The belief that certain foods can cause ulcers has proved out to be false. Spicy foods do not cause ulcers, but they may aggravate symptoms in those who already have ulcers. The most common cause of ulcers is a bacteria called Helicobacter pylori. In other cases, ulcers can be caused or aggravated by the use of pain relievers, smoking, excess alcohol intake and stress. Fortunately, some foods can support you in your battle to recover from ulcers. If you have ulcers, consult your doctor as to whether these foods are appropriate for you.
Yogurt
Creamy, mild mannered yogurt is a deceptively feisty warrior in the battle against ulcer-causing Helicobacter pylori. Yogurt itself is also crawling with bacteria, but take heart, in this case they're on your side. Yogurt's friendly bacteria are also known as probiotics. Probiotics help to inhibit the growth of the harmful bacteria that cause your stomach ulcers via several possible mechanisms.
Drahoslava Lesbros-Pantoflickova, of the Department of Internal Medicine at Clinique Genolier in Switzerland states that probiotics help to treat of ulcers by secreting antimicrobial compounds, inhibiting harmful bacteria's ability to stick to adhesion sites, stimulating mucus production in the stomach and modulating the secretion of anti-inflammatory agents by the stomach lining.
Flavonoids
Apples, cherries, cranberries, onions garlic and tea are among the wide variety of food items that are rich in flavonoids. Flavonoids are gastroprotective nutrients, meaning they protect the digestive tract, according to K. S. Mota of the Pharmaceutical Technology Laboratory of the Federal University of Paraiba in Brazil.
Flavonoids can help to heal stomach ulcers and suppress the H. pylori bacteria. Mota summarized the results of studies examining the effects of 95 different flavonoids in the treatment of ulcers. Different flavonoids vary in their effectiveness in treating ulcers, but Mota regards this diverse class of secondary metabolites to have great therapeutic potential.
Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice
The sweet roots of the licorice plant have been used for medicinal purposes for since the days of Aristotle, and even back then, the ancient Greeks prized it as an ulcer treatment. One of the active ingredients of licorice, called glycyrrhiza, can cause side effects. Those with stomach ulcers may experience some relief from their condition by consuming deglycyrrhizinated licorice, or DGL. Taking DGL with aspirin may help protect against ulcer formation, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
