Gastritis: causes, remedies, and prevention

What

La gastritis It's a classic disorder that, before reaching an acute stage where you should consult a doctor, must be addressed with proper prevention, eating habits, and effective yet simple natural remedies. The first rule is almost obvious: don't overdo it with food At the table. Eating too much, in fact, can push stomach acids into the esophagus: from here heartburn and gastritisSecond rule: if you have these pains, don't lie down: lying upright makes it easier for stomach acids to return. This is where our advice on natural remedies for heartburn and gastritis begins.

Cause

The bacteria that causes gastritis appear when the stomach wall becomes fragile and can have various causes, such as:

• Natural aging
• Abuse and frequent use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
• Unbalanced diet
• Excessive alcohol consumption
• Bile reflux
• Crohn's disease
• Bacterial infections

Symptoms

The first symptoms, often underestimated, are small heartburns, which over time become painful and frequentThen nausea, vomiting, fever, pain, and heartburn can set in. We're often led to oversimplify this situation, wasting money and our health on useless, expensive, and counterproductive medications: a complete waste, when any gastritis medication should always be taken only with a doctor's advice. On the contrary, natural remedies, whether preventative, dietary, or involving a minimum amount of physical activity, involve simple and effective lifestyle improvements. Therefore, we can choose and decide for ourselves. When classifying the type of gastritis you suffer from, keep in mind that there are five categories of this condition based on its location: stomach, esophagus, intestine, biliary tract, and pancreas.

Remedies

To avoid heartburn we must, first of all, review our lifestyle and daily diet. because, even in this case, the proverb applies:Prevention is better than cure”. So, to avoid gastritis we must to alleviate it stress. and follow one correct dietEating habits and biorhythms significantly impact digestion. Therefore, when we're stressed or skip meals, we're more likely to develop gastritis.

• Fill your belly no more than 60-70 percent: If the stomach is too full, it distends, increasing the sensation of pain, pressure, and discomfort. This creates a vicious cycle, hindering digestion and worsening reflux.
• Eat little and often: a golden rule for anyone with problems gastritis or, more generally, gastrointestinal disorders. Expert gastroenterologists even recommend five meals a day, always with the goal of avoiding over-filling the stomach.
• Light dinnerTo improve digestion, when you have gastrointestinal problems, it is preferable to have an evening meal, not too late (before 21,00 pm), at least a couple of hours before going to bed, based on protein foods and only with small portions of carbohydrates.
• Afternoon snack: It helps a lot to not arrive too hungry in the evening, for dinner.
• Mmovement after eating: Even a short walk, climbing the stairs, or walking in place for three to four minutes is enough.

Suitable foods for the gastritis

Some specific foods, all natural, can be proven to be very effective for the gastritis.

• Chamomile and mallow infusionsThe benefit of the chamomile, for those suffering from gastritis, is that it relaxes the stomach muscles and therefore helps to alleviate the classic problems of slow digestion of gastritis, heartburn and acidity. Even the mallow It has soothing, anti-inflammatory, and emollient properties. It is especially recommended for abdominal cramps. As an alternative to mallow, you can consider passiflora, St. John's wort, melissa, anise, fennel, nettle e Thyme;.
• Fresh cabbage juiceThe mucilage in cabbage creates a protective film on the gastric walls, thus promoting healing of lesions. To make cabbage juice more pleasant, you can combine it with carrots and potatoes, two other products that have a calming effect.
• Root of licoriceYou can chew it with the classic sticks: it relieves the pain of gastritis and improves, in general, the digestionAn important contraindication: it is not recommended for those suffering from hypertension, as licorice promotes an increase in blood pressure.
• Ventilated green clayIt is taken in the dose of one teaspoon in a glass of warm water. Let it rest for at least 5 minutes, the best thing is to take it at fasting.
• Water and lemon. Classic grandmother's remedy to improve digestion and eliminate gastritis pain. The advice is to get used to a glass of water and Lemon; Every morning if you suffer from gastritis and have digestive problems. It has an alkalizing effect and neutralizes gastric acidity.
• Ginger and cinnamon. Two natural remedies for ginger, just chew a piece of root before meals; cinnamon, instead, it should be taken after meals in the form of an infusion.
• Coconut waterIt's a thirst-quenching drink you can have whenever you want throughout the day: it aids digestion, stimulates metabolism, and relieves gastritis pain.
• Marshmallow root. A 60-80 gram dose should be added to a liter of room-temperature water, then steeped for at least five to eight hours. Then, strain and sip throughout the day to relieve swelling and burning.
• Almond milk. This is also an ancient remedy, now modernized thanks to the blender. Simply blend a spoonful of almond cream in 250 ml of water and sip: you'll see how the heartburn and acidity will quickly subside.

Nervous gastritis

When we're under stress, we're more likely to develop gastritis. Luckily, we can take advantage of the beneficial properties of certain herbal teas and perform certain physical activities. In the first case, we can drink herbal teas made from lime, of chamomile or of gingerIn the second case, however, 20 minutes a day are enough for us yoga o pilates To avoid digestive problems. In fact, most of the time, nervous gastritis is caused by accumulated tension. To relieve it, we can perform physical and mental relaxation exercises. Alternatively, we can enroll in a meditation or yoga class. postural training to learn how to better manage your breathing and improve your posture, relieving stress.

Gastritis due to the heat

Heat doesn't help those suffering from gastritis. It causes a general biochemical imbalance, particularly in gastric enzymes and digestive acid production. This causes so-called summer gastritis, which feels like a stomach ache. The body is no longer able to properly absorb certain essential nutrients: protein, carbohydrates, and minerals. And so the good bacteria, which protect the gastric lining, die, while the bad ones multiply, increasing the inflammation triggered by digestive acids.

Microbiota testing

Especially in summer, to assess the level of stomach inflammation, it is recommended to take a microbiota test. This involves a stool sample, which can be used to determine a complete mapping of the microorganisms present in the digestive system.

Gastric irritation

Foods high in fat as well as those containing complex sugars put a strain on digestion causing unpleasant sensations. gastric irritationsTherefore, we must prioritize the quality of food over the quantity of portions. For example, we can include in our diet: cooked vegetables, pasta and rice seasoned raw, yogurt and white meat. Finally, the distribution of meals throughout the day is also very important. The first meal, breakfast, should be salty if possible, while the last meal should be light, so as to aid digestion and sonno. Also, do not neglect berries for gastritis, first of all more e raspberriesThe right dose? 150 grams per day, according to studies by the University of Milan in collaboration with the Research and Innovation Center of San Michele all'Adige, in the province of Trento.

Prevention

Here are some ways to prevent gastritis, avoiding wasting time and health:

• Drink a lot of waterHydration is very important at all levels, including allowing the gastric mucosa to do its job without the risk of becoming inflamed and thus leading to gastritis.
• Eat regularlyRegularly scheduled meals are the first natural prevention against gastritis and heartburn. Conversely, eating in a disordered manner, constantly off-hours and without any regularity, condemns your stomach to problems.
• Chew slowlyThis is another general rule for staying healthy, but this too is a perfect prevention mechanism for gastritis. Scientific and medical research clearly explains it: eating quickly, too quickly, as if we were running somewhere, means gaining weight and heading straight for gastritis and heartburn.
• Quit drinking alcoholIf you suffer from frequent heartburn or gastritis, you absolutely must make this effort: eliminate alcohol from your habits. Or at least reduce it to the bare minimum.
• Don't neglect rest. Sleep, or the first medicine for man, is also essential for good stomach function and its protection. Sleep, sleep, sleep: the right amount and the necessary amount. If you have stomach problems gastritis, try to sleep, at least for the first few hours, on your left side, with your neck on a pillow high enough to fill the space between your shoulders and the nape of your neck, and also with a pillow between your knees.
• Avoid a sedentary lifestyleOn the contrary, a minimum amount of physical activity is a real panacea, even with respect to the risk of gastritis that sometimes accompanies us as a result of the stressful life we ​​are forced (?) to lead.
• The most suitable clothing. Choose trousers or skirts with a loose belt and a waist that isn't too high, or go half a size up so they don't leave marks on your waist. The same goes for bras. And avoid any clothing that's too tight: it could promote reflux and slow digestion.
• Stop smokingThe danger of gastritis and, in general, of burning sensations caused by burning tissue is another of the thousand good reasons to eliminate the deadly habit of easy cigarettes from your lifestyle.
• Over-the-counter digestiveIf you choose an over-the-counter digestive aid, and only do so if necessary and without overdoing it, choose liquid antacids that warn on the label that they contain magnesium hydroxide mixed with aluminum hydroxide. They are the most effective.

Read also:

• Crohn's disease: causes, symptoms, and prevention
• Mistakes to avoid with your diet
• What to do when you get a stomach ache
• Difficult digestion: causes, remedies, and prevention
• Why eating slowly helps you lose weight