Gastritis is a general medical term that means
“stomach.inflammation” In many cases, it involves damage and bleeding of the stomach lining. The most common causes are alcohol and certain drugs. Ironically, medications used to control inflammation in other parts of the body are
many time responsible for gastritis. The non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
have a long history of irritating the stomach and parts of the gastrointestinal
tract. The drugs include: aspirin (like Bayer, Ecotrin, and others), ibuprofen
(like Advil, Motrin, Nuprin, and others), naproxen (like Aleve, Anaprox,
Naprelan, Naprosyn), and many others, some available
only by prescription and others can be purchased over the counter. Alcoholics are well known to have stomach trouble,
often including bleeding, from drinking too much. Another type of gastritis is “stress” gastritis, which occurs in surgical patients and people with serious medical problems, such as burns, trauma, massive infection, organ failure,
cirrhosis of the liver, and acute local infections caused by a variety of bacteria, viruses, fungi, and even
parasites. Exposure to radiation or caustic substances such as acids and drain cleaners can also
be a cause this type of gastritis.
|
Nutrient
/ Supplement |
Importance
( 1 - 10 ) |
Helpful
notes |
| Folic
acid |
10 |
It very important
for creating red blood cells and often people who suffer anemia are
deficient in folic acid. The amount of folic acid believed needed for
health has increased and it may even be more important than iron for
people with anemia and/or gastritis. |
| Multi-vitamin and
Mineral
supplement |
10 |
contains vitamin B
complex especially B6 & B12, folic acid, vitamin E,
vitamin A, vitamin C, manganese, vitamin B complex, calcium, copper, and zinc.
These help in both the treatment and the prevention of gastritis as well as good general
balanced health. |
| Aloe Vera |
9 |
helps with stress and to sooth the
digestive system. |
| Vitamin C |
9 |
C vitamins are essential in increasing
the body's immunity and they help to prevent
inflammation. Vitamin C also is needed for iron absorption in the body. |
| Vitamin A |
8 |
vitamin A is an important
antioxidant that helps boost the immune system and
aids in tissue repair. It also works well
with vitamin C in a vitamin and mineral supplement. |
| Copper |
7 |
this mineral is required for
good red blood cell production in the body. |
| Zinc |
7 |
enhances healing and works
with copper. (See multi-vitamin supplement) |
| Bioflavonoids |
7 |
has anti-viral properties and helps to increase the body's energy |
While most forms of the gastritis disorder
will disrupt the surface layer "mucosa" of the stomach lining, there are exceptions. Helicobacter pylon, a bacterium,
may cause inflammation underneath the mucous layer that coats the stomach, and has been implicated in stomach
or peptic ulcers. Another form of gastritis in which the surface remains intact is gastritis associated with pernicious anemia. This is a disorder of the immune system in which vitamin B12 fails to be absorbed properly because of inadequate production of stomach acid and a substance called intrinsic factor (see
anemia).
Gastritis might be painless even if there is alot of damage to the stomach lining. If there are symptoms, they can include:
appetite loss, bloating, indigestion,
nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Pain may be made worse by eating. The primary diagnostic technique used to examine the stomach lining is endoscopic
examination, either gastroscopy, which is used to examine the stomach, or a procedure
called EGD which means "esophagogastroduodenoscopy" , in which both the stomach and the duodenum, the first section of the small intestine, are examined. Either procedure involves inserting a flexible
fiber optic tube through the mouth and it travels down the throat
into the stomach. Your doctor can then look directly at the
stomach and stomach lining. This is normally only done to
determine if there is a more serious problem.
Other Changes To Make
-
drink 6-8 glasses of steam distilled or
filtered water a day
-
eat 50% raw fruits and vegetables (organic is best)
-
nuts, seeds, and whole grains are good
-
juice is good (make your
own with a juice machine)
-
do not worry as much about calories as eating the right foods
-
carrot and celery sticks are good to use as a snack
-
a colon cleansing can be very helpful - (do several times each year)
-
do not drink coffee, alcohol, soda pop, other junk food drinks
-
do not eat processed foods white sugar, white flour, etc...
-
use stress relief like going for walks in the park
(or the 10/90 rule - see
Stress)
-
brown rice is good to eat
-
avoid red meat and animal fats
-
reduce dairy products cheese, milk, and others
-
fast a few days a month
-
get at least 8 hours of sleep
-
exercise light to moderate amounts
-
avoid artificial sweeteners like Aspartame and NutraSweet
-
do not smoke and avoid second hand smoke
-
do not skip meals - just eat better and not as much at each meal
-
do not chew gum - it can cause you to feel hungry
-
do not watch too much TV try reading a book or something else
|
