Some people with gastritis claim cucumbers are a miracle food for relieving symptoms of the condition. Others say cucumbers may trigger painful symptoms. If you're a fan of this popular veggie, here's what you need to know about the latest research.
Gastritis and Your Diet
What you eat doesn't cause gastritis, says the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. But certain substances and foods can irritate the lining of your stomach and cause symptoms of gastritis to flare, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Understanding which foods trigger gastritis symptoms is one of the first steps in preventing potential discomfort or pain. Some people with gastritis have no symptoms, but others may experience upper abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, acid reflux, feeling uncomfortably full after eating, or a loss of appetite.
Hardeep M. Singh, MD, a gastroenterologist and the medical director of endoscopy at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, California, explains that alcohol can be an irritant for those with gastritis. Additionally, spicy foods and caffeine can trigger discomfort or pain associated with gastritis flares. (These symptoms can be worse if you also have food allergies.)
Treating Gastritis Symptoms
Treatment for gastritis depends on what's causing it, according to Mayo Clinic. Taking an over-the-counter antacid or proton pump inhibitor can reduce the production of acid to alleviate symptoms and help heal your digestive tract.
However, long-term use of proton pump inhibitors, especially at higher doses, may increase the risk of developing infections, polyps, pre-cancerous conditions, and iron deficiency, according to a systematic review in Cureus. Although these drugs can work well initially, using them long term can result in side effects. Some medications may also become less effective over time.
Besides using medication to relieve symptoms, avoiding trigger foods is another approach for finding relief, according to Mayo Clinic. You may also want to consider trying different foods that may act as natural antacids.
Natural Foods for Gastritis Relief
According to a review published in Nutrients, cucumbers (among other natural foods) may help buffer stomach acid and lessen irritation in the esophagus. The review authors say adding foods that have a neutral or alkaline pH can help neutralize gastric acid and potentially reduce gastrointestinal symptoms, though it is important to note that symptoms from “gastritis” may vary widely.
If cucumbers worsen symptoms, or if you want more options, the study also found similar benefits from bananas, melons, and leafy greens.
Cucumbers possess anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties; however, there is insufficient high-quality clinical evidence to recommend cucumbers as a specific therapy for gastritis, and further research is needed to clarify their role in symptom relief.
Some studies suggest that drinking green tea regularly can reduce the risk of gastritis by as much as 50 percent, though there isn’t yet enough evidence to recommend green tea as a preventive measure, according to the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.
While other foods have been tentatively flagged as contributors to gastritis, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine says there is limited or inconclusive research connecting these with a higher risk of gastritis. These include coffee, alcohol, and spices such as black pepper, chili powder, and red pepper.
The Bottom Line
Always listen to your body and respond accordingly. For some, cucumbers may act as a natural antacid to relieve gastritis symptoms. However, if you find that cucumbers trigger your symptoms, don't eat them, regardless of what you may have heard from someone else.
It's also important to note that severe and chronic gastritis can lead to ulcers, or erosions in the stomach lining that bleed, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. If that's the case, you may notice such symptoms as blood in your vomit (especially if it looks like coffee grounds), black or tar-like stools, or blood in your stool. It can also leave you feeling fatigued, short of breath, or lightheaded. If you ever have any of these symptoms, call your doctor right away.
