The human
gastric juice contains hydrochloric acid. It is necessary for the digestion of solid food and the neutralization of bacteria that enter the body with food. But sometimes too much acid begins to be produced, and it cannot be completely neutralized during digestion. Then it corrodes the walls of the stomach and causes various digestive disorders and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Many people are faced with this problem, so the question of how to lower the
acidity of the stomach is very relevant. Some live for years with this problem, occasionally taking medication. But this can lead to serious stomach damage. Therefore, you need to be able to recognize the onset of the disease in time.
Symptoms of high acidity
- Feeling of heaviness in the stomach.
- Heartburn and sour belching.
- Pain in the abdomen, which can be right after a meal or on an empty stomach.
- Frequent constipation.
- Nausea and indigestion.
If these symptoms worsen after eating acidic and bitter foods, pickled, spicy and fried foods, then you need to think about how to reduce the acidity of the stomach. The most important thing for this is not medication, but a change in eating habits and lifestyle.
What causes increased acidity of the stomach
Most often, this problem appears in people who are fond of fatty and fried foods, spicy and sour foods. To increase acidity lead to alcohol, coffee and chocolate, tea and cola, as well as excessive consumption of sugar, confectionery and citrus fruits. Overeating, especially at night, also causes the release of hydrochloric acid. This problem affects people who are accustomed to snacking, irregular meals and fast food. Often, such symptoms are found in people who are prone to stress and constant worries.
How to lower stomach acidity
If you relate to people with such eating habits or notice symptoms of acidity, you need to see a doctor and conduct an examination. Based on its results, you will be diagnosed and prescribed treatment. To reduce the production of hydrochloric acid, different drugs are used.
You can reduce the acidity of the stomach by taking the preparations "Maalox", "Almagel" or "Gastal". Zantak or Vicalin preparations are also used for this. You can alleviate your condition by taking medications that regulate digestion. Most are sold over the counter, such as Mezim, Festal, or Pancreatin tablets. But you can completely get rid of high acidity only with the help of a diet.
How to eat
In order to avoid problems caused by excessive secretion of hydrochloric acid and its action on the walls of the stomach, you need to adhere to some rules in nutrition:
- you need to eat fractionally, preferably a little bit and 5-6 times a day, so that the stomach does not remain empty;
- food temperature should be close to the temperature of the human body, it is undesirable to eat too cold or hot dishes;
- it is necessary to abandon low-fat diets that lead to the appearance of gastritis;
- it is better to cook food for a couple or cook, and the products need to be finely chopped, you can even wipe;
- food should be chewed carefully and try not to overeat;
- It is not recommended to eat at night, the main food load should be in the morning.
Diet for high acidity
A person suffering from excessive release of hydrochloric acid needs to monitor what kind of food he eats. Only with a diet can the acidity of the stomach be easily reduced. Products should be fresh, without the addition of preservatives or seasonings. The basis of nutrition should be cereals and liquid
mucous soups, which envelop the gastric mucosa and protect it. It is best to cook rice, oat or semolina for this. Milk is useful, as it reduces acidity well. You can also eat cheese, low-fat cottage cheese and yogurt.
Get plenty of boiled or stewed vegetables in your diet, preferably potatoes, cauliflower and carrots. Do not refuse fruits as well, just choose non-acidic ones. It is good to make mashed potatoes, mousse or jelly from them. Meat should be selected lean, preferably chicken, veal or rabbit. It needs to be cooked, stewed or baked, for example, cook meatballs or steam cutlets.
Bread is recommended to be slightly dried. You can eat soft-boiled eggs or scrambled eggs, drink weak tea or mineral water without gas. Such a diet will help you lower the acidity of your stomach. Foods that lead to increased production of hydrochloric acid should be excluded from your diet, and otherwise, in the absence of symptoms of the disease, you can eat more varied.
What is forbidden to eat
So that increased acidity does not lead to the appearance of gastritis, you must completely refuse:
- from rich, saturated broths, especially mushroom and pork;
- coffee, alcohol and carbonated drinks;
- spicy and smoked products, seasonings and marinades;
- fried food;
- very acidic foods, such as citrus fruits, tomatoes or sorrel.
Even at a time when there is no exacerbation, you need to limit the use of vegetables that contain a lot of fiber, such as radish or cabbage. It is undesirable to eat raw vegetables, especially onions and garlic. It is necessary to reduce the amount of salt in the diet, eat less brown bread and muffin, ice cream and canned food. But even with all these rules, the disease can sometimes worsen. The medicine is not always at hand, but you can lower the acidity of the stomach with folk remedies. To help you come decoctions of herbs, tinctures, vegetable juices, sea buckthorn, ginger and cinnamon.
How to lower stomach acid fast
The most common way to do this is to drink a glass of water with dissolved false soda tea. This solution quickly neutralizes acid. An excellent tool is chalk powder or white clay. You need to stir it in water and drink this suspension twice a day before meals. You can also eat chalk powder and so. Honey water helps to reduce acidity. Dissolve a spoonful of honey in a glass of warm water and drink.
Conventional foods such as carrots and potatoes will also come to your aid. Juice from these vegetables is very beneficial for the stomach. But if carrot can be taken without restrictions, then they drink potato in a quarter cup 3-4 times a day. Often include pumpkin and red beets in any form in your diet. It is best to cook or bake them.
A very effective remedy against increased acidity of the stomach is sea buckthorn. It is good to make a decoction of the berries and drink it with honey; the use of sea buckthorn oil is also useful. Do not forget about mineral water. But to reduce acidity, you need to drink alkaline water without gas before meals.
Herbal medicine to help the patient
Instead of regular tea, it is recommended to drink decoctions of mint or chamomile. From time to time, it is necessary to conduct courses of treatment with various herbs that help reduce acidity. The most effective for this, except chamomile, nettle and yarrow. You can brew them separately or use in a mixture with other plants. What fees are recommended to reduce acidity:
- mix the cinquefoil erect, calendula and yarrow;
- two parts of chamomile, one part of caraway seeds and oregano grass;
- mix two parts of linden flowers with one part of flax seeds and fennel fruits;
- in equal proportions mix the marshmallow root, valerian, chamomile, immortelle and St. John's wort flowers.
But do not get too carried away with such treatment, especially with drugs that reduce the production of hydrochloric acid. If it is not enough, then in addition to poisoning and digestive disorders, gastritis with a lowered acidity of the stomach may appear. The symptoms of this disease are also unpleasant, and they can not be immediately determined by taking heartburn, diarrhea and abdominal pain for manifestations of increased acidity. Therefore, the main thing is diet. But, besides this, you need to know how to reduce the increased acidity of the stomach in order to prevent complications.