Gastritis is a condition that affects the lining of the stomach. The stomach lining has a very important role in digestion. The lining is what houses the cells that produce stomach or gastric acids and enzymes. This is what the body uses to naturally break down foods for the extraction of nutrients. Stomach acid is essential for making foods useful to the body. The lining of the stomach also produces mucus for its own protection. Mucus shields the stomach lining from acid, thus preventing corrosion of the stomach. If the lining of the stomach becomes inflamed, it will produce less mucus, acid and enzymes. This makes the digestion process difficult.

Types

There are three types of gastritis.

Acute gastritis refers to gastritis that happened suddenly. It is usually very severe.

Chronic gastritis describes gastritis that occurs consistently over a long period of time. This can last for several years.

Erosive gastritis doesn’t cause as much inflammation of the lining as acute and chronic gastritis. Erosive gastritis may be acute or chronic and has the tendency of destroying the stomach lining, even without inflaming it.

Causes

The lining becomes inflamed because of many reasons. The main causes of gastritis are:

• alcohol consumption
• infection
• use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
• burns
• surgery
• injuries
• diseases
• disorders
• illegal drug use

Many of the causes are avoidable.

Symptoms

There are many symptoms of gastritis, but you don?t have to have symptoms to have gastritis.? Unfortunately, many people that are experiencing gastritis don?t know it because they may not have any of the symptoms.

Erosive gastritis has several symptoms. It may cause bleeding, ulcers and erosions. Erosive gastritis can also cause you to have dark or bloody stool, and bloody vomit. Overall, all kinds of gastritis tend to cause pain in the stomach. This pain is generally localized in the upper abdominal region.? You may feel cramping in this area, especially after a meal. People with gastritis may vomit periodically. Another common symptom is nausea, which usually accompanies vomiting.

The most harmful symptom of gastritis is the deterioration of the stomach lining. Erosive gastritis is prone to destroying the stomach lining. Without the lining, your stomach is vulnerable to gastric acid. This can damage the stomach severely and intensify the problems in your digestive process. Symptoms of gastritis may not be present in everyone with gastritis so it is important to get regular physical health exams and screening. To prevent yourself from being affected by gastritis you should try to eat a balanced, nutritious diet and avoid alcohol. If you already have gastritis, you should sit down with your doctor to discuss a diet and lifestyle plan.

If you are experiencing any of the symptoms of gastritis you should seek the help of a trained medical profession. These symptoms should not be ignored. Gastritis that is untreated could develop into chronic gastritis, which may end up affecting you for the rest of your life. The symptoms of gastritis are very similar to the symptoms of other diseases and disorders that are related to the digestive system.

For too long now doctors have been recommending a bland diet to help prevent or cure gastritis.

In fact a bland diet, more often than not, isn’t good for gastritis or acid reflux.

Gastritis comes mainly from inflammation in the cells found in your stomach lining. Many things can trigger the kind of inflammation that leads to gastritis, even a bland diet.

One of the most common triggers of gastritis symptoms is from bacteria called Helicobacter pylori, the same bacteria involved in the formation of stomach ulcers.

Anything that causes an acidic environment inside your body’s tissues can trigger the inflammation of the stomach lining (gastritis).

Some known causes of an acidic environment which the gastritis-type bacteria thrive in are:

• Digestive bile back-up
• Immune imbalance
• Ibuprophen and other Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs).

A diet that produces an alkaline environment in your body tissues will prevent, reverse and cure gastritis, but there is no need to limit your diet to the bland side of life.

You see it is a scientific certainty that gastritis bacteria cannot live inside you when you have an alkaline pH. All that really means is your has a healthy balance of ionic minerals, nutrients and cofactors that help maintain healthy oxygen levels in your tissues.

If you suffer from indigestion, heartburn, stomach aches, hiccups, nausea, vomiting or dark stools you most likely are suffering from an acid pH that can lead to gastritis symptoms. All that means is your body tissues are lacking ionic minerals, nutrients and oxygen.

Bacteria that cause gastritis thrive in a low oxygen acidic environment. The ONLY place you should have acid is within the stomach area and in your body waste. All your cells, including the cells in your stomach lining need an alkaline environment to survive.

That’s why gastritis and the damage it causes to your tissue can be reversed and healed. As soon as normal oxygen and mineral levels are restored the healing process begins to win over the gastritis.

Your diet should be made of a variety of delicious vegetables and fruits. Simply eliminate the gastritis triggering, acid forming diet foods and products. Diet foods that are over cooked, diet foods high in refined sugar, diet foods containing vegetable oils, canola oils or hydrogenated trans-fatty oils will add to acid waste build-up.

Your gastritis diet depends on you eating small portions throughout the day. It is better to have 5 meals that are small than one or two large meals.

A gastritis diet rich with steamed or raw vegetables of a variety of colors will help provide enzymes, minerals and nutrients your body needs to maintain an alkaline environment.

Keep in mind bacteria, virus, fungus, yeast and even cancer cells can NOT live in a balanced alkaline tissue. Your gastritis diet should be anything but bland . . . just know to avoid some spicy or fatty foods, especially while your gut is healing from the gastritis damage and ulcerations.

You were born to heal,

Todd M. Faass

Health Advocate