Spicy foods are often blamed as a cause of your gastric ulcer, and it is recommended that you avoid them to help promote healing. But the spicy substance in the cayenne pepper, the capsaicin, may protect you against ulcer formation, and may also promote healing. However, before you go and add cayenne pepper to your diet to help heal your gastric ulcer, first talk to your doctor.
Gastric Ulcers
A gastric ulcer is an open sore that occurs on the inside lining of your stomach. It most commonly causes you to feel a burning pain that radiates from your belly button to your chest. But the ulcer can also make you feel nauseous and decrease your appetite. A gastric ulcer may form if there is an increase in the acidity of your stomach, or there is a change in the protective mucous that covers your stomach lining. A bacteria known as Helicobacter pylori has been linked to the development of gastric ulcers, along with an overuse of over-the-counter pain relievers.
Treatment
Treatment of a gastric ulcer requires an antibiotic to kill the Helicobacter pylori and medication to decrease the acidity of your stomach contents. Lifestyle changes are also recommended to help promote healing, including making changes to your diet. This includes avoiding spicy foods such as cayenne peppers, caffeine, chocolate, alcohol, acidic foods such as tomatoes and oranges and spices like garlic and cinnamon. Instead, eat a healthy balanced diet that is high in fiber and includes a variety of fruits and vegetables--excluding those you need to avoid--whole grains, lean meats, beans and low-fat dairy products.
Cayenne Peppers
Cayenne peppers add spice and heat to foods, and are commonly found in Cajun and Creole cooking. But they offers more than just flavor. Native Americans have been using cayenne peppers as a source of food and medicine for more than 9,000 years, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. The capsaicin in the cayenne pepper is used to reduce both pain and inflammation, and is used as a pain reliever for osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, nerve pain and cluster headaches.
Gastric Ulcers and Cayenne Peppers
In addition to helping reduce pain, the capsaicin in the cayenne pepper may also help prevent gastric ulcers from forming, and promote healing. According to a 2006 review article published in "Current Pharmaceutical Design," capsaicin-sensitive fibers, stimulated by the consumption of capsaicin, protect you against the formation of gastric ulcers by increasing acid production. In addition, the capsaicin-sensitive fibers help promote healing by stimulating the neurotransmitter calcitonin gene-related peptide, which helps promote healing. While this is promising information for the lover of spicy foods, more research is necessary before recommendations can be made.
References
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Cayenne
- MayoClinic.com; Peptic ulcer; January 2011
- "Current Pharmaceutical Design"; Role of Sensory Neurons in Restitution and Healing of Gastric Ulcers; S. Evangelista; 2006
- Drugs.com: Diet for Ulcers and Gastritis
- "European Journal of Pharmacology"; Role of Capsaicin Sensitive Nerves and Histamine H1, H2 and H3 Receptors in the Gastroprotective Effect of Histamine Against Stress; A. Dembinski, et al.; January 2005
- "Journal of Physiology, Paris"; Capsaicin and the Stomach. A Review of Experimental and Clinical Data; O.M. Abdel-Salam, et al.; May 1997
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