Gut health is incredibly important for us all, as it is responsible for our overall well-being, balancing everything right from digestion and the immune system to mental clarity. However, some issues, like gastritis, can disrupt this balance of your gut health. Let’s learn all about gastritis and how nutrition plays an important role in managing it.

Gastritis refers to the inflammation of the soft mucosal lining in your stomach. Basically, this lining acts as a protective layer for your stomach. However, sometimes it gets inflamed due to an infection, digestive chemicals, or ingested food material. People may experience sudden and severe gastritis, but it lasts for a short time, while some other people may experience chronic gastritis that develops gradually and lasts for a longer time. This condition can affect anyone, irrespective of age and gender.

If you suffer from gastritis, it will impact your nutritional intake and overall health because gastritis and nutrition are interconnected. As the stomach lining gets inflamed, it disrupts digestion and absorption of nutrients. You may also face loss of appetite, early satiety (feeling full quickly), or indigestion after eating. As a result, you fail to take adequate nutrients, leading to nutritional deficiencies.

Besides, gastritis may also cause pain and discomfort in the body. Due to this, you may have to avoid certain foods. This again causes inadequacy in the nutrient intake. Furthermore, sometimes people are averse to eating during gastritis due to the discomfort they experience after eating, which again leads to nutritional deficiency.

There are several symptoms that indicate gastritis disease in your body:

• Burning, gnawing, and painful feeling in your abdomen
• Feeling of nausea and vomiting; vomiting may occur with blood or some dark substance
• Fullness, bloating, and indigestion after eating
• Stomach pain
• Loss of appetite
• Dark or black stools indicating stomach bleeding

The consistent occurrence of these symptoms indicates the need to consult healthcare professionals.

Hypertension can be categorized into different types. Primary hypertension is defined as high blood pressure that rises over time due to genetic or acquired predisposition. Secondary hypertension is often the result of a disease that impacts other organs in the body, for instance, the kidneys. Another type of hypertension in pregnancy is chronic hypertension, and this also requires good control so as not to cause complications to the mother and the fetus.

Stomach gastritis may occur due to several reasons. However, the main gastritis causes include:

• Helicobacter Pylori Infection: This is a kind of bacterial infection that may damage the lining of the stomach, leading to gastritis disease.
• Excessive use of alcohol: Long-term and excessive use of alcohol may lead to an inflamed stomach lining.
• Long-term Use of NSAIDs: Sometimes, taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for any other health condition may also irritate the stomach lining if taken for a long period.
• Autoimmune Condition: As occurs in all autoimmune conditions, your body’s own immune system attacks the stomach lining and causes inflammation.
• Stress : Though stress does not directly lead to stomach lining inflammation, emotional and physical stress may aggravate the symptoms.
• Reduced Blood Supply: Sometimes, any major surgery, critical illness, or trauma may also lead to acute gastritis due to reduced blood supply to the digestive system. Less blood flow means lowering the stomach lining’s defense system, making it more prone to chemical attacks.

Apart from these reasons, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and bile reflux are also some causes of stomach inflammation.

Functional nutrition means taking a holistic approach to health and diet, focusing on the interaction between lifestyle, food, and individual biology. Most people think about gastritis what to avoid, and what to eat to prevent flare-ups. Functional nutrition is very helpful in managing this condition, as it emphasizes a gastritis diet plan that includes:

• Anti-inflammatory Foods: These are the best foods to eat with gastritis as they reduce inflammation. For example, turmeric, ginger, and omega-3 fatty acids.
• Hydration: Drinking plenty of water and consuming herbal teas like chamomile helps in soothing the stomach lining.
• Probiotics: Probiotics help in restoring the healthy balance of gut bacteria. You can consume fermented foods, like yogurt, dosa, and kefir, for a healthy gut.
• Digestive Foods: Eating foods that help in digestion and soothe the stomach lining are the main ingredients of a gastritis diet. These include bananas, oatmeal, and applesauce.
• Cooked vs. Raw: Cooked foods are easier and quicker to digest. On the contrary, raw foods take time to digest and may irritate the stomach.
• Small and Frequent Meals: Eating small and frequent meals reduces the burden on the stomach, preventing the excessive release of acids.

To heal gastritis, you need to adopt the right lifestyle and healthy eating, which not only protects the stomach lining but also helps in healing it.

• Maintain a Balanced Diet: Consult with an experienced nutritionist and make a special diet chart segregating gastritis food to eat and gastritis food not to eat. Nutrition for patients with gastritis is of utmost importance, and only a certified nutritionist can suggest to you the right balance of carbs, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals in your diet. Follow this chart religiously.
• Manage Stress: Indulge in stress-busting practices like exercises, meditation, and relaxation techniques to control gastritis from stress.
• Limit NSAIDs: Use these drugs cautiously, and for long-term pain management, consult your doctor for alternatives.
• Limit Alcohol Consumption: Reducing the quantity of alcohol can prevent stomach lining inflammation.
• Focus on Teenage Nutrition To avoid gastritis, it is essential to develop healthy habits right from the start. With the right nutrition, you can ensure that your gut remains healthy always.

Some women experience gastritis during pregnancy, and it becomes very challenging to handle gastritis and pregnancy together. A restrictive diet cannot work; otherwise, mother and baby won’t get the required nutrition.

If a pregnant woman experiences gastritis, she must avoid triggering foods like spicy, acidic, and fatty foods, eat small and frequent meals, and focus on nutrient-rich foods including iron, calcium, and folic acids.

Treatment for gastritis requires you to consult a professional. However, the type of treatment depends on the cause.

• Medication and antibiotics if the condition is due to H. Pylori
• Addiction treatment for alcohol and other drug use
• Finding alternatives for NSAIDs
• Drugs for treating autoimmune conditions
• Acid-blocking medications for healing the lining
• In rare cases, surgery to treat gastrointestinal lining or bile flux.

Apart from these, you can also adopt gastritis natural treatments such as lifestyle changes, dietary changes, and stress management.

Diet and gastritis are very closely linked, and thus you must know what foods you should consume as a cure for gastritis:

• Lean proteins like fish, tofu, and skinless poultry
• Non-acidic fruits like melons, bananas, and applesauce
• Whole grains like oatmeal, whole wheat, and brown rice for fiber and nutrients
• Cooked and easily digestible vegetables like carrots, spinach, and sweet potatoes

Here is the list of foods to avoid with gastritis treatment:

• Spicy foods like hot sauces, chili peppers, and other spicy ingredients
• Acidic foods like vinegar, tomatoes, and citrus fruits
• Carbonated and caffeinated beverages like tea, coffee, and sodas to prevent acid production

Gastritis can be overwhelming if it persists for a longer time. However, the right guidance and advice can help you come out of the situation soon.

We, at TIMETOBETTER, help you to manage your gastritis by connecting you to certified and experienced nutritionists. Our online counselors and nutritionists can help you navigate through this painful condition with the right nutrition coaching and lifestyle changes.