Dried fish for gastritis: to eat or not to eat?

All over the world, fish is considered an extremely healthy product.
It is part of diets aimed at losing weight, strengthening the cardiovascular system, and correcting diabetes. For many people, fish has become the personification of a balanced diet and the best substitute for meat. However, is everything so clear regarding patients with gastritis? Let's consider the effect of fish dishes on the gastrointestinal tract.

What is the benefit

The main advantage of fish products is their biochemical composition. They are rich in proteins, optimally balanced in terms of essential amino acids, vitamins (A, D, B) and minerals (iodine, fluorine, zinc, copper). It is these components that determine the beneficial effect of fish on the body:

• regulation of metabolism;
• normalization of cholesterol;
• prevention of cardiovascular diseases;
• stabilization of thyroid function;
• strengthening bone tissue;
• activation of the brain.

Fish generally has a positive effect on the stomach due to its ease of digestion. But its digestibility largely depends on the fat content and method of preparation.

Information. Sometimes fish does more harm than good. Caught in polluted waters, it can become a source of heavy metals and other substances toxic to the human body. And if fish dishes are not properly cooked, there is a risk of infection with parasitic diseases.

What role does the temperature level play in the cold method?

With the cold method, it is important not to overheat the product, otherwise you will not achieve the quality that is especially valued in this case - it will not be stored for long. To understand what temperature should be for cold smoking, you need to know how this method of preparing delicacies differs from hot and semi-hot

If in the last two options the product is immediately under the influence of 2 factors - smoke and heat, then when it is cold, only smoke remains. With the hot method, it is much easier for it to penetrate inside the semi-finished product, since diffusion occurs intensively due to the high heating of the air in the chamber. With the cold method, it takes time for the smoke to fulfill its function - to give a certain taste, color, and also to saturate the product with bactericidal particles in sufficient quantities.

Some recipes suggest maintaining this process for several weeks at a temperature for cold smoking of 20 degrees. By and large, products prepared in this particular way are real smoked meats in the classical sense of the word. Turkish coffee and instant coffee - gourmets see such a difference.

Which one to choose

When talking about the properties of fish products, it is necessary to take into account that they are determined primarily by the type of fish. For example, sea fish is considered more useful because it contains more trace elements (especially fluorine and iodine). However, it also contains more extractive substances, which is not beneficial for patients with hyperacid gastritis.

Fat content indicators are very important. According to their size, fish varieties are divided into 3 groups:

1. Skinny (up to 4% fat): river perch, pike perch, navaga, hake, pollock, cod, flounder, grenadier, pike, trout.
2. Medium fat (4-8% fat): sea bass, carp, pink salmon, salmon, catfish, herring.
3. Fatty (over 8% fat): some types of herring, halibut, all sturgeon, lamprey, eel.

For inflammation of the stomach, the permitted fat content is 4% or less. Fatty varieties are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and are useful for people with heart and vascular diseases, but their use for gastritis can negatively affect the digestive processes. The calorie content of different types of fish is also very variable. Nutritional value of 100 g of product in increasing order:

• cod – 69 kcal;
• pollock – 79;
• flounder – 83;
• crucian carp – 102;
• sea ​​bass – 122;
• pink salmon – 147;
• sturgeon – 164;
• salmon – 217 kcal.

Is it possible to take fish oil for gastritis?

The healing properties of fish oil have been known since ancient Egypt. With its help, they actively fought and are fighting viruses, infections and problems with the nervous system. Fish oil can normalize blood pressure and have a beneficial effect on the vascular system.

Fish oil is recommended for gastritis, but not during an exacerbation. It should be taken only in liquid form, since when consuming capsules, the stomach walls are not enveloped in fat, which must occur for a therapeutic effect. After taking a teaspoon of fish oil, protection occurs from the negative effects of gastric juice, which relieves the patient of heartburn, belching and pain that accompany the disease.

You should take fish oil after consulting your doctor and follow the dosage recommendations.

How to cook

The method of preparing fish dishes is also important. Smoked, salted, fried, pickled, and canned fish are definitely prohibited for gastritis. Salt, spices and preservatives irritate the gastric mucosa, increasing inflammation. Carcinogenic substances formed during frying and smoking are difficult to digest and provoke the development of cancer.

You can eat salted fish only after soaking or with a slight addition of salt. The fish can be stewed, boiled, steamed, in a slow cooker, or baked in the oven.

It goes well with thermally processed vegetables: potatoes, carrots, onions, zucchini. During the cooking process, many people like to sprinkle the fish with lemon juice, which successfully emphasizes its taste.

If the acidity of the gastric contents is high, you need to be careful with such additives. Of course, a few drops of lemon juice will not cause serious damage, but you still shouldn’t generously cover the fillet with pieces of citrus.

Salted fish for gastritis

Salted fish may be allowed for some forms of gastritis and always within “reasonable limits”. However, it must be prepared independently, at home, without using a large amount of salt and seasonings. This fish is indicated for gastritis with low acidity. For gastritis with high acidity, salted fish is prohibited for consumption.

Store-bought salted and smoked herring are definitely contraindicated for gastritis. However, there is an exception, if the patient does not have an exacerbation of the disease and does not have gastritis with high acidity, then herring can be included in the diet in moderation. It should be homemade, that is, salted and seasoned in moderation. For a recipe for making herring at home, see below.

In the forefront

Some varieties of fish are widely popular and popular among the people. They are present on the festive table and on the daily menu. However, many people don’t even think about how safe they are for the stomach.

Herring

As a rule, herring is salted or smoked.
In the latter case, it is clearly contraindicated in patients with gastritis, regardless of its form. But with salted fish everything is a little more complicated. Since salt significantly stimulates the production of hydrochloric acid, it is better to avoid it if the pH of the gastric contents is low. In hypoacid conditions, you can eat herring only after soaking and in small volumes, since it is a fairly fatty product. It is better to soak it in milk or cooled tea for 8-12 hours. After soaking for twelve hours, the salt concentration in the fish decreases by 3.5 times. This herring should be eaten in combination with neutral foods like mashed potatoes or rye bread.

Advice. You can cook herring yourself in a lightly salted version. Stir 1 tbsp in 3 cups of boiling water. l. salt and 1 tsp. Sahara. Place 2-3 fish in the brine and put them in the refrigerator for a couple of days. The concentration of salt in such herring is very small, so it can be eaten without prior soaking.

Mackerel

This fish is a record holder for the content of omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, potassium and phosphorus.
200 g of fish is enough to meet the daily requirement for these substances. However, mackerel is a fairly fatty and high-calorie fish (191 kcal per 100 g), so it can be eaten with gastritis only during the period of remission. Preferred heat treatment methods: baking, steaming, grilling. This fish is safer for patients with hyper- and normoacid inflammation of the stomach, since in conditions of a sufficient (and even excessive) amount of gastric juice it can be completely digested, despite its fat content. And with reduced gastric secretion, when the digestion process is difficult, the amount of mackerel consumed should be limited to one small piece per day.

red fish

Red fish is an extremely healthy product. It is widely used for preparing dishes as part of the Mediterranean diet, which, in addition to fish, includes fresh vegetables and fruits, grains, and olive oil.

Important! It has been proven that if you eat red fish at least once a week, the risk of developing a heart attack is reduced by more than 2 times, and stroke by 22%. In addition, it was noted that residents of coastal areas are less likely to suffer from iodine deficiency.

However, not all red fish are good for gastritis. Fatty varieties such as salmon, chum salmon, and salmon should be avoided. They can be used only during the period of remission by patients with preserved acidity. At elevated pH values, trout is more preferable - this is the most dietary variety of red fish.

Cooking fish should follow the general rules: steamed, in the oven, in a slow cooker. Smoked and salty foods are prohibited. Lightly salted trout can be eaten in small quantities for hypoacid gastritis.

Caviar

When talking about delicious varieties of fish, one cannot fail to mention caviar.
This product is very beneficial for the body due to the content of proteins with a complete amino acid composition, fatty acids, lecithin, minerals, and vitamin A. The negative side is the high concentration of cholesterol in caviar and its ability to stimulate the secretion of digestive juice. That is why the product is prohibited for acute, chronic hyperacid and erosive gastritis.

In hypoacid conditions, it must be strictly limited (no more than 50 g per day) due to the high fat content of the product. And of course, you shouldn’t eat it as part of a sandwich generously greased with butter. It is better to add caviar to dietary salads and sauces. If you absolutely want to make sandwiches with caviar, then you need to take rye bread and replace the butter with soft, low-fat cheese.

You need to be very careful with industrially produced salted caviar. Firstly , it is often too salty. Secondly, it is usually sold in cans, which contain substances that are toxic to the stomach.

The safest way is to salt the caviar yourself. To do this, you need to boil water with 60 g of salt and a couple of bay leaves. Pour brine over the caviar, cleared of films, and soak in it for 20-30 minutes. Then drain the liquid through a sieve, let it drain well, and place the caviar in a glass container. This way you can prepare red caviar, pike caviar, carp caviar, cod caviar and other river or sea fish. It can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 3 days.

Contraindications

You should not get carried away with fried, pickled, smoked and dried fish. This is heavy food. It will only increase irritation of the mucous membrane and cause a new exacerbation of the disease.

Under no circumstances should you consume cod liver if you have problems with the gastrointestinal tract, as it is very fatty and difficult to digest. Canned food is completely excluded from the patient’s diet. They contain many carcinogens, the effect of which on the gastric mucosa is quite dangerous.

Expert opinion

Irina Vasilievna

Practicing gastroenterologist

River fish must be from a clean reservoir, then it will really be a healthy and safe food for people with stomach disorders. Otherwise, such a dish can easily cause digestive upset and further complicate the course of gastritis.

People prone to food allergies need to be very careful when consuming freshwater fish. This product often provokes hypersensitivity of the body.

On our website: Carrots and carrot juice for gastritis - will it help?

For different forms of the disease

In the acute stage of the disease, it is allowed to eat skinny fish in the form of steam cutlets with a minimum amount of salt. As the exacerbation subsides, the diet gradually expands, and the possibility of consuming fish products is determined by the type of acidity.

With normal and hyperacid inflammation, you can eat lean and medium-fat varieties of fish. Enough has already been said about the methods of their preparation; they do not depend on the specific type of inflammation. You can cook the fish as a whole piece; it is not necessary to mince it. The amount of spices and oil must be strictly regulated. It is allowed to sprinkle the fish with a little olive oil during cooking.

For erosive gastritis , the same fish varieties are allowed, but it is better to make boneless cutlets or fillets from them so as not to injure the surface of the erosions. With this type of inflammation, salted (even lightly salted) fish is strictly prohibited.

Against the background of a hypoacid and atrophic process, preference should be given to low-fat fish products without adding oil. With a low concentration of hydrochloric acid and digestive enzymes, fatty foods are not completely digested, rotting processes in the stomach begin, and inflammation intensifies.

Recommendations

If you have gastritis, you should completely change your attitude towards food and stop considering your food intake as something unnecessary. You need to love simple dishes and recognize that a minimal amount of ingredients in them helps with better digestion and absorption.

Giving up junk food and health-destroying habits (alcohol, smoking) will do a real miracle. The stomach will recover and will no longer bring discomfort into your life.

On our website: Diet for erosive gastritis - menu for every day

Compare with meat

Proteins of fish origin are absorbed faster and easier than meat proteins.
If on average it takes 2-3 hours to digest fish in the stomach, then for most types of meat it will take 5-6 hours. At the same time, the fish is digested almost completely, and the meat is only 85%. Compared to meat, fish products have lower calorie content and a low concentration of extractive substances that stimulate the production of gastric juice. Therefore, for hyperacid forms of gastritis, fish is safer. The lower content of connective tissue fibers makes it possible to include fish in the diet in uncrushed form, while meat for gastritis is recommended to be minced.

However, it should be noted that fish dishes are more palatable than meat dishes. Therefore, they are not recommended to be included in the daily menu. The optimal frequency of eating fish is 3 times a week. In terms of vitamin and mineral composition, fish and meat are not rivals, but allies. In both products, the content of useful chemical compounds is quite high; they harmoniously complement each other.

Experts' opinion. When asked what is healthier for the body - fish or meat, nutritionists answer unequivocally: both. Alternating meat and fish dishes in the diet is the basis of a balanced diet.

What fish is unacceptable for gastritis?

Is it possible to eat herring with gastritis?
The herring family has about 190 species. All of them contain many useful substances. There is even a saying: “The herring is on the table, the doctor is on the sidelines.” Despite its beneficial properties, it is usually eaten salted. And salt in a sick stomach is harmful to health. Therefore, herring dishes cause stomach irritation. Properly prepared herring for gastritis helps the production of gastric juice. To prevent it from harming your health, it is advisable to soak the herring in milk for six hours. You need to eat herring in moderation and in proper combination with other foods. For gastritis with low acidity, as well as lack of appetite, herring is useful. Inadmissible for gastritis with high acidity.

The main factor for giving up a certain type is the amount of fat. Fatty varieties include: carp, sturgeon, beluga, catfish, stellate sturgeon, salmon, herring, cod liver, dried roach. They increase the damage to the stomach lining caused by stomach disease and can also lead to the formation of stomach ulcers. To avoid diarrhea, a feeling of a full stomach, pain and nausea, it is better not to eat fatty fish if you have gastritis.

But you also need to know how to cook it correctly. Eating smoked fish is acceptable during remission of a chronic stomach disease, but it is better if it is smoked yourself. Marinated, canned or smoked fish for acute gastritis can lead to diarrhea, bloating and other ailments. Dried and dried fish increases acidity in the stomach. Therefore, it is better to avoid such dishes altogether.

As noted above, serious restrictions are imposed on nutrition in the case of gastritis, which must be observed by patients. Therefore, it is definitely not possible to answer the question whether it is possible to eat herring for gastritis. Of course, eating pickled, salted, and smoked herring for gastritis is completely unacceptable.

But in some cases, provided that it is consumed in moderation, herring may well be included in the diet. The fact is that when properly prepared, herring can stimulate the production of juice in the stomach. But to do this, it is first soaked in tea or milk. In order for salted herring to get rid of a significant part of the salt it contains, approximately 5-6 hours are enough.

Thus, all those who suffer from gastritis, especially if there is increased acidity, need to remember that they can only eat fresh boiled herring.

Recipes

We invite you to prepare dishes that can be eaten for any form of chronic gastritis.

Pike-perch in leek leaves

Compound:

• 400 g pike perch;
• 7 leek leaves;
• 2 onions;
• 1 tsp. lemon juice;
• 3 sprigs of dill;
• 2 tbsp. l. olive oil;
• salt to taste.

Action plan:

1. Cut the onion into cubes and simmer in a frying pan until transparent.
2. Finely chop the dill.
3. Throw leek leaves into boiling water, cook for a couple of minutes, place in a colander and rinse with cold water.
4. Cut the pike perch fillet into 2 parts.
5. Place 3-4 leek sheets overlapping each other on a cutting board.
6. Place the fish on top, lightly salt and sprinkle with lemon juice.
7. Place stewed onions and dill on the fillet.
8. Wrap the pike perch in onion leaves and place in a covered dish greased with olive oil.
9. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 180 degrees.

Steamed fish cutlets

Compound:

• 500 g fillet of any lean fish;
• 50 g stale bread;
• 100 ml skim milk;
• 100 g onions;
• 1 egg;
• salt to taste.

Action plan:

1. Pass the fish fillet and onion through a meat grinder.
2. Soak the bread in milk, chop and mix with minced meat.
3. Add egg and salt to taste.
4. Form into cutlets.

Cook them in a double boiler or multicooker (in the “Steam” mode) for about 20 minutes.

Features of nutrition for gastritis

Gastritis, if not treated properly, can lead to very serious and unpleasant complications. Therefore, it is so important for gastritis to follow all the doctor’s instructions, as well as adhere to the therapeutic diet prescribed by him. In particular, raw fruits and vegetables, milk, fried and smoked foods are not allowed in the diet of people with chronic gastritis.

And immediately before eating, it is advisable to chop the food. But nutrition in the case of chronic gastritis does not require the exclusion of gray pastries and bread products, as well as cookies and bakery products. There is also no need to give up meat and fish, because if you wish, you can prepare a lot of tasty and healthy dishes from them, for example, veal cutlets, lean beef, fish or poultry. True, in the case of gastritis, it is still better to eat chicken only in boiled form.

In addition, nutrition for gastritis should include a sufficient amount of vegetables and herbs, as well as vegetable cutlets. Honey, jam and sweets are not excluded. But too cold or, on the contrary, hot dishes must be excluded from the diet. It is advisable that the temperature of the food consumed always remains optimal.

As part of the diet for gastritis, you will still have to give up smoked meats, hot seasonings and sauces, as well as pickles of all types. Fatty fish and meat, as well as lard, should also be excluded, as well as brown bread, carbonated drinks and alcohol.

Fish recipes for dietary cuisine

Recipes for fish dishes suitable for patients with gastritis are given.

Fish soup

The dish is served even on a strict diet. For cooking, use low-fat fish. Fresh herring, boned, is acceptable.

The fish is boiled along with potatoes, carrots and onions in salted water. The soup is pureed until pureed.

Baked cod

You will need cod fillet, white wheat flour, low-fat cow's milk, vegetable oil and table salt. Cod fillet is cut into pieces and boiled in salted water for a quarter of an hour. At the same time, pour flour into a heated frying pan and pour milk in a thin stream. The result is a liquid sauce.

The boiled fish is placed on a baking sheet, poured with the resulting sauce and vegetable oil, and lightly salted. The dish is cooked for 10 minutes in a preheated oven.

Lean fish soufflé

Low-fat varieties of sea and river fish make a delicate soufflé. You will need 400 g fillet, tbsp. a spoonful of wheat flour, 10 g of butter, half a glass of low-fat pasteurized milk, 2 chicken eggs and herbs to taste. The fish fillet is cleaned, washed and boiled in a double boiler. The finished fillet is twisted in a meat grinder with a fine grid. At the same time, prepare a dressing from butter, flour and milk in a frying pan. The ground fish is mixed with egg yolks. The whites are whipped into a thick foam and added to the minced meat.

The mold is greased with butter, the resulting minced meat is laid out and milk sauce is poured on top. The dishes are placed in a water bath and brought to readiness under a tight lid. The finished dish is sprinkled with fresh herbs.

Fish for gastritis and its fillets are mainly indicated for patients, as they are a source of useful microelements and vitamins. The protein contained in fish is easily digestible. It is thanks to protein components that the walls of the stomach are restored in case of gastritis. Fish oil (fully digestible) is a source of the well-known Omega-3 and Omega-6 – semi-saturated fatty acids.

Sea and ocean fish are undoubtedly more useful than fish caught in fresh water bodies. River milk contains less protein and healthy fats and does not contain iodine and bromine. Fish caught in the seas and oceans is rich in: iodine, bromine, iron, zinc, fluorine, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, magnesium, copper and sulfur. The vitamin range is also extensive: vitamins of group B (B1, B2, B6, B12), A, D, C, PP, H.

Not all fish dishes have a positive effect on the body

When buying fish, pay attention to the percentage of fat it contains; in cooking, choose the healthiest cooking methods and suitable spices

During the period of exacerbation of gastritis, you have to completely give up fish and follow a strict diet.