Fighting Stomach Ulcers with Supplements

The burning pain of an ulcer is hard to ignore and for this reason, many people turn to supplements to find relief. Finding out you have an ulcer can bring on feelings of panic and concern.

Will you ever be able to eat the foods you love again?

Will the pain ever go away?

These are some of the many questions that plague sufferers.

Luckily, with the right care and treatment, ulcers can be cured and you can eventually enjoy your favorite foods again. There are many natural treatment options and supplements for ulcers available to you that can help lessen your painful symptoms and help bolster the healing process. This in turn can make it easier to reduce the chances of recurring problems while alleviating pain in the moment.

Additionally, ulcer supplements can help to increase healthy gut bacteria, fight the bacteria that causes ulcers and help maintain the proper PH of your stomach so that it is not too acidic.

Certain conditions can make it more difficult, so it is important to understand what symptoms that you are suffering from that are caused by your ulcer. Let’s start by taking a look at what ulcers are and what they do so that it is easy to create a plan for your own symptoms.

What Is An Ulcer?

Stomach, esophageal and duodenal ulcers, also referred to as peptic ulcers, are sores that develop on the inner stomach lining, the upper intestine (duodenal) or the lining of the esophagus. These painful, localized sores eat through the lining of your stomach, intestine or esophagus causing pain, inflammation and injury.

Ulcer Symptoms

• Abdominal discomfort
• Bloating
• Dull or burning pain in the upper chest or abdomen
• Indigestion
• Fatigue
• Gas
• Vomiting

**Because some Ulcer symptoms are similar to the symptoms experienced with heart disease or heart attack, you should contact your doctor or hospital immediately if you experience them and are uncertain about the cause of your symptoms.

What Causes Ulcers?

Ulcers are caused by the build up of Helicobacter pylori, a harmful bacteria. This bacteria attacks the lining of your stomach by thinning its protective mucus membrane.. This in turn causes your stomach to react by producing more stomach acids which further erode the stomach lining. The stomach lining is a protective film that prevents the naturally occurring acids in your stomach which break down food from burning through your stomach and causing you injury. An ulcer can occur when the lining has been compromised. It is usually a small localized area that looks like a blister.

Certain foods and medications can increase the concentration of acids in our system. Citrus fruits like lemons or limes, spicy foods like chili peppers or anti inflammatory drugs like aspirin can all influence the chemistry of your stomach which in turn can lead to the formation of ulcers.

Can They Be Cured?

An ulcer is a wound caused by bacterial infection. If cared for properly an ulcer can heal. However if you do not treat an ulcer and make dietary changes than it can get worse and even become life threatening.

If an ulcer is left untreated, the concentrated acids in your stomach will deepen that wound until it eats all the way through your protective lining. Once that occurs stomach acid can escape into your body where it can harm your surrounding tissues and organs, potentially threatening your life.

What Foods Should You Avoid When You Have An Ulcer?

If you have an ulcer you will need to make dietary changes and attempt to avoid certain types of foods that can make your ulcer worse. This will help create a conducive environment in your gastrointestinal system for healing and will also help alleviate some of your painful symptoms.

Drinks

• Cocoa
• Chocolate milk
• coffee
• Milk
• Soda
• Certain Teas like peppermint tea

Foods and spices

• Black pepper
• Citrus fruits
• Dairy foods
• Hot peppers and chilis
• Mints (spearmint, peppermint etc)
• Spicy cheeses
• Spicy meats (salami,sausage etc)

Supplements For Easing Ulcers

On top of prescription drugs, there are a number of natural alternative methods that you can employ in order to get your condition under control. Check out some of these popular ulcer supplements and see how they can help you.

Cranberry

Deliciously tart and packed with antioxidants, cranberries can be found fresh, frozen and as a juice or juice concentrate. It can also be found in supplemental tablets. Many people drink cranberry juice as part of their treatment for urinary tract infections. Cranberry juice is a milld astringent and helps to strip harmful bacteria from the urinary tract. Not many people realize it has many other benefits as well.

How Can Cranberry Help Ulcers?

Much in the same way cranberry juice helps to clear out bacteria in a urinary tract infection, cranberry seems to work by limiting the growth and colonization of bacteria around your ulcer. So although drinking something tart may seem counterintuitive, it is not. Cranberry juice can help prevent your ulcers from becoming infected and getting worse.

Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice

Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice or DGL is licorice in which the glycyrrhizin has been removed to lessen associated side effects. DGL has many health benefits and is very gentle on the stomach. is a supplement commonly used to treat stomach maladies.

How Can Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice Help Ulcers?

DGL helps to sooth the stomach, protect the stomach lining and helps with both the healing of stomach ulcers and in preventing the return of stomach ulcers once they have healed. Because of its preventive qualities this is a supplement you should take while you have an ulcer and after they have healed.

**As with any medication that requires long term usage, make sure to talk to your doctor prior to taking and discuss any concerns you may have.

Flavonoids

Flavonoids or plant metabolites can be found in a great variety of fruits and vegetables. Flavonoids are antioxidant rich and help fight free radicals. They also help defend your stomach lining from the harmful effects of bacteria.

How Can Flavonoids Help Ulcers?

Flavonoids combat the bacterias that can cause ulcers by inhibiting their growth in the stomach making them a powerful tool to treat ulcers and maintain stomach health.

What Foods Have Flavonoids?

There is a wealth of foods rich in flavonoids, however many of them are highly acidic and can actually make your ulcers worse so it is important to choose foods that are gentle on the stomach. It is also a good idea to take flavonoids in supplemental form in order to avoid those acidic sources.

Some foods that have flavonoids

• Apples
• Apricots
• Bananas
• Blueberry
• Celery
• Cherries
• Cranberry
• Honey
• Leafy greens
• Peaches

Garlic

Garlic is part of the onion family and is used as a spice to add flavor to many different types of food. Garlic has antibacterial properties and has been used as a folk remedy to treat medical conditions for thousands of years. It turns out, our ancestors knew what they were doing because garlic has many medicinal properties and can be beneficial in the treatment of a variety of ailments.

How Can Garlic Help Ulcers?

Garlic may help lessen the amount of the bacteria that causes ulcer formation and keep them from colonizing. Because Garlic can irritate a sensitive stomach you may find taking it as a supplement in tablet or pill form less irritating on your stomach.

Honey

Honey is one of the reasons we all love bees. They produce this thick, sticky sweet substance that not only tastes like heaven, it also has numerous health benefits. Honey has antibiotic properties and is a powerful antioxidant.

How Can Honey Help Ulcers?

Honey is very soothing on the stomach. It can help coat the stomach lining and protect it from harmful bacteria. As it also has antibacterial properties, it can help fight the bacteria that causes ulcers.

Mastic

Mastic is a derivative found in an evergreen shrub that grows naturally in a small portion of the mediterranean. The sap from the mastic tree is dried into a resin that can be chewed like chewing gum. Mastic is a powerful antioxidant that has antibiotic and antifungal properties.

How Can Mastic Help Ulcers?

Mastic is effective at killing Helicobacter pylori, the bacteria that causes ulcers. Therefore taking matic as a supplement is a great way to help cure your ulcer.

Polyphenol

Polyphenol is a micronutrient found in many foods and herbs. Green tea and olive oil are two examples of natural sources of polyphenols. Polyphenols have antibacterial properties.

How Can Polyphenol Help Ulcers?

Polyphenols can help kill the bacteria that causes ulcers. Olive oil in particular is a great conduit for polyphenol. It is resistant to stomach acids can maintain a stable presence in the stomach allowing time for it to actively combat unhealthy gut bacteria.

Probiotics

Probiotics are healthy biotics or bacterias that are beneficial to us and contribute to the good health of our gastrointestinal systems. Healthy gut bacteria is important because the healthy bacteria limits the growth of unwanted gut bacteria and keeps your digestive system balanced and healthy.

How Can Probiotics Help Ulcers?

Probiotics help eliminate unwanted or bad gut bacteria. Probiotics can also help to restore overall gut health by promoting the growth of healthy flora needed for optimal digestive functioning.

What Foods Have Probiotics?

Probiotics can be found in foods that have been fermented which promotes the growth of beneficial bacterial cultures.

Foods rich in probiotics

• Buttermilk
• Fermented drinks such as beer or wine
• Kim Chi
• Kefir
• Kombucha
• Lassi
• Natto
• Sauerkraut
• Yogurt

Probiotics are also available in supplemental tablets that can be found over the counter at your local health or drugstore.

**If you suspect you have an ulcer see your doctor right away. Often the symptoms of ulcers can mimic other life threatening diseases such as heart attack and should not be ignored. Ulcers themselves can be life threatening if left untreated.

Ulcers: Only a Problem if Left Untreated

Ulcers are extremely painful and can interfere with the normal function of your daily life. Having them can take away the enjoyment of eating. If left untreated they can become serious and even life threatening. The good news is that ulcers are treatable and can heal if properly cared for

With the correct diet and supplements, you can ensure that your stomach chemistry is conducive to healing so that you can continue to lead a normal healthy life and enjoy the foods you love, pain free.