12 Natural Solutions for Stomach Ulcers and Heartburn

You would never think of tomatoes as being bad for you, but if you have stomach ulcers, they can actually make them worse. You'll truly be amazed at the other health foods you should avoid to prevent acid reflux from occurring. Before we discuss 12 natural home remedies for them, let's take a closer look at the causes and symptoms of stomach ulcers and heartburn: 

 

 

What Are Stomach Ulcers?

 

Many people confuse peptic ulcers with heartburn, but they are far from alike despite having similar symptoms. Ulcers consist of tiny open sores that develop on the inner lining of the stomach and small intestine, causing excruciating pain.

What Causes Stomach Ulcers?

Helicobacter pylori is the main bacterial infection that triggers stomach ulcers. Helicobacter pylori develops from certain medications, poor dietary lifestyle and stomach acid buildup. 

What Are the Symptoms Associated with Stomach Ulcers?

The most common symptoms attributed to ulcers are burning pains that begin at the top of your chest, eventually reaching your midriff. You can also experience sharp pains that keep you awake at night. There are also pains that occur two to three hours after eating, which may provoke mild nausea. These pains generally go away after vomiting. 

Food and Beverages to Avoid With Stomach Ulcers:

 

•    Coffee - Coffee stimulates acid production and can cause severe indigestion problems.

•    Alcohol - Alcohol can irritate and erode the lining of the stomach and small intestine, triggering ulcers.  

•    Spicy Foods - Certain peppers found in dishes, such as Mexican chili, can trigger heartburn in a flash. Avoid spicy foods as much as possible, because they stimulate acid reflux buildup and gastrointestinal pains. 

What is Heartburn?

Heartburn occurs when stomach acid backs up in the esophagus and eventually reaches your throat area. Heartburn is a very unpleasant burning sensation that can truly leave a bad taste in your mouth. Almost one in five Americans experiences it. 

                                

What Causes Heartburn?

The common cause of heartburn is a lower esophageal sphincter, or LES, that doesn't contract regularly. Unhealthy foods are a major contributor to heartburn, especially foods that are deep-fried or cooked in grease. Overeating can also cause acid reflux, due to the excess amount of pressure on the stomach. 

What Are the Symptoms of Heartburn?

Symptoms of heartburn or acid reflux include a dry cough, a sore throat that causes difficulty swallowing, an increased burning sensation after digestion, and tasting acid or food in the back of your mouth. These symptoms intensify the moment you lay down. 

Foods and Beverages to Avoid with Acid Reflux:

•    Citrus Fruits - Citrus fruits might be ideal for the common cold, but the acidity inside can cause heartburn, particularly on an empty stomach. 

•    Garlic and Onions - Although both vegetables are essential for a healthy dietary intake, they also wreck havoc on people suffering from heartburn.

•    Carbonated Beverages - Carbonated beverages cause gastric distension, leading to acid reflux and indigestion. It's best to stay away from sodas and just drink mineral water instead. 

5 Natural Treatments for Heartburn

 

 

1. Eating a Healthy Diet - There are many foods that are extremely good for you, but bad for your heartburn. Some of these foods include ground beef, sour cream, cottage cheese, onions, tomatoes, and citrus fruits. Make sure you avoid fried or greasy foods to prevent heartburn from occurring. Drink plenty of water between meals and skip the carbonated beverages altogether.

2. Enzymes and Probiotics - Probiotics are often referred to as the “good bacteria”, since they promote healthy digestion. Probiotics minimize the growth of harmful bacteria and boost the immune system. Probiotics are available in supplement form, and help combat acid reflux. Take them together with hydrochloric acid or HCI enzyme supplement for smooth digestion.

 

3. Aloe Vera Juice - Aloe Vera juice has been known to treat acid reflux and other medical symptoms. It's advisable to drink a quarter of a cup of Aloe Vera approximately 20 minutes before a meal, or whenever you experience acid reflux. You can even mix Aloe Vera with tea or water if you don't like the basic taste of it. Do not drink Aloe Vera juice if you have diabetes, kidney failure or thyroid disease. Pregnant women and children should also avoid it.

 

4. Apple Cider Vinegar  - Apple cider vinegar is used to treat stomach acid buildup, as ironic as that may sound. The cider helps digestion by breaking down fats, despite the acidity factor. Mix one or two teaspoons of the apple cider vinegar with a glass of water and drink it before meals, or whenever you feel an acid reflux attack coming on. 

 

5. Baking Soda - A little baking soda is all it takes to alleviate your acid reflux symptoms. You may not appreciate the bland taste, but you'll feel much better afterward. Mix half a teaspoon (or even a full one) of baking soda with a glass of water.

 

Natural Treatments for Stomach Ulcers

 

1. Cabbage Juice - Cabbage is packed with an abundance of natural anti-oxidant properties that help prevent stomach ulcers. Cabbage contains vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, C, E, K and folate, all essential for treating acid reflux and fighting cancer.

2. Zinc Carnosine - Zinc-Carnosine is used to treat stomach ulcers and other gastrointestinal problems. The function of the Zinc-Carnosine is to repair damaged tissues and heal ulcer wounds. 

Recommended Dosage: Use for eight weeks, with a daily dose of 75mg in divided doses.

 

3. Probiotics - Probiotics improve intestinal functions and help fend off Helicobacter pylori. They are also used to prevent other gastric disorders, such as diarrhea and inflammatory bowel disease, from occurring. 

Recommended Dosage: Take a probiotic of 1 to 2 million CFUs daily.

4. Glutamine - Glutamine significantly reduces the amount of inflammation brought on by a Helicobacter pylori infection. Glutamine supplements can be purchased at any local health store.  

Recommended Dosage: Take 2 grams of glutamine daily for stomach ulcers.

5. Ginger Root - Ginger limits the harmful helicobacter pylori from acting up. Add several slices of fresh ginger roots to hot water, and drink the ginger mixture approximately 20 minutes or so before each meal for a quick soothing remedy. 

6. Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice Powder (DGL) - DGL can work wonders for peptic ulcers. They protect the inner lining of your small intestine and stomach. 

Recommended Dosage: Suggested dose is 200 to 400 mg daily dissolved in 200 ml warm water.

7. Astaxanthin - These powerful antioxidants help protect the gastrointestinal or GI tract and reduce symptoms of acid reflux. The free radical scavenging activity of astaxanthin also combats against Helicobacter pylori bacterial infection.  

Recommended Dosage: Suggested daily dose is 40 mg. 

Bonus Recipe: How to Prepare an Anti-Reflux Smoothie:       

 

•    1 cup diced fresh pineapple

•    1 cup diced fresh papaya

•    1/2 cup Greek yogurt

•    1/2 cup ice

•    1/2 cup pineapple juice or water

•    Blend it all together and drink.

[FunFunky] 

Healthy Habits We Must Follow!

 

[FunFunky] 

7 Things You Should Never Forget When Everything Falls Apart!

 

  

There are moments in our lives where we feel as if all is lost and there is no more hope for ourselves so we begin to spiral into a seemingly never ending pit of despair.

 

These kinds of moments happen to all of us, with the unfortunate truth of the matter, adversity is everywhere and will do everything in it's power to challenge your coping abilities as well as your overall strength as a human.

 

One important thing to remember when you are going through these tough experiences is that you do not give up on yourself.

 

Take a minute from your stress to remind yourself of these very important aspects of coping and dealing with your problems.

 

1. Meditation/Prayer

 

If you have a certain practice that you like to fall back on such as meditation and or prayer, then turn to these methods to allow yourself to cope from all of your stressful endeavors.

 

Take the time to shut out all other noise, allow yourself to be free within your own space/mind, and let every little bit of tension within your body to slowly melt away.

 

You will find the solution to these problems, give yourself time to figure out what the right thing to do is.

 

2. Just Keep Moving Forward

 

There are certain times in our lives where we must admit that there is no use looking back on the past with sorrow and or despair. You must allow yourself to truly live in present moment at this time.

 

Beating yourself up constantly over things that you will never be able to change will make you insane with overthinking about all of the "what if's?"

 

Forgive yourself for all that you have done wrong, make peace with the situation, and finally let yourself move forward with your life. Sometimes that is all you can do when it comes to problems from the past is to just keep moving forward.

 

3. Express Yourself

  

One of the best ways to cope is to express all of what you are feeling through music, art, exercise, and anything else that makes you feel able to expel all of your stress away.

 

Hobbies play an important role in our life after we have been doing it for so long, returning to a favorite passion of yours could be exactly what you need.

 

We often forget what it feels like to shake those frustrations out through outlets we really enjoy spending time on. Gardening is also a really great outlet for people to get rid of their stress.

 

4. Take The Good With The Bad

 

Another way for you to cope with your stress is to learn how to take the bad times with your good times.

 

This means learning how to appreciate when you were in the good times that may ignite a spark within you to fight for those days yet again. Bad days are only temporary and this is something that most of us forget.

 

Try to see the silver lining in your bad situations and figure out what it is going to take in order for you to reclaim those good days once more.

 

5. Face Your Fears

 

If the stress that you are experiencing is being summoned directly from a feeling of fear, then this may be one challenge that you are going to have to overcome eventually.

 

Sooner rather than later would be ideal, however, taking your time is more important when it comes to facing your fears. Of course, it is never an easy thing to do, but being courageous is something that we are all capable of.

 

Believe in yourself, know that you are not alone in facing what you fear most, and always remember that you have the power to make a difference in your world.

 

6. Worry Isn't Well

  

Letting yourself worry is the worst thing that you could possibly do in moments of stress. It is definitely easier said than done when it comes to calming down and taking a step back to address the situation with a rational/logical perspective.

 

However, the more you let yourself worry about "what if's" and "I should have's" then you will never truly allow yourself to recover from the stress you're enduring.

 

Try to keep yourself busy if you are in a constant fit of worry, you will want to try to occupy a lot of your time with the things that you enjoy doing.

 

7. Allow Yourself To Vent To A Friend

 

If you truly feel as if you are alone with all of your stress and there is no other way out, you can always call a friend to vent about some of your problems.

 

Like we said before, you are never alone when it comes to dealing with problems.

 

Everyone is going through some kind of rough patch in their life, venting about it makes it easier to cope for some reason especially when you are able to express all of your frustration to someone who really understands where you're coming from.

 

Hopefully this has helped you with coping with some of your stress in your everyday life.

 

It's always important to keep reminding yourself to keep moving forward, most bad times are temporary, and that you must be willing to forgive yourself for the things that you are unable to fix. Find out what happiness means to you and fight for it.

[FunFunky]