Gastritis
Gastritis is an inflammation created in the mucous membrane that covers the stomach. Normally, the stomach is resistant to many simulations and can carry very strong acid. However, when the balance of the stomach acids and enzymes is violated, it causes damage to the stomach and can lead to irritation and even inflammation.
Gastritis used to be the most common gastroenterological disease. People that suffered from gastric ulcers, used to undergo surgery to amputate parts of the stomach; until in the 1980s, the bacterium responsible for creating gastric infections - Helicobacter Pylori - was discovered.
Once this bacterium was discovered, antibiotics became the main tool for treating gastritis.
The discoverer of the bacterium received a Nobel prize and the medical world was viewed as a savior. Years have passed since, and the simple antibiotic treatment has been upgraded. Today there are triple and quadruple treatments with different types of antibiotics. Unfortunatelly, I see many people who have undergone repeated rounds of antibiotic therapy and still suffer from gastric inflammation symptoms.
Causes
The are many causes for Gastritis, many of them are related to bad diet and poor lifestyle like high alcohol consumption and smoking. Some medications such as aspirin (blood thinning), steroid drugs, antidepressants, and NSAIDs (pain killers) may be triggers for Gastritis.
Traumas, burns, surgeries can also cause stomack inflammation.
Overgrowth of Helicobacter Pylori bacterium (HP) in many cases can also lead to gastritis.
Helicobacter pylori (HP)
Helicobacter pylori is a bacterium that penetrates the mucus that protects the digestive tract. The bacterium settles in the stomach thanks to its ability to decompose urea (UREA) and to create ammonia (a basic substance that contradicts gastric acidity). The bacterium attaches itself to the epithelial cells in the gastric mucosa, creating inflammation around it resulting in damage to the gastric wall, a process that causes ulcer formation. The presence of the bacterium in the stomach increases the risk of gastritis and digestive ulcers as well as gastric cancer and gastric lymphoma. Helicobacter pylori is the most common infection in the world and is found in more than half of the world's population, but only a small proportion of those infected with a bacterium show any symptoms of the disease.
The most common test for HP is a reliable and non-invasive breath test which is performed after drinking a substance similar to orange juice. The test measures the amount of carbon dioxide produced by the bacterium. Other HP tests include a stool sample, and gastroscopy or endoscopy.
Helicobacter pylori bacterium overgrowth is extremely common and it is, therefore, more important to prevent the damage it inflicts, rather than to cause its destruction. Conventional treatment focuses primarily on the destruction of the bacterium using antibiotics. The problem is, that antibiotics don't always manage to kill the bacterial overgrowth after one round, and in many cases it takes few rounds to kill it, but this could also make HP resistant to them and harder to treat. Of course there are other risks that are needed to be taken into consideration when taking antibiotics, such as weakening the body-friendly bacterial population and creating septic problems. The good new is that it is possible to treat HP naturally, by using medical herbs and anti inflammatory, healthy nutrition.
Symptoms
The Symptoms of gastritis depend on the severity of the inflammation and can include: abdominal pain or stomach pain, indigestion, loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting, fever, fatigue, and bleeding from the stomach. In some severe cases of inflammation bleeding ulcers, black stools and blood vomiting may also appear.
Conventional treatment
In case of Helicobactor Pilori infection, the drug treatments usually include antibiotics (usually 3-4 types at once), alongside anti-acid drugs which inhibit the secretion of hydrochloric acid that is naturally produced in the stomach. If the cause of the gastritis is not due to HP infection, then the treatment will include just the anti-acid medications.
Natural treatment
The natural treatment for gastritis is based on an easy-to-digest, anti-inflammatory, nutritious diet along with anti-inflammatory and soothing herbs. The herbs facilitate the digestive process, reduce inflammation and help restore the gastric mucous layer. Also, reducing acidity in the stomach (with anti-acidic nutrition and herbs) will help the healing process and relieve the symptoms. In case of Helicobactor pilory, strong antibacterial herbs are used to help fight the bacteria.
Based on my experience with hundreds of patients who suffered with various digestive inflammatory conditions, combining nutrition, food supplements and herbal medicine is important and gets a fast and safe recovery.
Nutrition for gastritis
The goals of nutritional therapy for gastritis are gastrointestinal rehabilitation and gastric acidity reduction. The nutritional menu which I build individually for each one of my patients contains easy-to-digest foods (such as soups, vegetable juices) and includes nutritional guidelines that include basic foods rich in vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, antioxidants. There is a connection between food allergies and gastric tissue changes. Therefore, in many cases, I instruct the patient to go on an elimination diet (gradually eliminating certain foods to identify the allergenic food). In addition, eating habits such as eating small meals at small intervals (every two hours), prolonged chewing of food, avoiding heavy meals, and lying down after eating are an important part of treating Gastritis successfully .
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