water
- Honey
What You Have To Do
- Add half a teaspoon of powdered cayenne pepper to a glass of warm water.
- Mix well and add a little honey to it.
- Drink the mixture.
How Often You Should Do This
You must drink this mixture twice daily.
Why This Works
Most of the benefits of cayenne pepper come from its active ingredient, capsaicin. This compound neutralizes your stomach acid and enhances the release of the stomach mucus, both of which heal peptic ulcers.
11. Licorice
You Will Need
- 1-2 teaspoons of licorice tea
- 1 cup of water
- Honey
What You Have To Do
- Add one to two teaspoons of licorice tea to a cup of water.
- Bring it to a boil in a saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Strain and allow the tea to cool a bit.
- Add a little honey and drink the tea.
How Often You Should Do This
You must drink licorice tea 2 to 3 times daily.
Why This Works
Licorice root has protective effects on your intestine as it enhances the secretion of stomach mucus and prevents the formation of ulcers. It can also help treat existing ulcers with its anti-H. pylori effects.
12. Vitamin E
You Will Need
15-20 mg vitamin E
What You Have To Do
You must have 15 to 20 mg of vitamin E daily. You can take supplements for this vitamin after consulting your doctor.
How Often You Should Do This
Do this daily.
Why This Works
Vitamin E exhibits anti-ulcer and cytoprotective effects when it comes to treating peptic ulcers. This is possibly because of the increased synthesis of prostaglandins and glutathione by vitamin E
13. Cranberry Juice
You Will Need
1 cup (or 250 ml) of cranberry juice
What You Have To Do
Consume a cup of unsweetened cranberry juice.
How Often You Should Do This
You must drink this twice daily.
Why This Works
Cranberry juice contains compounds like proanthocyanidins that prevent Helicobacter pylori from adhering to your intestinal lining
14. Coconut
You Will Need
1 cup of coconut water
What You Have To Do
- Drink a cup of fresh coconut water.
- Alternatively, you can add coconut milk or freshly grated coconut to your dishes and salads.
How Often You Should Do This
Do this daily.
Why This Works
Both coconut water and coconut milk exhibit antiulcerogenic and cytoprotective effects that are beneficial for the reduction and management of stomach ulcers. Coconut milk is more effective than coconut water.
15. Fenugreek Seeds
You Will Need
- 1-2 tablespoons of fenugreek seeds
- Water
What You Have To Do
- Boil one to two tablespoons of fenugreek seeds in a cup of water.
- Keep boiling until the quantity of water reduces to half the initial quantity.
- Strain and wait for it to cool a bit.
- Drink the fenugreek concoction.
How Often You Should Do This
You must drink this once daily.
Why This Works
Fenugreek seeds are anti-inflammatory and exhibit mucilaginous properties. This helps in restoring the mucus of your damaged intestinal lining, thereby helping treat stomach ulcers
16. Drumsticks (Moringa)
You Will Need
- 10 grams of drumstick leaves
- Water (as required)
- Yogurt (as required)
What You Have To Do
- Take 10 grams of drumstick leaves and make a thick paste using a little water.
- Add a little yogurt to it and consume.
How Often You Should Do This
You must consume this mixture daily.
Why This Works
Drumstick leaves have healing and anti-inflammatory properties, which reduce peptic ulcers and prevent further damage
17. Dandelion Tea
You Will Need
- 1-2 teaspoons of dandelion tea
- 1 cup of hot water
- Honey
What You Have To Do
- Add one to two teaspoons of dandelion tea to a cup of steaming hot water.
- Steep for 5 to 10 minutes and strain.
- Add a little honey to the warm tea and drink immediately.
How Often You Should Do This
You must drink this tea thrice daily.
Why This Works
Dandelion possesses powerful anti-inflammatory properties that can help in reducing the severity of stomach ulcers and also accelerates their healing.
No remedy or medication will work unless you are no more exposed to the risks and unhealthy habits that cause ulcers. Hence, it is important for you to follow a few basic tips and make some minor changes in your lifestyle for complete recovery from peptic ulcers.
Prevention Tips
- Limit your alcohol intake.
- Quit smoking.
- Limit consumption of anti-inflammatory medications like aspirin and ibuprofen.
- Wash your hands at regular intervals to avoid infections that may trigger ulcers.
- Follow a well-balanced diet plan.
It is highly recommended that you begin treatment as soon as you observe the onset of stomach ulcers. This is because, if being left untreated, they can cause internal bleeding and become life-threatening. While mild to moderate ulcers can be healed with the remedies given here, severe cases need medical attention.
