Is it possible to drink dry red wine if you have gastritis?

In Spain, Georgia and other countries of the world, wine is drunk instead of compote. Over many centuries of wine-making culture, local residents have developed a kind of immunity. They don't get drunk from wine and feel great. But is it possible to drink red wine for gastritis, because alcohol can provoke an exacerbation of gastrointestinal diseases? This happens for several reasons:

1. Esophageal motility deteriorates.
2. Sphincter pressure decreases.
3. The production of acid involved in digestion increases.
4. Gastrin levels also increase.

Alcoholic drinks contain a lot of acids that stimulate the secretion of gastric juice. You can hear different opinions regarding wine. Some say that in modest doses the drink is even beneficial for humans. Others categorically advise against consuming it even in a volume of 50-100 ml. So who is right? Let's try to figure out whether it is permissible to drink wine with gastritis of the stomach, depending on the acidity.

Wine and acidity

I would like to clarify the situation regarding the benefits and harms of wine for humans. Of course, in large quantities it negatively affects human health. However, unlike stronger alcoholic drinks, dry wine for gastritis is not as carcinogenic. In addition, it has a bactericidal effect and kills microbes, including Helicobacter. The benefits of wine have been repeatedly proven by scientists.

People with gastritis often suffer from heartburn. A glass of wine can also cause this unpleasant condition. It contains polyphenolic antioxidants that negatively affect the functioning of the stomach. If you have taken a little wine and feel heartburn, know that alcohol is to blame.

In addition to the fact that wine with gastritis with high acidity provokes heartburn, it also dilates blood vessels and leads to varicose veins. In advanced stages of the disease, this can lead to serious bleeding. It’s worth weighing the pros and cons again before drinking the drink of the gods and philosophers.

Since the grape product increases the production of hydrochloric acid, it should definitely not be drunk if there is increased acidity. The likelihood of complications is much higher, and unpleasant symptoms make themselves felt even with a small dosage.

Dry wine

It is dry wine that is allowed to be consumed for gastritis. You can drink it only after eating.

If a feast is planned, doctors recommend protecting yourself as follows. If you have a healthy stomach, it is usually recommended to eat something fatty before drinking alcohol - this will protect the mucous membrane from the aggressive effects of alcohol.

Since fatty foods are not allowed for gastritis, lactic acid products can be a salvation. A kind of “folk instruction” advises eating a few tablespoons of low-fat cottage cheese, seasoned with sour cream.

Under the influence of the milk fat contained, it not only protects the mucous membrane, but also accelerates the production of enzymes responsible for the breakdown of alcohol, which will help avoid intoxication.

The maximum dose of wine you can afford is 200 ml.

On our website: Can gastritis be cured with aloe juice? Yes, but there are nuances

Wine, low acidity

Drinking red or white wine for gastritis is acceptable if the acidity is low. The drink can prevent the development of infection. Of course, if you drink wine in unlimited quantities, you definitely cannot consider the consumption healthy. And that's why:

1. The acid level rises to prohibitive levels.
2. The production of gastromucoprotein, necessary for normal food digestion, slows down.
3. Reflux occurs. In the future, it can develop into gastritis with high acidity and even into an erosive form. The inflammation is progressing.

Thus, wine for gastritis with low acidity is quite acceptable in small quantities.

Tips for drinking wine for gastritis

Gastroenterologists often give the following advice to their patients regarding wine consumption:

1. During a feast, it is always necessary to ensure the proper quality of any alcoholic drink. Homemade wine often has a higher ethanol content.
2. It is imperative to check the vintage year from which the wine is made. It is known that younger varieties are more aggressive to the gastric mucosa.
3. Even during the period of remission of the disease, it is strictly forbidden to drink wine with an ethanol content of more than 6%. Therefore, many sweet and semi-sweet wines, as well as Cahors, should not be drunk by patients with gastritis.
4. The optimal safe dose of wine is 1-2 glasses (the exact volume depends on the constitutional characteristics of the person, gender and age).
5. It is not advisable to use fried, salty, sour or excessively bitter foods and dishes as snacks. They themselves can provoke the progression of the inflammatory process. Preference should be given to dairy products - hard cheeses, milk, ham, sandwiches with red caviar, boiled eggs.
6. As a preventive measure and to protect the gastric mucosa, you can take an antacid 5-10 minutes before drinking wine.
7. If, after drinking a small amount of wine, the patient notices pain, discomfort in the upper abdomen, feels heartburn or nausea, then you should stop drinking any further alcoholic beverages.
8. If you have symptoms of dyspepsia after wine, you must immediately take a sorbent (activated carbon or its analogues) and an antacid, which help reduce acidity and remove ethanol from the lumen of the digestive tract.

Separately, it should be noted that other alcoholic drinks (beer, vodka, champagne, cognac) should not be drunk with gastritis even in the absence of symptoms, since they act much more aggressively on the gastric mucosa.

What is the effect of red wine?

Let's take a closer look at what wine you can drink if you have gastritis. The drink can be semi-sweet, sweet, semi-dry or dry, as well as red, white, even pink.

Gastroenterologists say: dry red wine is the least harmful for gastritis. This is an excellent antiseptic, a powerful bactericide for inflamed walls. There are no specific requirements for grape varieties - you can drink noble Cabernet Sauvignon, soft Merlot wines, and so on. It is much more important to monitor the amount of liquid consumed. In reasonable doses, wine will produce a beneficial healing effect and improve gastrointestinal motility.

In order for the drink to bring maximum benefits, buy only dry, natural wines of decent quality. There should be no cardboard or plastic containers. Real wine should only be stored in a glass, well-sealed bottle.

Why is red wine so beneficial? The reason lies in the unique composition of the product made from red grape varieties. It is rich in vitamins C, B, contains manganese and potassium, iron. Numerous antioxidants and amino acids contained in red wine are especially necessary for inflammation of the gastric mucosa.

Effect on the gastrointestinal tract

To decide what kind of alcohol to drink for a particular type of gastritis, you can focus on the acidity of the drink (high, medium or low), as well as the concentration of alcohols and antioxidants. The influence of other components is unimportant, provided that the wine is of high quality, meets the standards and does not contain unacceptable impurities.

Acidity

Without going into the intricacies of winemaking, white, dry and young wines from cold regions are high in acidity. And in red, semi-dry, as well as aged wines from sunny countries, the acid content is lower.

Which one to choose?

Acidity levels vary depending on the class of wine:

• High : Barbera, Barolo, Burgundy, Cava, Chianti, Pinot Noir, Prosecco, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Tokay, Champagne, Chenin Blanc Madeira (Madeira).
• Medium : Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Grigio, Porto, Rioja, Sautren, Chardonnay, Shiraz.
• Low : Viognier, Zinfandel, Merlot, Muscat, Petit Sirah, Chardonnay, Sherry.

Another guideline when choosing a drink is how the wine appears on the label or on the website page. If the acidity is strong, the flavor will be described as “bold,” “bold,” “bright,” or “peppery.” If not, use the epithets “calm”, “mature”, “balanced”, “velvety”.

Alcohol content

This indicator is influenced by the sweetness of the grapes from which the wine is made and the aging time - the higher it is, the stronger the wine. The standard strength is from 8.5% to 16%, but reaches 20% and higher for fortified wines.

The main alcohol of wine - ethanol - stimulates gastric secretion and has an anesthetic effect, but thins the layer of protective gel on the mucosa. Therefore, a decrease in abdominal pain after drinking alcohol is not a consequence of the beneficial effects of alcohol, but a temporary effect.

The stronger the wine, the more snacks you will need

Alcohol is thought to kill H. pylori. Clinical studies refute this myth - the bacterium is found even in people suffering from alcoholism. Therefore, you should not hope for a disinfecting effect.

Antioxidants

Wine contains antioxidants: polyphenols and tannins. Red initially contains more of them, and white becomes saturated with them during aging.

Contrary to the stereotype about the benefits of antioxidants, they irritate the mucous membranes, and according to recent medical research they are classified as carcinogens. A couple of glasses is not enough to cause serious harm, but red wine for gastritis should be chosen more carefully than white.

The beneficial properties of antioxidants include an antibacterial and healing effect, as well as the ability to stimulate gastric motility.

How to take wine for gastritis? Important Tips

If you like red wines and don’t want to deny yourself the pleasure of tasting an original Italian or French drink, you can afford 1 glass. Follow these simple recommendations - and consuming grape products will only benefit you:

• Sparkling and fortified wines, similar to white ones, are also excluded from the diet. Alas, they contain carbon dioxide, and the amount of alcohol exceeds the permissible limits.
• Drinking wine on an empty stomach is practically a crime if you have problems with the gastrointestinal tract.
• Wines made from dark grape varieties are also not recommended. Because they increase the formation of gases.

Is it possible to drink mineral water for gastritis?

To answer the question of whether it is possible to drink mineral water if you have gastritis, we asked our expert, an active gastroenterologist.

Expert opinion Irina Vasilievna Practicing gastroenterologist

Gastritis is one of the indications for prescribing mineral water as a medicine. Therefore, you CAN drink mineral water.

It is used as:

• antispasmodic;
• means for regulating stomach acidity;
• an agent that controls the formation of mucus in the stomach;

Mineral water promotes timely processing and evacuation of food from the stomach. It acts as an anti-inflammatory drug.

It is not recommended to buy mineral water on your own if you have stomach pain: you must, firstly, undergo an examination, and secondly, get a recommendation from a doctor. Because gastritis can occur in different forms: there are gastritis with high and low acidity. In each of these cases, water of a certain brand will help. Rules for drinking water vary.

In addition, concomitant pathologies should be taken into account, for example, duodenal ulcer.

What mineral water to drink for treatment?

Useful for gastritis: “Borjomi”, “Essentuki” - these are the most famous brands, in principle, they are approved for use for any gastritis.

Now - a little more about the types of the disease.

With increased acidity

The appearance of an excess amount of hydrochloric acid in the stomach leads to pain and the patient suffers from heartburn. You need water that has an alkalizing effect - when used, the harmful effects of hydrochloric acid are neutralized. The production of enzymes necessary for digesting food is more active.

Gastritis with high acidity requires the following brands of water:

• "Borjomi"
• “Slavyanovskaya” (from Zheleznovodsk);
• "Arzin";
• "Mirgorodskaya".

Low acidity

The opposite problem is low acidity. In this case, little gastric juice is produced. Result: food is poorly digested, and there is a feeling of fullness in the stomach. Nutrients are not fully absorbed. To stimulate the stomach in case of gastritis with low acidity, it is recommended to drink:

• "Feodosia";
• "Izhevsk"
• "Tyumenskaya".

For stomach and duodenal ulcers

The presence of complications: reflux esophagitis, erosive gastritis, gastric or duodenal ulcers requires a careful approach to treatment. Doctors prescribe alkaline mineral waters to such patients:

• hydrocarbonate-chloride-calcium;
• sulfate-sodium-magnesium.

They speed up the processing of food and promote its rapid movement through the gastrointestinal tract. They cope well with heartburn, belching, flatulence, and a feeling of heaviness. This is water:

• "Luzhanskaya";
• "Morshinska";
• "Elbrus";
• "Dilijan".

For problems with the liver and gall bladder, the following are recommended:

• "Jermuk"
• "Sernovodskaya";
• "Karlovy Vary".

• Among the side effects, it is worth noting flatulence - it can appear due to excess carbon dioxide. But this is a passing phenomenon.
• In addition, some deterioration in the course of the disease is possible - this becomes possible if treatment with mineral water is started before the exacerbation ends.
• If water is taken in large volumes or for a very long time, kidney stones or gallstones may form due to excess salts. If stones are already present, doctors prescribe mineral water with extreme caution or advise patients to abandon this method of treatment altogether.

Types of gastritis

The classification depends on:

• causes;
• forms and flows;
• acidity level.

70% of gastritis is caused by Helicobacter pylori, the rest are caused by immune failure, metabolic disorders, poor diet and toxic substances that enter the body. As a result, an atrophic or non-atrophic type of disease develops.

Atrophic gastritis is a degeneration of gastric tissue. There are fewer cells responsible for the production of pepsin and hydrochloric acid, and food moves faster to the next sections of the gastrointestinal tract. This is a chronic condition that cannot be cured.

Non-atrophic gastritis is irritation of the mucous membrane that is caused by damage. Secretion increases and food is retained longer. More often accompanied by pain than atrophic. It can be acute or chronic. Treatment depends on the cause and extent of the disease.

Acidity levels are divided into low, normal and high. The classification depends on the causes of the disease, lifestyle, as well as the individual characteristics of the body. More often, acidity decreases with atrophic forms and increases with non-atrophic forms.

The type of gastritis and the level of acidity can only be determined by a gastroenterologist. The chance of doing this based on “feelings” is extremely small.

Why is alcohol dangerous?

If you have gastritis, alcohol can lead to exacerbation and other complications. Alcohol will cause problems. It is bad for the stomach.

• irritates and burns inflamed mucous membranes;
• increases acid levels;
• causes severe heartburn;
• sometimes vomiting;
• slows down the digestion of food;
• nutrients are not absorbed, so the body is unlikely to have enough strength to overcome the disease;
• alcohol makes the gastrointestinal tract work worse;
• Alcohol may cause bleeding;
• increases the risk of developing ulcers and cancer.

Patients use something that is easily digested, quickly absorbed and does not harm the stomach. For gastritis, you can drink herbal infusions, weak teas, jelly, compotes, and milk. But alcohol is contraindicated. It is strictly prohibited for erosive and atrophic inflammation. During an exacerbation, one sip can cause severe stomach ache. But in some cases you can drink a little. The main thing is to know when to stop and follow certain rules.