Best soups for stomach ulcers

Key takeaways:

• Stomach ulcers are caused by infection of H. pylori bacteria and long-term use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), but foods can lessen or worsen the symptoms.
• Some soups that are good for stomach ulcer patients include okra soup, ogbono soup, chicken soup, and cabbage soup.
• People with stomach ulcers should avoid foods like milk, alcohol, caffeine, and fatty foods as they can worsen the symptoms of the condition.

Contrary to popular belief, food is not the primary cause of stomach ulcers. Infection by the H. pylori bacteria and long-term use of NSAIDs are the primary causes of ulcers. But not everyone who has the H. pylori bacteria will develop stomach ulcers or show signs of illness.

While foods don't cause stomach ulcers, your choice of food can make your symptoms worse or lessen them. While no "one food" is best for everybody with stomach ulcers, science has shown that certain foods may be best for people with stomach ulcers.

This article will look at some great soups for people with stomach ulcers, how probiotics can help treat stomach ulcers, and foods to avoid if you have stomach ulcers.

Soups that are good for people with stomach ulcers

Finding foods that will benefit people with stomach ulcers can be challenging, but you can still find some healthy foods that will be good for you.

If you love soups but are scared of eating things that would worsen your symptoms, you should consider trying the soups below. These soups are considered good for people with stomach ulcers:

1. Cabbage soup

Cabbage is considered one of the best soups for stomach ulcers. A study found that cabbage has some anti-inflammatory effects and can offer some gastroprotective effects. According to the study, cabbage extracts inhibited gastric damage in rats.

This indicates that cabbage soup may be beneficial for people with stomach ulcers. It will also be best to avoid adding too many spicy ingredients to the soup when preparing it.

2. Okra soup

Okra is rich in protein and essential amino acids, making it beneficial to health. Okra is also a good source of carbohydrates, vitamins, and flavonoids.

Flavonoids help in the treatment of ulcers because they have anti-ulcer effects. Hence, okra soup is considered a good soup for stomach ulcers.

When you have a stomach ulcer, there will be an imbalance of mucus, bicarbonate, prostaglandins, and other factors that protect the gastrointestinal tract. This imbalance and other harmful factors like H. pylori infection contribute to the development of stomach ulcers.

The flavonoid anti-ulcer effect helps inhibit pepsin activity and increases bicarbonate and mucus secretion. Flavonoids also have an anti-inflammatory, cytoprotective, and antioxidative defense against peptic ulcers.

Okra can be boiled, fried, or eaten raw. It is also one of the most affordable soups you can prepare in countries like Nigeria.

3. Ogbono soup

Ogbono soup is also great for people with ulcers. Ogbono seeds also called Irvingia gabonensis, are derived from the African bush mango fruit.

A group of Nigerian researchers carried out research on the anti-diarrheagenic and anti-ulcer effects of this plant on rats. The study published in 2008 found a reduction in ulcers in rats with induced stomach ulcerations. While this research was carried out on animal models, it indicates that ogbono may also have similar anti-ulcer effects on humans with stomach ulcers.

Ogbono seed is highly nutritious as it contains substantial amounts of sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, and iron. An older 2005 study also found that it has high antioxidant levels.

4. Chicken soup prepared with chili pepper

Chicken soup is good for people with stomach ulcers, especially when prepared with the right ingredients. If you have a stomach ulcer, you can make your chicken soup with chili peppers. Chili peppers help break down lipids in different organs and tissues in the body. This indicates that they can help reduce the risk of obesity and hypercholesterolemia.

An older study found that chili pepper offers protection against mucosal damage caused by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin.

Chili peppers contain capsaicin, which offers protection against ulcers caused by H pylori and excessive use of NSAIDs. So, if you are thinking of which soups are best for stomach ulcers, you should try out chicken soup prepared with chili pepper.

5. Fish pepper soup

Fish is a good protein source and is a healthy food for ulcer patients. A study found that fish oil reduced the severity of gastric ulcers in rats.

Preparing fish pepper soup with chili pepper will be both highly nutritional and therapeutic for people with stomach ulcers, the capsaicin in chili pepper also offers protection against stomach ulcers.

Another ingredient you can add to your fish pepper soup is Ocimum sanctum (scent leaves). A 2019 study has indicated that a blend of virgin coconut oil and scent leaf oil may be effective for treating peptic ulcer diseases when used with ulcer medications.

If you have a stomach ulcer, keep in mind that it is best to consume your fish boiled instead of fried. This is because fried fish and other fatty foods can further irritate the stomach lining. Aside from being delicious, fish pepper soup can also be therapeutic for people with stomach ulcers if prepared well.

6. Carrot sauce

Carrot sauce may aid in the healing of stomach ulcers when it is prepared with ingredients like green beans, peas, green peppers, chicken, and onions.

Carrots have a high content of vitamin A and vitamin C. Vitamin A is good for your health. It also helps people with ulcers feel better and get better faster.

A scientific study found that most people who have peptic or gastric ulcers are vitamin C deficient. This suggests there may be a connection between the consumption of vitamin C and the healing of stomach ulcers.

Also, other food ingredients like green pepper chicken and green peas, which are great for carrot sauce, contain many nutrients like protein, vitamins, and potassium. They are rich in fiber and can help improve the function of the digestive system. Cooking your carrot sauce with these ingredients can help improve your stomach ulcer.

Treating stomach ulcers with probiotics

An older study indicates that probiotics help treat gastric ulcers caused by stress, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like aspirin and indomethacin.

Probiotics are a mixture of live bacteria and yeasts that normally exist in the digestive tract and can help improve digestive health.

You can get probiotics from yogurt, cheese, cultured buttermilk, olives, bread, and olives.

In cases of stomach ulcers, the primary target is usually the stomach's mucosal barrier, and a study shows that probiotics protect that gastric mucosal barrier. It does this by increasing prostaglandin, and mucous secretion and also preventing apoptosis (cell death)

Even though previous research has shown the promising potential of probiotics to help treat stomach ulcers, more research should be carried out in this area.

Foods to avoid for stomach ulcer

There are some foods you should avoid if you have a stomach ulcer, as they can slow down healing or make your symptoms worse. Examples of foods to avoid for stomach ulcers include the following:

Beans

Beans are healthy foods, but some people say they make them gassy and upset their stomachs after eating them. One reason could be that the soluble oligosaccharides in beans can't be broken down by enzymes alone. Instead, bacterial fermentation in the gastrointestinal tract helps break them down. (9)

The byproducts of this degradation, such as carbon dioxide, hydrogen methane, and sometimes sulfur, can cause increased flatulence and other unpleasant symptoms, which can cause more discomfort for ulcer patients.

Coffee

Coffee increases stomach acid production and has been closely linked to some esophagogastroduodenal disorders like peptic ulcer and GERD.

So to avoid worsening your stomach ulcer, you should avoid taking coffee.

Milk

Some people argue that milk helps them relieve their ulcer pain. This is only true if you are considering a temporary relief. What milk does is coat the stomach immediately after you take it, easing the pain for that moment.

But milk ends up causing more harm than good in the long run as it causes the stomach to produce additional acid, which slows down the stomach's healing process and causes pain for people with stomach ulcers. So, milk is one food to avoid if you have stomach ulcers.

Alcohol

Excessive intake of alcohol can impair the stomach mucosal barrier, leading to increased oxidative stress and higher risks of gastric mucosal bleeding.

Taking alcohol, especially in excess, is not good for overall health. And taking it with a stomach ulcer may only worsen your symptoms.

Fatty foods

If you have a stomach ulcer, you should avoid foods that are high in fat. Fatty foods increase stomach acid production, therefore worsening the symptoms of stomach ulcers.

Wrap up

In addition to taking medicine for your ulcer, eating healthy foods will help you get better.

Eating the soups mentioned in the article may help you lessen your ulcer pain. While preparing the soups, ensure that you don't add any spicy ingredients or other things that will worsen your symptoms.

Also, foods like milk, fatty foods, may not be the best for your health condition. It would be best to stay away from them or limit their intake.