Gastritis - Stomach pain - Ayurvedic & Home remedies

Gastritis

Gastritis diet: Activites and diet for gastritis

Gastritis can be very well treated with medications. But since it is something which comes back to haunt repeatedly, a good diet for gastritis  is very important. It helps in avoiding recurrence of gastritis.  The disease has been explained in many Ayurvedic books, centuries before. Here is the gastritis diet.
Introduction: When we eat food, it goes down through the food pipe and stored in a bag called stomach for about 1.5 – 2 hours.  Here, the food undergoes disintegration into very small particles. Hydrochloric acid kills many of the micro organisms that we might ingest in food and a small portion of food is absorbed. After 1.5 hours, the food is pushed down to intestine for further digestion.

If the inner lining of stomach is damaged or irritated or inflamed due to causes like heavy alcohol consumption etc. the condition is called gastritis. (Gastrum = stomach, itis = inflammation).

Gastritis is sometimes hard to cure because, gastritis treatment involves

• correction of gastric enzymes
• healing of inflamed stomach inner lining (gastric mucosa)
• Correction of secretion of gastric juices and acid.
• Achieving overall balanced function of stomach.

Gastritis Symptoms:

• Nausea (Vomiting sensation)
• Vomiting
• Bloating, fullness of abdomen
• Loss of appetite
• Feeling as if stomach is full with a very little amount of food.
• Belching, sour belching.
• Feeling of burning in stomach

Though these are clear gastritis symptoms, it is better to consult a doctor rather than self-diagnosing gastritis. Because there are many other diseases which may mimic like gastritis.

Gastritis diet:

Activities for gastritis relief:

1. Avoiding heat and Sun light. According to Ayurveda, exposure to Sunlight increases Pitta and gastritis is a Pitta dominant disease. so avoid direct exposure to sunlight as much as possible. Use umbrella or hat.

2. Having food at right time: Having food at fixed intervals of time helps the biological clock of the body to release gastric juice, and enzymes at right times.

3. Avoiding fasting: Though Gastritis patients might have hunger disturbances, they should avoid fasting or delaying of meals.

Diet for gastritis:

Here is a list of food items that gastritis patients need to take regularly, according to Ayurveda.

Barley, Wheat and green gram.

Boiled and cooled water

Honey

Ash gourd – Many ash gourd recipes and herbal products are used in gastritis treatment. Regular use of Ash gourd is good.

Bitter vegetables like bitter gourd, asparagus, Indian Tinospora etc are good for stomach.

Asa foetida – Though it is not good to taste, it is used in many Indian dishes. Very good for stomach.

Cumin seeds / Jeera – Improves digestive power, increases hunger.

Coriander – coriander is a natural coolant.

Milk : Widely used in Panchakarma Gastritis treatment. Rich in calcium and good for gastritis.

Ghee: Calms Pitta and improves digestion.

Coconut water

Amla – Indian gooseberry – it will take one whole book to write about Amla benefits.

Ajowan: Improves digestive power, a  cure for pain abdomen due to gastritis.

Ginger: Ginger processed in milk is a good home remedy for gastritis.

Fruits for Gastritis: Pome granate, grapes, apple, and banana.

For effective gastritis treatment, medicine is important. But a right diet with the above listed food items will help for quick relief of gastritis.

Ayurvedic home remedies for  gastritis:
You may not try all of these, you can follow a few.

• Long pepper powder- half a gram with one spoon of honey – two times a day is one of the effective home remedies for gastritis.
• Lemon juice helps to relieve vomiting sensation and bloating.
• Boiled Ash gourd with jaggery relieves bloating and burning sensation in stomach associated with acidity and gastritis.
• One table-spoon of Triphala powder added with one glass of water, boiled and reduced to half a glass, filtered. This water decoction in hot condition,  along with one table-spoon of honey or ghee relieves gastritis.
• Regular chewing of half a teaspoon of  fennel seeds after food is good for digestion and gastritis.
• Half glass of buttermilk, added with a pinch of asa foetida, turmeric, half tea-spoon of fenugreek drunk at night, is good for effective treatment of gastritis.
• Crush cumin seeds into fine powder. add half tea-spoon of cumin seeds to one liter of water. boil the water for two minutes and filter. Drink this water, in place of normal water. But new water needs to be made everyday. This is a natural remedy for gastritis.
• Things that are included in gastritis diet aid in gastritis cure. 
• Ginger – 5 grams.
  Milk – 100 ml
  water – 100 ml.
  Boil this till there is only 80 – 100 ml remaining. (meaning water is emptied)
  Filter and drink. This is a good gastritis remedy.
  In the same way, garlic – drink is also a good home remedy for gastritis.

So, these home remedies for gastritis aid in early gastritis cure along with medication.

Things to avoid for gastritis cure

Gastritis cure is possible with timely treatment and dietary restrictions. Avoiding certain things also aids gastritis treatment and helps fasten gastritis cure. 
Things to avoid for gastritis cure:

• Do not go directly under afternoon sun: Direct bright Sun exposure increases Pitta and worsens gastritis. So, wear a hat or use an umbrella.
• Do not fast or skip meals: At regular intervals, gastric juice is produced inside the stomach, with enzymes and Hydrochloric acid.  If you fast or skip meal, the juice is left unused, leading to worsening of gastritis. So, it is important to have meals at right time. During unavoidable circumstances, have at least a couple of fibre rich biscuits or fruit juice.
• Avoid heavy meal: Since there is a problem with digestion, a heavy meal leads to vomiting or nausea (vomiting sensation). In stead, having small meals, for 4 – 5 times is good.
• Avoid caffeine, alcohol, smoking.
• Avoid stress and anger – which imbalances Pitta and thereby worsens gastritis.

Foods to avoid in gastritis:

Spicy food stuff, chilly, sesame seeds, black gram, horse gram, mustard oil, goat milk, curds, and food stuffs that are heavy to digest are to be avoided for gastritis relief.

Avoid strong tea and coffee.

Gastritis tips: while taking any medicine, make sure you drink plenty of water. If not, the tablet may get struck at the food pipe and may start disintegrating there, leading to irritation of the inner mucosa lining and worsening gastritis.