Peptic Ulcer Diet

Microbial infection and long term usage of certain medication causes the formation of open sores or abrasions on the lining of small intestine or stomach. Such a condition is known as peptic ulcer. A patient of peptic ulcer has to suffer from a lot of discomfort and maladies. The most common symptom is abdominal pain with a burning sensation, which often aggravates after eating. Pain is felt even in empty stomach, probably due to the presence of gastric juice, which can be brought down with the intake of antacids and milk. Other signs and symptoms of peptic ulcer are heartburn, belching, nausea, vomiting, indigestion and loss of appetite and weight.

Many people suffering from peptic ulcers, can eat everything with no significant discomfort. However, there are some who develop excessive acid production, heartburn and irritation after eating certain foods. If you happen to be among such unfortunate peptic ulcer patients, you need to know about the foods that are safe for you.

Peptic Ulcer Diet: Dos and Don'ts
Following are some peptic ulcer diet 'do and don't' guidelines.

• Do not eat foods in bulk. They add an extra workload on your digestive system. Try to eat 5-6 times a day and keep the amount of food small. This will avoid the periods of hunger and will also curb overeating.
• Rest and relax, both before and after every meal. Try to eat slowly and chew the food well. This will ease their digestion.
• Include a rich source of protein at each meal. Such foodstuffs can be milk, eggs, meat and cheese.
• Do not eat anything at least three hours before bedtime.
• Avoid foods that are fried and spicy. Also, decrease the intake amount of caffeine containing drinks, like coffee and tea.
• Do not take carbonated drinks, chocolate and tomato based products, as they work towards increasing acidity.
• Quit smoking and cut down on the consumption of alcohol.
• Take the antacids as recommended by the doctor. Generally, they are taken 1-3 hours after every meal and prior to bedtime.
• Avoid magnesium containing antacids as they may cause diarrhea.

Peptic Ulcer Diet: Foods

Cereals
Whole grain cereals are mostly safe to eat with peptic ulcer. Generally, whole-grain, seedless breads, tortillas, bagels, English muffins and hot dog buns form a part of the diet for peptic ulcer. You may also take enriched rice, noodles, pastas and spaghetti macaroni without any discomfort. You may have French toasts, pancakes, muffins and waffles with low fat content once a while. Their increased amount may cause some uneasiness. Very coarse cereals such as bran, wild rice, breads with seeds and bread products with nuts and dried fruits are not meant to be included in the diet for peptic ulcer disease.

Fruits
2-3 daily servings of fresh, frozen and canned fruits are tolerated to some extent. Fruits like papaya, watermelon and apples can be eaten on a regular basis. Citrus fruits such as grapes, pineapples, oranges and tangerines are not advisable for patients with peptic ulcer, as they increase acidity and thus further worsen the condition.

Vegetables
3-4 daily servings of fresh, canned and frozen vegetables except tomato, can be taken without much concern. If you feel some discomfort with the intake of a particular vegetable, omit that from you peptic ulcer diet. Some vegetables are gas forming in nature. Hence, they are not included in this diet. A few examples of such vegetables are cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, onion, cauliflower, cucumber and sauerkraut.

Dairy Products
Milk causes a neutralization effect during the initial hours of its intake. Therefore, it is good for patients with peptic ulcers. Various dairy products like plain mild cheese, low fat cottage cheese and no fat yogurt are recommended for intake. Certain flavors of milk and its products are a big no-no, in diet for peptic ulcer. These are chocolate milk, buttermilk, evaporated whole milk and cream and strong flavored cheese.

Meat and its Substitutes
All lean, tender pork, beef, lamb and poultry without the skin can be taken safely. Even fresh, canned and frozen fish packed in water are considered safe for consumption. 3-5 egg yolks can be taken a week. Highly seasoned and heavily marbled meat, poultry and fish are not meant to be included in peptic ulcer diet.

The above given peptic ulcer dietary approach has helped a number of patients to recover from both acute and chronic ulcers. Therefore, construct your daily meals from the foodstuff suggested above, to help your body treat peptic ulcer. Make sure that whatever you eat, you take approximately 80 grams of proteins, 250 grams of carbohydrates and 65 grams of fat, with about 3245 mg of sodium and 3000 mg of potassium. Your daily calorie intake should not exceed 2000 calories. Follow this peptic ulcer diet strictly, to fasten the recovery process of peptic ulcer.