Eat to prevent gastric and duodenal ulcers from getting worse

Duodenal ulcers are four times more common than gastric ulcers, but duodenal ulcers are usually benign, while gastric ulcers can sometimes progress to malignancy.

Peptic ulcer disease is quite common in the world and in Vietnam. The incidence rate in countries is 5-10% of the population and during a lifetime the possibility of peptic ulcer disease is 10%. Duodenal ulcer is 4 times more common than gastric ulcer, but duodenal ulcer is usually benign, while gastric ulcer in some cases progresses to malignancy.

Common symptoms whengastric and duodenal ulcersare: upper abdominal pain (epigastric), belching, heartburn, burning, intermittent pain when hungry or at night. Patients may have nausea, bloating, indigestion. Patients often have pain when work is stressful, anxious, sad, angry or scared, especially when eating irregularly, not on time, not resting. When eating, the pain may subside if it is a stomach ulcer. However, if it is a duodenal ulcer, the pain may increase after eating.

People with gastric and duodenal ulcers should eat soft foods such as minced meat porridge.

DietIn gastric and duodenal ulcers, the criteria are to ease stomach function, reduce gastric juice secretion, reduce irritation, help wounds heal quickly and reduce pain.

Principles of the diet:Use foods that have the properties of covering, absorbing, and penetrating the stomach lining such as rice and bread. Food must be soft, well-cooked, and have little mechanical effect by limiting foods with a lot of fiber. Do not let food be too hot or too cold. Eat foods that reduce gastric secretion: sweets and fats cause little gastric secretion; lean meat and lean fish cause a lot of gastric secretion, so do not eat too much meat, fish, or meat broth. Eat many small meals, and you can have extra meals at 10am, 3pm, and 10pm. After eating, you need to rest.

Foods to eat: Porridge, rice, bread, boiled or soft-cooked potatoes; Lean meat, steamed, boiled, or stewed fish; Young leafy vegetables: boiled or cooked in soup, sweet ripe fruits; Sugar, milk, cakes, candies, honey; Drinks: filtered water, green tea.

Foods to avoid:Vermicelli, pickles, pickled onions, cold foods; spices, concentrated sauces; do not eat sour foods or sour fruits; completely quit alcohol and tobacco.

According to Associate Professor, Dr. Tran Minh Dao - Health & Life - NT