Vegetables in various forms make up a significant part of the human diet. But if you have a peptic ulcer, you need to know which vegetables you can eat, and which ones you should avoid eating altogether or limit the amount of them in your diet. After drug treatment of a stomach ulcer has been carried out, the gastroenterologist must definitely focus the patient’s attention on what foods can be eaten, because it is following a diet that allows long-term remission to be achieved.
- Forbidden vegetables
- Allowed vegetables
- Cooking tips
In general, to better understand which vegetables you can eat, you should use the “green, yellow and red” rule: you can eat green and yellow vegetables, but you should not eat red vegetables.
Benefits and harms
People with ulcers should not completely exclude their favorite red vegetable from their diet. Tomatoes have many healing properties, which are provided by its constituent vitamins, purines, leucopene and other macro- and microelements useful for the human body. The product is low in calories, so it is great for people who are concerned about excess weight. The vegetable also has other beneficial properties, namely:
- increases the production of urine and bile;
- eliminates digestive problems due to the ability to regulate metabolic processes;
- prevents the formation of blood clots and has a positive effect on the composition of blood fluid;
- normalizes blood pressure.
There are different opinions, but it is better to use it during remission.
Despite their enormous benefits, tomatoes can also cause harm. Tomatoes are especially dangerous for people with an allergic reaction. It will be necessary to minimize the consumption of red vegetables in patients who have been diagnosed with pathologies of the musculoskeletal system, in particular arthritis and gout. Tomatoes are also undesirable for patients in whom stones were found in the kidneys, gall bladder and ducts due to the fact that they can provoke the growth of stone formations and their export to the outside. It should be borne in mind that tomatoes are rich in carbohydrates, therefore, after consuming them, the level of acidity in the stomach often increases, and this entails excessive accumulation of gases, colic and a general deterioration in the patient’s well-being.
What vegetables are allowed during an exacerbation period?
What vegetables can you eat if you have an ulcer during an exacerbation? The ulcer menu for the disease in question includes food that does not cause intestinal irritation. In addition, it is important that foods do not provoke an increase in hydrochloric acid. These include:
- potato;
- zucchini;
- carrot;
- pumpkin;
- some varieties of cabbage, except white cabbage;
- greenery.
This plant food has healing properties: it heals wounds, enriches the body with useful microelements, improves immunity and speeds up the healing process. However, so that vegetables do not provoke an aggravation, they are subject to heat treatment.
Potato
Potatoes are recommended for stomach and duodenal ulcers, not only when they fade, but also when they are severe. This root vegetable contains many beneficial vitamins. In addition, potato tubers are rich in carotene, organic acids and microelements. But in order to benefit from this culture, it is important to know how to prepare it correctly:
- in case of exacerbation of the disease, it is strictly forbidden to fry and consume root vegetables;
- potatoes may be baked in their own skins;
- You can also prepare puree in water or eat it boiled.
Potatoes do not cause an increase in acidity, block inflammation and eliminate cramps. In addition, the root vegetable contains fiber that does not provoke intestinal irritation and does not have a stimulating effect on peristalsis. But it should be noted that when the defect worsens, potatoes are consumed only warm.
Broccoli
Broccoli is also useful for duodenal ulcers. It is rich in folic acid, contains many useful trace elements and salt. Moreover, this culture contains a number of valuable vitamins that have an antiulcer effect and inhibit the activity of the main causative agent of pathology, Helicobacter.
In addition to broccoli, other varieties of cabbage are also indicated for ulcerative defects affecting the gastrointestinal tract:
- colored;
- Beijing;
- sea and pickled in small quantities.
As for white cabbage, it is not advisable to add it to your diet. Since this garden crop promotes the active production of acidity and gas formation. This food of plant origin is allowed only when the pathology subsides, in a small volume.
But cauliflower will only bring benefits. Healthy purees and soups are not prepared from it. At the same time, it is better to cook dishes from the inflorescence. Since the leaves negatively affect the mucous membrane, damaging it.
As for stewed or salted cabbage, such dishes are prohibited. Excessive consumption of sauerkraut and seaweed will also do more harm than good. Therefore, during an exacerbation, it is recommended to introduce such dishes into the diet in moderation.
Carrot
Carrots will also be useful for stomach ulcers in the acute stage. It contains vitamins and useful minerals. It should be noted that only boiled and ground fruits are allowed for consumption. Since the culture in its raw form promotes the production of gastric secretions.
In case of ulcerative exacerbation of the intestines, the root vegetable is added to the diet in small quantities. And when remission occurs, gastroenterologists recommend regularly drinking freshly squeezed juice as a preventative measure.
Carrot
Although carrot juice is very useful, it should not be consumed if an ulcer worsens. This drink is recommended for preventive purposes with a clearly adjusted dosage. The root vegetable is added little by little to all kinds of vegetable diets, and only in ground or boiled form. Juice and raw carrots can cause complications due to increased acidity.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are rich in carbohydrates, which activate the functioning of the vegetative system. It is she who is responsible for all kinds of metabolic processes, which include the production of gastric juice. Therefore, eating tomatoes for peptic ulcers in any form can provoke a sharp increase in acidity. Because of this, intestinal colic and flatulence often occur, which worsens a person’s overall well-being.
It is also noted that tomatoes slightly slow down tissue regeneration in case of ulcerative lesions, which is why it is recommended to completely abandon them during intensive therapy and exacerbation. Only when the pathology subsides, passing into the stage of complete remission, is it allowed to eat ripe, non-acidic vegetables little by little, after first removing the skin from them.
Nutritionists have put forward the hypothesis that daily consumption of onions helps prevent the formation of erosions on the gastric walls. But when an ulcer already exists, this vegetable must be excluded from the diet, since it is pungent and can irritate the mucous membrane.
Although onions contain a lot of flavonoids that have an antibacterial effect, therefore the vegetable is found in folk recipes. However, it must first be subjected to heat treatment, which eliminates the pungency and preserves the beneficial substances. Only a doctor can tell whether onions are allowed for a patient and how they should be used.
Garlic
In case of exacerbation, garlic is strictly prohibited. During stable remission, the vegetable is added to the menu, following certain rules:
- use only crushed;
- use in combination with cereal porridges, potatoes, boiled pasta;
- Garlic can be used little by little as an aromatic seasoning, but when cooking it should be boiled or stewed well;
- It is allowed to eat garlic that has been pre-steamed.
Is it possible to eat tomatoes if you have a stomach ulcer?
Fresh product
Eating tomatoes with duodenal and gastric ulcers should be done with extreme caution, since doctors have noticed that frequent eating of them can delay the process of scarring of ulcers of the gastrointestinal mucosa.
In this regard, during an exacerbation or undergoing a course of treatment aimed at curing a stomach ulcer, it is strictly not recommended to consume tomato. During this period you will have to exclude it from the diet. But as the condition normalizes and a period of remission begins, a gradual introduction of tomatoes into the menu is allowed. In this case, the vegetable must be ripe and non-acidic, and also peeled. Otherwise, fresh tomatoes will damage the integrity of the mucous membrane, the protective barrier will be broken, as a result of which aggressive gastric juice will begin to eat away at the wound, and the ulcer will only progress.
Traditional healers believe that tomato juice is the most suitable option for stomach ulcers, since in this form the vegetable causes the least harm to the body. In addition to juice, representatives of alternative medicine recommend consuming tomato puree. However, this or that dish should be prepared from ripe sweet fruits without adding seasonings.
Pickled and salted
Its chemical composition is very harmful.
For patients who have been diagnosed with a stomach ulcer during a diagnostic examination, it is strictly contraindicated to include tomatoes that have been preserved or boiled in vinegar in their diet. Doctors explain this prohibition by saying that a vegetable prepared in this way contains a lot of spices that can seriously harm the already injured digestive system.
What kind of tomatoes can you eat?
It cannot be said unequivocally that tomatoes are strictly contraindicated for patients with peptic ulcers. It all depends on the course of the disease and the characteristics of the vegetable.
Tomato products are in demand all year round
Fresh tomatoes
This type of product can be consumed by patients during the period of remission, after the exacerbation has stopped.
It is preferable to choose sweet varieties with light sourness and thin skin.
It is better to remove the skin, and the tomato itself can be eaten whole or as a puree.
The addition of a few crystals of salt is allowed in the absence of symptoms of dyspepsia, in particular heartburn, sour belching and a feeling of acid in the mouth.
Boiled tomatoes
The safest and healthiest product for patients is tomatoes that have undergone light heat treatment (boiled). At the same time, the amount of lycopene increases, which has a beneficial effect on the entire body as a whole.
Note! Even a boiled vegetable is unsafe at the initial stage of an ulcer, so you can eat it only after completing a course of drug therapy.
Canned tomatoes
This type of vegetable is prohibited due to its traumatic effect on the mucous membrane. It is aggravated by the introduction of seasonings, spices and vinegar.
Note! Salted and pickled tomatoes are contraindicated in case of vascular diseases and salt deposits, because they affect water-mineral metabolism.
This type of product cannot in any way be considered dietary.
Tomato juice
During the period of remission, you can make juice.
Thanks to heat treatment, which concentrates beneficial substances, it can be stored for a long time (in the refrigerator or in jars with a lid).
To improve the taste, you can add a small amount of salt.
How to use?
Ulcer patients experience pain, constipation, nausea and vomiting. Sometimes tomato juice helps improve the condition, but do not forget about the diet that is important to follow for this disease, and the medications recommended by your doctor. Supporters of alternative medicine claim that it will be possible to speed up recovery if you regularly drink freshly squeezed juice three or four times a day for 2-3 weeks. After this, the patient is supposed to take a break and resume the therapeutic course after 10 days.
In the collection of folk recipes there is another effective remedy that helps with ulcers. To prepare it, you will need to mix 200 g of pumpkin puree with a small amount of butter and 2 glasses of tomato juice. It is allowed to add a little salt to the dish, then mix thoroughly and drink in the morning and evening half an hour after the meal. The duration of taking the medication is 5-6 weeks with weekly breaks of 5-7 days.
How to cook
The most correct way to cook cucumbers and tomatoes, and not face unpleasant consequences, is to boil them. This treatment destroys some of the organic acids, so boiled vegetables are acceptable for patients. Also, for pathologies of the small intestine, soups are usually recommended - in them, harmful substances are partially destroyed and dissolved in the broth.
The second way you can cook cucumbers and tomatoes is stewing. In stewed vegetables, acids are also destroyed, as in soup. The main thing is not to overdo it with seasonings - most of them are not allowed for the patient. The trouble is that recipes for stewed, baked and boiled cucumbers and tomatoes have a specific taste.
You can make soup from tomatoes
How not to cook vegetables:
- salt;
- marinate;
- fry, including over an open fire.
In vegetables processed in this way, new, even more aggressive compounds are formed, and the amount of acids increases. This especially affects pickled cucumbers and tomatoes.
Tomato juice
Tomato juice and ulcer are incompatible concepts. Like fresh tomatoes, juice is prohibited for consumption during an exacerbation of the disease. Replace tomato juice with fresh potatoes, pumpkin, cabbage or viburnum. They have no contraindications and will contribute to a speedy recovery. If you still want tomato, consume it only if the symptoms of peptic ulcer have completely disappeared.
The most beneficial is freshly squeezed juice from tomatoes without skin. Do not add anything (especially salt or other seasonings). Drink a small amount after meals, so the negative effect on the stomach will be minimal.
What about other vegetables
The list of vegetables popular in our country is headed by potatoes. It is used in a variety of forms, so special attention should be paid to it. Potatoes for ulcers can be boiled, stewed, baked, cooked in their skins, mashed - all these dishes will not cause harm. You should not eat fried potatoes - even in small quantities they can cause an exacerbation.
Cabbage is the most diverse vegetable on the table. However, the most common type - cabbage - is prohibited during exacerbations, as it increases acidity. Cauliflower is considered an ideal option, but only inflorescences. Brussels sprouts are a valuable source of vitamins for healing mucous membranes, as is broccoli for stomach ulcers. Acceptable types of culinary processing are boiling, baking, stewing. When patients ask whether it is possible to eat sauerkraut if they have a stomach ulcer, the answer is no - it is dangerous.
Carrots are also a source of important vitamins. It is allowed to be eaten only during remission and always in boiled or stewed form. The same limitedly consumed vegetables include seaweed.
Vegetables that you can and should eat if you have an ulcer are pumpkin and zucchini. They contain nutrients, do not irritate the mucous membranes, and can be consumed raw, grated, boiled and baked.
These same vegetables, but sour, cannot be eaten. What juices can you drink if you have a stomach ulcer? From fruits - pear, grape, sweet apples, carrot. Citrus juices, sour apple, tomato and beet juice are prohibited - they increase the acidity of gastric juice. You should not take multifruit - it contains components that the patient should not take. In practice, this means that it will be quite difficult to find exactly the juice on the counter that will not harm him.
Cucumbers and canker
To the question whether it is possible to eat cucumbers if you have a stomach or duodenal ulcer, there is a simple answer, yes, but in moderation, because cucumbers can also cause an increase in acidity and destroy the gastric mucosa (if you overeat them).
Pickled and pickled cucumbers should not be consumed if you have a peptic ulcer; they negatively affect the gastrointestinal tract, but fresh ones can only be consumed in small quantities.
In general, most vegetables are harmful for those who are being treated for peptic ulcers; before consuming vegetables, they need to be prepared, stewed or baked. In this state, the vegetables will not cause harm, but will retain their beneficial properties, plus, the taste of such products is practically not inferior to fresh ones, a little imagination, and the therapeutic diet will be able to bring you pleasure, and most importantly, benefit.
Eat right, in small portions, but often, follow the recommendations of your treating specialist and be healthy!
Do you want melon when you have an ulcer? - is it possible or not - read the article Melon for stomach and duodenal ulcers