Foods To Eat With An Esophageal Ulcer

You can eat most foods with an esophageal ulcer. In a technical review on how to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, published in October 2008 in the "Journal of Gastroenterology," the American Gastroentorological Association stated that no particular diet worked for all people with GERD, esophagitis or esophageal ulcers. However, there are several diet modifications that you can try and continue if they help relieve symptoms of your esophageal ulcer.

Low Fat Foods

According to the authors of "Medical Surgical Nursing: Assessment and Management of Clinical Problems", you should avoid foods that decrease lower esophageal sphincter, or LES, pressure because gastroesophageal reflux increases when LES pressure drops. Reflux and stomach acid inflame esophageal tissue, aggravating an ulcer. Fatty foods lower LES. You should eat lean meats like poultry and whitefish. Grill or bake your meats to keep them lean. Choose low-fat dairy products like skim milk and low-fat yogurt.

Fruits and Vegetables

The National Institutes of Health, called NIH, recommend following a bland diet to control abdominal and chest pain and burning caused by esophageal ulcer. Fresh fruit and vegetables aggravate an esophageal ulcer, but you can have fruit and vegetable juice, as well as frozen, canned or cooked fruit and vegetables. Choose carrots, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peas and squash. Stay away from high fiber and gas-producing vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, corn, cucumber and cabbage. However, avoid highly acidic foods such as tomatoes and tomato products, pineapple and other citrus fruits. If you eat apples or pears, remove the skins and seeds as these are harder to digest and lead to more stomach acid production.

Caffeine Free Products

Caffeine decreases LES pressure. If you enjoy a good hot cup of tea or coffee, drink a decaffeinated variety. If you cannot stop all caffeine, then drink half-caffeine coffee or weak tea. If you enjoy herbal teas, stay away from mint teas as peppermint and spearmint drop LES pressure, too. Non-caffeinated sodas are acceptable to drink.

Whole Grains

Although the NIH warns against whole grains if you are following a bland diet, you do need fiber in your diet. Whole grain food options include hot cereals like oatmeal or cream of wheat and whole grain rice. If you have an esophageal ulcer, you can digest these grains more easily and tolerate them better than a bowl of bran or granola. To minimize adverse symptoms, eat small meals and snacks several times throughout the day rather than three large meals. This practice aids digestion.

Other Proteins

You can have eggs and tofu with an esophageal ulcer. Hard boil or poach eggs rather than frying them. You can also eat nut spreads like peanut butter, almond butter or hazelnut butter. However avoid spreads that contain chocolate because chocolate contains theobromine, which decreases the LES pressure, leading to gastroesophageal reflux.