Stomach ulcers are a common problem with many possible causes. Unless they are very severe and need treatment by a doctor, most ulcers are curable easily at home.
Diagnosing Gastric Ulcers
If you have a painful burning sensation in the stomach area that gets worse when you eat or drink, you may have a gastric ulcer.
An ulcer is a small sore on the stomach or the duodenum, which is the uppermost part of the small colon, attached to the stomach. An ulcer forms when they mucus layer that protects these organs from stomach acids and bile wears away, and the stomach or duodenal tissue is exposed to these irritating factors. This can cause irritation and eventually bleeding within the digestive tract.
Symptoms of a gastric ulcer include belching accompanied by a tinny taste in the mouth. You may also vomit and the vomit will have a blackish color and may contain blackish specks. The color comes from digested blood, and the specks are actually pieces of the scab that is attempting to form to protect the sore and allow it to heal.
If you are experiencing pain from an ulcer, it will get worse when you eat acidic foods, or fatty, starchy foods which require a high amount of natural stomach acids to digest. Any increase of acid in the stomach or duodenum will increase irritation of the ulcer and therefore cause discomfort.
Natural Cures for Gastric Ulcers
There are simple at-home remedies which can help an ulcer heal effectively. Although it is impossible to cure an ulcer hands-on, what is possible is to increase the protective coating around the stomach and duodenum. This will give the sore a chance to heal properly until it is completely resolved.
The first point is to avoid all acidic foods, which will only make the sore worse. Also avoid all fatty and oily foods because these require an excess of bile and stomach acids to digest, and therefore increase the acid level in the digestive tract. This will also irritate the ulcer more. Milk is a fatty food and should be avoided.
Try and eat only simple, easily digestible foods such as vegetables and simple carbohydrates like bread and plain rice. These will be easy on the stomach and cause the least amount of pain.
Cabbage Juice for Stomach Ulcers
The most popular at-home remedy for stomach and duodenal ulcers is raw cabbage juice. This can be bought in the store or juiced fresh at home if you have a juicer.
The cabbage juice has properties which will form a shield-like protective film around the lining of the stomach. It will bring relief from pain since it protects the ulcer from stomach acids. You will notice a difference within five minutes of ingesting the juice.
Furthermore, the shield-like film over your stomach will give it the protection it needs to heal fully. Without acid interference, the sore will have a chance to close up and get better within a few days. Try drinking ½ cup of cabbage juice every morning and afternoon until the ulcer heals, and stay on a bland diet throughout the day.
Curing Stomach Ulcers at Home
Following a bland diet and drinking cabbage juice throughout the day should help the stomach fix its protective lining. It will also give the ulcer a chance to heal within the protective shield of the mucus lining within the stomach.
Natalay Goldstein - Natalay Goldstein is a graduate of UC-Berkeley. Her interests include health feilds including nutrition and holistic healing. She is also ...
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