If you’re experiencing stomach issues such as belly pain, bloating and nausea, you could be dealing with gastritis. A condition that inflames the stomach lining, gastritis is caused by factors such as excessive alcohol consumption, the use of painkillers like Advil, and the bacterial infection Helicobacter pylori. Most people are able to treat gastritis and find relief for their symptoms through natural home remedies, so if you have gastritis, this is the post for you! Read on to find out 8 home remedies for gastritis.
What is Gastritis?
Gastritis is inflammation of the stomach lining that can cause stomach pain, indigestion, bloating and nausea. It can be acute (sudden, severe inflammation) or chronic (long-term inflammation) and occurs after the stomach has been damaged in some way. Your stomach has a protective lining of mucus called mucosa, which protects your stomach from the strong acid that digests food. When something weakens the lining, the mucosa becomes inflamed, causing gastritis.
10 Symptoms of Gastritis
1. Stomach pain
2. Belching
3. Nausea
4. Bloating
5. Indigestion
6. Losing weight without meaning to
7. Vomiting
8. Abdominal bleeding
9. Blood in vomit or stool
10. Loss of appetite
5 Causes of Gastritis
Gastritis occurs when weakness in your stomach lining allows digestive acids to damage and inflame it. If you have a thin or damaged stomach lining, it can increase your risk of gastritis. A number of different things can also trigger this problem, including:
1. Extreme Alcohol Consumption
Chronic alcohol use can irritate and erode stomach lining, making gastritis more likely.
2. Autoimmune Disorders
In some cases, if you have an autoimmune disorder, your immune system may attack the healthy cells in the stomach lining, weakening it and causing gastritis.
3. Bacterial Infection
Gastritis can be caused by a bacterial infection called Helicobacter pylori or H.pylori. It’s a bacterium that infects and breaks down the lining of the stomach, and is usually passed from person to person, but can be transmitted through contaminated food and water.
4. Anti-Inflammatory Medications
The routine use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications, such as Ibuprofen and Aspirin, can irritate and weaken the stomach lining.
5. Smoking
Nicotine and other toxins in cigarettes increase production of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, which can result in gastritis.
4 Tips to Prevent Gastritis
1. Follow an Anti-inflammatory Diet
Since gastritis is the inflammation of the stomach lining, following an anti-inflammatory diet can be really helpful. Foods that commonly result in inflammation are processed foods, acidic foods, dairy products, foods containing refined sugar, spicy foods and alcohol. Instead, fill your diet with anti-inflammatory foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, plant-based proteins (beans and nuts), fatty fish, and fresh herbs and spices. THIS POST is a great introduction to the anti-inflammatory diet and includes a 7-day meal plan for beginners.
2. Avoid Smoking
If you’re a smoker, this is one habit you’re going to want to kick. Not only will it help prevent gastritis, it will lessen your risk of other diseases such as heart disease, stroke and cancer.
3. Minimize Use of Painkillers
Painkillers such as Advil and Ibuprofen are known to cause gastritis and make it worse. Minimize your use of painkillers to ease gastritis symptoms.
4. Decrease Your Caffeine Intake
If you’re dealing with gastritis, decreasing your caffeine intake can help minimize your symptoms, or stop them before they begin. Coffee stimulates the production of stomach acids, and even decaffeinated coffee can irritate the stomach. Cut caffeine out, or minimize it to prevent gastritis.
8 Home Remedies for Gastritis
1. Garlic
Garlic can help reduce symptoms of gastritis, such as nausea, and can rid your stomach of bacteria. Garlic also contains sulfur, which protects the stomach lining. You can try a garlic extract supplement or crush raw garlic to eat.
2. Carom Seeds
Carom seeds can be a useful treatment for gastritis, as they help with indigestion and bloating and have many beneficial effects on the digestive system. You can eat grounded carom seeds by mixing them with water, or drink the strained liquid after boiling with water.
3. Probiotics
Probiotics can help improve digestion and help with recovery from gastritis. They introduce good bacteria into the digestive tract, which can help stop the spread of H.pylori. You can take probiotics in supplement form, or eat foods that contain probiotics such as yogurt, kimchi, sauerkraut and kefir. For a list of additional probiotic foods, check out THIS POST.
4. Green Tea with Manuka Honey
Green tea has been found to reduce the amount of H.pylori in the digestive tract, and raw Manuka honey contains antibacterial properties that help fight infection. Drinking warm water can also help soothe the digestive tract and ease digestion.
5. Chamomile Tea
Chamomile tea is another tea that’s great for reducing inflammation and aiding overall digestive health. The chamomile flower contains soothing, calming ingredients and essential oils that are beneficial for gastritis. Place the whole dried flowers or tea bag in hot water to make your tea – boiling water is not advised as it could damage the active oils.
6. Essential Oils
Certain essential oils, such as lemongrass and lemon verbena have been found to minimize H.pylori overgrowth. Other oils that can aid the digestive system are peppermint, ginger and clove. Essential oils should not be ingested, but rather inhaled with a diffuser or mixed with a carrier oil and applied to the skin.
7. Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is an anti-fungal agent, and when diluted with water, increases hydrochloric acid production in the stomach. It improves digestion by helping the stomach break down food and prevents inflammation of the stomach lining. Apple cider vinegar also contains malic acid, which acts as a buffer in the stomach and allows the pH to stabilize, increasing healthy bacteria in the gut. If apple cider vinegar upsets your stomach, discontinue use.
8. Cabbage Juice
Cabbage contains many powerful antioxidants, as well as other essential nutrients, such as vitamin B 1 and 2, magnesium, calcium and dietary fibre. Cabbage has also been linked to protection against H.pylori bacteria, and provides anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce your gastritis.
Gastritis can be painful and uncomfortable, but with these remedies, you can start feeling better today. Try them out now to start feeling better ASAP!
