Gastritis Support Group
Gastritis is a medical term for inflammation of the lining of the stomach. It means that white blood cells move into the wall of the stomach as a response to some type of injury. Gastritis has many underlying causes, from infection with the bacterium H. pylori, bile reflux, or excessive consumption of alcohol or certain foods or drugs like aspirin.
[this is an article I just happened upon from NaturalNews.com]
I am a little confused by it, though...as I was told that Strawberries and Apples were -not- good to have with gastritis (and gerd for that matter).
What are your thoughts on this...and have any of you had success with strawberries??
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"The positive effects of strawberries are not only linked to their antioxidant capacity and high content of phenolic compounds (anthocyans) but also to the fact that they activate the antioxidant defences and enzymes of the body," explains one of the researchers, Sara Tulipani. Their studies showed that ingesting strawberries led to a reduction in the appearance of stomach ulcerations, post-ethanol consumption. Bottom line: The ripe fruit contains substances that can help prevent the start of inflammation at the cellular level.
This finding led them to conclude that strawberries are among the most important fruits to fight inflammation and also paved the way for others to look deeper into new stomach inflammatory diseases and related treatment options.
The Mayo Clinic advises people with gastritis to eat a diet that consists of low-acid fruits and to avoid spicy, fatty foods. Strawberries make the list of low-acid fruits, as do pears, raspberries and apples.
It's also advised to try to minimize stress levels, reduce alcohol consumption and speak with a doctor about switching pain relievers, since they can aggravate the stomach lining. Activities such as yoga or meditation can help with relaxation, and enjoying healthier drinks such as water can help keep stomach problems at bay.
I am a little confused by it, though...as I was told that Strawberries and Apples were -not- good to have with gastritis (and gerd for that matter).
What are your thoughts on this...and have any of you had success with strawberries??
----
"The positive effects of strawberries are not only linked to their antioxidant capacity and high content of phenolic compounds (anthocyans) but also to the fact that they activate the antioxidant defences and enzymes of the body," explains one of the researchers, Sara Tulipani. Their studies showed that ingesting strawberries led to a reduction in the appearance of stomach ulcerations, post-ethanol consumption. Bottom line: The ripe fruit contains substances that can help prevent the start of inflammation at the cellular level.
This finding led them to conclude that strawberries are among the most important fruits to fight inflammation and also paved the way for others to look deeper into new stomach inflammatory diseases and related treatment options.
The Mayo Clinic advises people with gastritis to eat a diet that consists of low-acid fruits and to avoid spicy, fatty foods. Strawberries make the list of low-acid fruits, as do pears, raspberries and apples.
It's also advised to try to minimize stress levels, reduce alcohol consumption and speak with a doctor about switching pain relievers, since they can aggravate the stomach lining. Activities such as yoga or meditation can help with relaxation, and enjoying healthier drinks such as water can help keep stomach problems at bay.
The issue is that they are pH 3 (HIGHLY acidic). This will cause irritation within the stomach because acidic foods & drink activate the enzyme pepsin which is a proteolytic enzyme - it "eats" proteins... & unfortunately it also is erosive to sensitive, inflamed stomachs & oesophaguses.
Suggest you read "Dropping Acid" by Jamie Koufman.
Basically pH 7 is neutral.
pH 6 is 10 times more acidic than pH7
pH 5 is 100 times more acidic
pH 4 is 1000 times more acidic
pH 3 is 10000 times more acidic
I mainly stick to foods of pH 5 & above.
Some of it it pseudoscience about acid-FORMING or alkali-FORMING foods... rather than the actual, scientific pH of the food.
Buy some litmus papers. Test the acidity.
LOLZ.
Your post says... "... The ripe fruit contains substances that can help prevent the start of inflammation at the cellular level..."
"Preventing the start of inflammation" is a very different scenario to controlling inflammation once it is already established.- eg, gastritis.
I completely agree that people with a healthy stomach can consume acidic fruits such as pears, raspberries & strawberries to PREVENT inflammation & ulceration... but once the inflammation is present then it is a catch 22 situation because consuming those fruits will actually irritate a delicate lining.
I am much further along the healing route & I do eat these fruits occasionally in small amounts - usually sneaked into a smoothie, or with a starchy carb to minimise their chance of irritating the lining.
Soooooo many things are classed as "anti-inflammatory".... vinegar, honey, red wine... but will these things heal your gastritis??? Cause an ulcer more like!
I would stay away from them at your stage!
This does not apply to people who have gastritis at all.
I hide strawberries and all berries in something else now but I would stay away from berries if I were you...
You're so right about how the internet is chalk full of all sorts of nonsensical advice. I understand there are some that are good, but I've done that highly anxiety ridden hour after hour 'research' for the last couple of weeks..and found SO many conflicting articles/theories/discussions. Until this group/site...I have had zero confidence in anything where the healing process is concerned. So, again....I am very grateful for your thoughts/advice.
I have Dropping Acid ordered. I am looking forward to reading.
I hope this finds you all healing and/or well.
What you will find with "Dropping Acid" is many of the recipes are unfortunately unsuitable (not bland enough) for gastritis, but the pH (acidity) lists of individual ingredients is great & the explanation of pepsin activation etc was a "lightbulb moment" for me. Once you get your head around that you can take steps to heal.
You will make progress. The key is sticking to bland, easily digestible foods. This sounds ridiculous (LOL), but a good, quick thought process of assessing foods is to think "would I happily rub this food in my eyes or would it sting/burn???!!!" I'm not joking - think of your stomach as having that level of sensitivity right now...