Environmental Nutrition: Eating to fight peptic ulcers
Research is finding these popular remedies are not looking so promising.
--Honey kills H. pylori in the lab, but not in the stomach, where it's too diluted by stomach acid to work.
--Garlic fights H. pylori in the lab, but studies in humans haven't been encouraging.
Along with stress and tobacco use, these foods can irritate your ulcers or make them worse:
--Alcohol is known to increase risk of peptic ulcers and slow healing of existing ulcers.
--Milk and dairy products can increase stomach acid and make pain worse.
--Spicy foods can be painful for people with ulcers.
--Acidic foods like citrus and tomatoes may be painful to eat.
Bottom line
If you have a peptic ulcer, follow your doctor's treatment advice, minimize stress, avoid alcohol and tobacco products, stay away from spicy or acidic foods and milk if they cause your pain to flare, be sure to eat a nourishing diet with plenty of foods rich in vitamins C and A, and, if you're diagnosed with H. pylori, consider adding some of the promising bacteria-fighting foods above.
(Environmental Nutrition is the award-winning independent newsletter written by nutrition experts dedicated to providing readers up-to-date, accurate information about health and nutrition in clear, concise English. For more information, visit www.environmentalnutrition.com.)
