Diets for Healing Ulcers

Ulcers are painful sores in the walls of the stomach and duodenum (the first section of the small intestine). Ulcers are typically caused by digestive acids that irritate the linings of these organs, and most cases are caused by a spiral shaped bacteria called Helicobacter pylori that live in the digestive acids in the stomach. Ulcers can also be caused by overuse of aspirin or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), as well as malignant tumors.

What to Eat

While all foods are going to stir acid production in the stomach and potentially irritate ulcers, it is best to eat a balanced diet that will have minimal impact on this process. Depending on the amount of your daily food intake, servings of food should be included from the following categories to balance proper nutrition with minimization of digestive irritation:

Breads and starches, including oatmeal, cooked pasta, cooked rice, mashed potatoes and bread

Fruits and vegetables, including apples, grapes, bananas and vegetables that are cooked such as green beans, carrots and peas

Meat (or meat substitutes), including chicken, fish or pork (meat substitutes can include tofu or peanut butter)

Dairy products, including lowfat milk, lowfat cheese or lowfat yogurt

As for drinks, water is the ideal way to stay hydrated, but other consumed liquids should contain low amounts of acid, such as grape or apple juice and mild herbal teas. Stay away from caffeinated drinks.

Also, the number of times you eat in a day can have an effect on acid production in the stomach. Eating three meals a day at regular intervals is likely to produce less stomach acid than eating six smaller meals a day. So, while it is not necessary to minimize how much you eat, it may be helpful to minimize the number of times you eat throughout the day.

What to Avoid

Spicy foods such as hot peppers, chili powder and chilies, should be avoided because they can cause further irritation to the lining of the stomach and small intestine. Seasonings can have the same effect, including garlic, onions, cloves and cinnamon.

Citrus juices can irritate the esophagus and cause heartburn. Tomatoes, fatty foods and peppermint can also produce similar effects.

Caffeine is known to increase the production of stomach acids, which can cause further pain and irritation of ulcers. Products that contain caffeine such as coffee and soda should be reduced, eliminated, or substituted with caffeine-free versions of these products.

Dairy products are high in fat and also increase the production of stomach acids, so these foods should be limited or replaced by low-fat and non-fat versions of these products.

And, perhaps the number one thing to avoid when treating an ulcer is alcohol. Aspirin and NSAIDs should also be avoided (especially since they are known to be a possible cause of ulcers), as should cigarettes and other tobacco products.