Tomatoes in gastritis: fresh, stewed, baked

We are all waiting for the summer season to start, to get our fill of real vegetables, from the garden, and also to make preparations for the winter. But having a diagnosis of "gastritis", you need to be careful when choosing them, to avoid exacerbation of the disease. So, can you eat tomatoes with gastritis?

Tomatoes are an important source of nutrition for the entire world population. Their global production is estimated at about 159 million tons, and the average annual consumption of fresh tomatoes is 18 kg per European and 8 kg per capita in the United States. [ 1 ] In recent years, tomato consumption has increased further, as tomatoes are marketed both fresh and in processed products such as soups, juices, purees, and sauces. [ 2 ]

Tomatoes for gastritis with high acidity

Gastritis is a general term for inflammatory and inflammatory-dystrophic conditions of the gastric mucosa. Chronic gastritis has two forms: non-atrophic and atrophic. These are forms of gastritis that represent different stages of the same lifelong disease. [ 3 ], [ 4 ] It includes such concepts as a violation of its secretory function, the processes of regeneration of epithelial cells, their atrophy, and the replacement of the glands of the mucous membrane with fibrous tissue over time.

Gastritis with increased acidity occurs due to excessive synthesis of hydrochloric acid. All spicy, sour, fatty, coarse food irritates the walls of the organ and provokes additional secretion of gastric juice.

Based on the chemical composition of tomatoes, which contain a lot of organic acids (malic, oxalic, citric, tartaric, succinic), folic and ascorbic acid, volatile alcohols and fiber are present, [ 5 ] we can definitely say that this is the product that will irritate the diseased organ.

Tomatoes for erosive gastritis

This form of gastritis means the presence of small defects - erosions on the gastric mucosa. Its chronic course is accompanied by periods of exacerbations and remissions. [ 6 ] In the first case, a special dietary nutrition system is required, which completely excludes mechanical, chemical or thermal effects of food. Tomatoes are inappropriate on the menu here.

During a long lull without pain, heaviness in the stomach, or other symptoms characteristic of the disease, you can occasionally allow yourself a small ripe sugar fruit weighing no more than 100g.

Tomatoes for atrophic gastritis

The loss of mucous glands in atrophic gastritis is replaced by the growth of new immature glandular and epithelial elements; that is, intestinal-type glands ("intestinal metaplasia (IM)"), resembling the glands and epithelium in the colon and/or small intestine, and/or pyloric-type ("pseudopyloric metaplasia"), resembling the pyloric glands and epithelium from which the G cells (gastrin cells) disappear. As part of the evolution, the highly differentiated glands, epithelium and cells are destroyed by atrophy (atrophic gastritis), and the lost glands are replaced by glands and epithelium with immature intestinal properties.[ 7 ],[ 8 ],[ 9 ],[ 10 ]

Atrophic gastritis is difficult to treat, the organ's mucous membrane is thinned, the glands produce little secretion, nutrients are poorly absorbed, which is why vitamin deficiency is often present.

After eating, there is pain in the epigastrium, heaviness, and nausea.

This diagnosis requires a special approach to nutrition, and food should contain a lot of protein and fiber, vitamins and minerals. Vegetables can be eaten both raw and cooked (steamed, boiled or baked). Tomatoes are on the list of recommended products.

Tomatoes for gastritis and pancreatitis

Gastritis, aggravated by pancreatitis, puts forward additional requirements for nutrition. Anything that stimulates secretion harms the pancreas. It additionally produces pancreatic juice, the enzymes of which are necessary for processing food and its absorption in the duodenum, but they do not get there due to a violation of its outflow. Instead, its own tissues are processed. Stable remission allows a ripe sweet tomato on the menu, but not often.

Detailed menu for every day

When planning daily meals and dishes, you should check the medical diet (there are 15 medical tables). For gastritis, diet No. 2 is used (for reduced secretion of gastric juice, others are also included: No. 1, 4, 5).

It should be remembered that meals should be frequent and fractional. It is difficult for a diseased organ to cope with a large volume of food, even dietary. It should be warm, not contain coarse fiber.

During acute periods, porridge (rice, semolina) predominates for breakfast; second breakfast - cottage cheese casserole; lunch - steamed cutlet and porridge as a side dish, dried fruit jelly; afternoon snack - omelet; dinner - fish soufflé, rosehip decoction; before bed - a cup of low-fat milk.

The remission stage expands gastronomic possibilities. With low acidity, it is necessary to include products that stimulate the production of gastric juice.

The menu for each day might look something like this:

• morning - oatmeal with water and butter, tea with toast and hard cheese;
• second breakfast - baked apple;
• lunch - broth soup, veal cutlets, cucumber and tomato salad, dried fruit compote;
• afternoon snack - cheesecakes;
• dinner - fish, glass of tomato juice;
• at night - kefir.

When cooking, do not use legumes, whole milk, cabbage, grapes, or garlic.

Hyperacid gastritis requires an even more balanced approach to your diet:

• breakfast - milk soup made from cereals or pasta, tea, toasted white bread;
• second breakfast - lazy dumplings;
• lunch - boiled chicken, rice, tomato, jelly;
• afternoon snack - Maria cookies, yogurt;
• dinner - fish meatballs, vegetable stew, tea;
• Before going to bed - a glass of milk.

Each day of the week should be diversified with other products, adhering to dietary principles.

Recipes

Lycopene bioavailability was found to be increased after heat-treated tomatoes compared to fresh tomatoes. [ 11 ], [ 12 ] Gahler et al. [ 13 ] investigated how heat treatment affected vitamin C and polyphenol content as well as hydrophilic antioxidant capacity. The amount of β-carotene decreased or was stable, while the content of α-tocopherol increased significantly with short-term heating. [ 14 ] Patry et al. looked at the effect of heat treatment on anthocyanin content. The combination of individual operations involving heat such as blanching, pasteurization and duration affected the anthocyanin content of fruits and vegetables.

• Fresh tomatoes for gastritis

Having familiarized ourselves with the peculiarities of certain types of gastritis, we summarize: in case of inflammation of the mucous membrane in the state of exacerbation, fresh tomatoes cannot be eaten. Chronic course of the disease with increased acidity during remission allows limited consumption of fleshy ripe fruits, but it is better to peel them or make juice from them.

Low acidity is not an obstacle to including them in the menu.

• Stewed tomatoes for gastritis

Thermal processing and/or homogenization can disrupt the cellular matrix of tomatoes, determining the bioavailability of various nutrients.[ 15 ]

Stewed tomatoes are less aggressive for the stomach, they retain many nutrients, so by combining them with zucchini, pumpkin, carrots, you can prepare a tasty and healthy vegetable stew. This dish goes well with dietary meat. It will saturate and will not cause an undesirable reaction of the gastrointestinal tract.

Recipes

Even medicinal cooking can be tasty and varied, because there are many recipes worth using:

• soup - chicken pieces are placed in a saucepan, filled with water, brought to a boil, the liquid is drained and filled with water again. Cook on low heat. Add chopped potatoes, carrots, onions, cauliflower, tomatoes, and chopped greens at the end of cooking. Salt moderately;
• omelette - beat 2 eggs, add milk. On a heated frying pan with vegetable oil, sauté onion, tomato slices and zucchini. Pour in lightly salted egg mixture, cover with a lid. The heat should be moderate so that a crust does not form;
• rice casserole - the grains are boiled, but not until done. An egg, previously mixed with sugar, warm milk, baked and mashed pumpkin are added to the cooled porridge. Bake in the oven until done;
• meat cutlets - make mince from two types of meat (chicken and veal), grind onion through a meat grinder, add white bread soaked in milk, beat in an egg, form cutlets and let sit for half an hour. Cook with steam;
• The fish fillet is layered with rings of onion, tomato, and eggplant, wrapped in foil and baked.

Benefits of tomatoes

Eating tomatoes reduces the risk of inflammation, cancer and chronic non-communicable diseases, including cardiovascular diseases such as coronary heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and obesity.

Why should these vegetables be on our menu if there are no good reasons to exclude them from it? The biochemical composition of the vegetable indicates its great value for the human body. It contains enzymes, proteins, organic and amino acids, mono-, polysaccharides, carotenoids. [ 16 ] The benefits of tomatoes also lie in the abundance of vitamins: beta-carotene, [ 17 ] PP, C, [ 18 ], [ 19 ] E, [ 20 ] H, K, group B, folates. [ 21 ] In terms of ascorbic acid content, they are equal to lemons.

Tomatoes contain 8–40 μg/g fresh weight lycopene, about 80% of the total dietary intake of this carotenoid.[ 22 ] Lycopene is the major phytochemical in tomato fruits due to its strong antioxidant role related to its ability to act as free radical scavengers from reactive oxygen species (ROS) formed during partial oxygen reduction.[ 23 ]

Numerous macro- (calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chlorine) and microelements (iron, zinc, iodine, copper, manganese, etc.), low caloric content (20 kcal) allow the vegetable to improve metabolism, prevent the development of cardiovascular diseases. [ 24 ], [ 25 ] Pectin substances in tomatoes reduce the formation of "bad" cholesterol. [ 26 ], [ 27 ] Tomato juice suppresses the proliferation of bacteria and the growth of fungi.

In tomatoes, phenolic compounds include flavonoids, phenolic acids (hydroxybenzoic and hydroxycinnamic acids), and tannins. Polyphenols are effective para-hydroxyl-mediated free radical scavengers. Phenols may modulate cellular signaling processes during inflammation or may serve as signaling agents themselves.[ 28 ],[ 29 ]

Polyphenolic compounds have been linked to therapeutics in inflammatory diseases including cardiovascular disease, obesity and type II diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, cancer and aging.

These effects are due to the phenolic ability to interact with a wide range of molecular targets that are central to cell signaling. The main molecular mechanisms include:

• inhibition of proinflammatory enzymes such as cyclooxygenase (COX-2), lipoxygenase (LOX) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS);
• inhibition of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase), tyrosine kinases and nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κ B);
• activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR γ);
• activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), protein kinase C (PKC) and modulation of several cell survival/cell cycle genes.[ 30 ],[ 31 ]

The main tomato compounds include flavonols (such as quercetin and kaempferol), flavanols (such as catechins), flavanones (such as naringerin), anthocyanidins, and stilbenes (such as resveratrol). They are usually located in the peel and only in small amounts in other parts of the fruit.[ 32 ],[ 33 ]

Phenolic acids are responsible for the astringent taste of vegetables. They include hydroxybenzoic acids and hydroxycinnamic acids. The hydroxybenzoic acids are gallic, p-hydroxybenzoic, protocatechuic, syringic, and vanillic acids, while ferulic, caffeic, p-coumaric, and sinapic acids are hydroxycinnamic acids.

Contraindications

Tomatoes, along with their health benefits, also have many contraindications. Like any brightly colored vegetables and fruits, they can cause allergies. [ 34 ] These fruits are also undesirable for gallstone disease, since their strong choleretic effect poses risks of stone movement and blockage of the bile duct.

The oxalic acid they contain has a negative effect on water-salt metabolism, which affects the kidneys and joints. [ 35 ] They are contraindicated in peptic ulcer disease.

All these warnings apply to fresh fruits; canned tomatoes are completely undesirable.

Possible complications

Moderate consumption of vegetables taking into account the above recommendations will not cause any complications. Otherwise, gastritis and pancreatitis may worsen, joint pain may appear, renal colic may appear if there are stones in the organ, and allergy sufferers may experience skin rashes, swelling and redness.