Some diet choices can raise your risk for gastritis or worsen this condition. Gastritis is an inflammation of your stomach lining that causes pain and an upset stomach. This condition can last for a short time or can affect you for months or even years. If you suspect that your diet choices, such as the Atkins Diet, are causing gastritis, consult a doctor.
Gastritis Causes
Diet isn't considered a primary cause of gastritis. Drinking too much alcohol and frequently taking aspirin and ibuprofen are the most common causes. Gastritis is also caused by a Helicobacter pylori infection. Less common causes are extreme stress, autoimmune disorders, backflow of bile into your stomach, viral infections, pernicious anemia and consuming caustic substances, such as poison. Once you have gastritis, however, diet may worsen your condition.
Fat Consumption
The Atkins diet restricts carbohydrates and emphasizes fats as well as proteins. If you consume high-fat or greasy foods you might increase inflammation in your stomach lining worsen your gastritis symptoms. Older versions of the Atkins diet didn't specify what type of fat you should consume or dictate how much of it to take in, while newer versions emphasize natural fats such as olive oil over manufactured fats such as hydrogenated oils and give you advice for how much fat to incorporate into your meals.
Other Atkins Factors
Other diet choices allowed on the Atkins diet may aggravate gastritis. Regular or decaffeinated coffee and tea, diet cola and spicy foods are common culprits. Dietary interventions for gastritis vary, depending on your symptoms. If your condition is asymptomatic, meaning that it doesn't produce noticeable symptoms, you may not need any dietary restrictions. If you have discomfort or pain, your doctor will likely recommend that you avoid irritating foods and beverages, including alcohol and chocolate. If you don't have gastritis, some diet choices allowed by the Atkins plan might help prevent this condition. Foods with flavonoids including tea, celery, garlic and onions can stop growth of the Helicobacter pylori bacteria.
Considerations
Eating a diet that’s rich in fiber is one strategy for alleviating gastritis. Old versions of the Atkins diet simply restricted carbohydrates, whereas newer versions of the plan encourage you to consume more high-fiber vegetables. Another dietary recommendation for treating gastritis that is counter to some versions of the Atkins plan is consuming fewer red meats. Eating fewer refined carbohydrates, such as white bread and pasta, is a diet recommendation in the Atkins plan that might help alleviate gastritis symptoms.
Dietary choices might not be to blame if you suffer gastritis and altering your diet is not always effective when it comes to treating this condition. Consult your doctor to determine the cause of your condition develop a treatment plan. You might need to quit taking over-the-counter drugs that increase stomach acid or use medication to reduce stomach acid. If you have a Helicobacter pylori infection, your doctor is likely to prescribe three medicines -- two antibiotics along with a proton pump inhibitor used to reduce stomach acid production.
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