^

Pumpkin in atrophic and gastritis with hyperacidity

, medical expert
Last reviewed: 03.07.2025
Fact-checked
х

All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.

We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.

If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.

Pumpkin is very useful for a healthy person. Perhaps, nowadays it is underestimated, but in the old days round bright balls grew in every garden. In the evenings in the village they savored seeds, and for breakfast they had pumpkin porridge. Dietary vegetable is becoming more and more popular among city dwellers who care about healthy eating. And since a large number of people have problems with digestive organs, it is reasonable to ask whether to include pumpkin in the diet for gastritis.

Can you eat pumpkin if you have gastritis?

When the digestive process is disturbed, the patient inevitably begins to doubt whether it is possible to eat pumpkin with gastritis. After all, even its most useful qualities can cause an inadequate reaction of the stomach and aggravate the pathological process. Therefore, the patient must be extremely picky and listen to the opinion of doctors.

Traditional medicine definitely recommends pumpkin for gastritis. In combination with other remedies, it helps treat the disease. The vegetable is 90% water. The soft consistency minimally irritates the stomach, after heat treatment it envelops the mucous membrane and protects it from harmful factors. Fiber promotes rapid digestion, without additional secretion of hydrochloric acid. [ 1 ]

  • The dietary properties are such that pumpkin is recommended even for babies as the first complementary food. Such food has a beneficial effect on the child's intestines, is easily digested and has a calming effect.

For patients with gastritis, food is prepared by steaming or in the oven, preserving the useful components as much as possible. You can add sour cream and greens, but not spices and spicy vegetables.

With increased acidity, pumpkin pulp can reduce it. Juice with reduced acidity improves digestion, reduces inflammation, and removes salts. You can make many dishes from pumpkin that are useful for both healthy and sick people.

Pumpkin for gastritis with high acidity

With increased acidity, pumpkin is an indispensable ingredient in a dietary ration for gastritis. Thanks to this culture, patients stop suffering from heartburn, belching, and discomfort in the epigastric region. It is suitable for consumption in any form - both raw and thermally processed, but the latter option is still better. Thermally processed dishes are tasty and appropriate for any type of disease.

Pumpkin juice is recommended for gastritis with high acidity. The drink is enriched with vitamins, omega3 acids, carbohydrates, minerals. Pectin stimulates peristalsis, metabolism, prevents the absorption of irritants. An adult patient only needs to drink a 200 ml glass of the drink per day.

  • The pulp is a storehouse of mineral and vitamin components. In addition to the direct effect on the stomach, it cleanses the liver and rids the body of excess fluid.

Pumpkin seeds resemble pulp in composition, but contain salicylic acid, which is not found in the pulp. Due to this feature, it is not recommended to eat seeds with increased acidity.

Pumpkin for gastritis with low acidity

With reduced intensity of hydrochloric acid secretion, pumpkin for gastritis is recommended in moderate quantities - boiled, baked or stewed. The processed pulp of the vegetable is better absorbed and broken down, has a positive effect on the well-being of the patient in the gastroenterology department.

Pumpkin for gastritis with low acidity helps to normalize stool. Regarding the dosage of dietary food, the patient should consult a nutritionist or gastroenterologist.

  • In case of decreased secretion and motility of the stomach, it is recommended to consume pumpkin seeds.

However, it would be naive for people with gastritis to rely only on pumpkin. Pumpkin dishes help get rid of toxins and prevent fermentation in the digestive organs. Pumpkin supports the liver and soothes inflammation. But the healing effect is provided by complex treatment, i.e. medications plus diet.

Pumpkin juice is often recommended for low acidity. It is drunk after meals, in a volume of up to 120 ml. The duration of intake is one to two weeks, a more precise period is determined by the doctor, based on the severity and causes of the pathology.

Pumpkin juice is easily processed and digested. It retains its medicinal properties for quite a long time in the refrigerator.

Pumpkin for atrophic gastritis

Food entering the stomach requires additional secretion of digestive juice. This is an aggressive secretion that irritates the walls and promotes the inflammatory process. Therefore, a gentle diet is a full part of complex treatment. Fatty meat, canned food, marinades, hot spices, and carbonated drinks are excluded from the diet. Ideally, you should eat only home-cooked food prepared according to dietary requirements and personal tastes.

Nutritional features:

  • You shouldn’t overeat: overeating is harmful for a sick stomach;
  • leave an hour interval between eating and drinking;
  • eat freshly grated apples on an empty stomach.

Both pumpkin juice and pulp are useful products for atrophic gastritis. Numerous recipes help to diversify the menu, including pumpkin baked in its own juice for gastritis. The dish improves digestion and removes toxins. It is prepared in the following way:

  • Place pumpkin strips up to 2 cm thick in the microwave, wrap the dish in film without holes so that they do not burn. Cooking time is 15 minutes. If the doctor allows, you can add sugar or sour cream and cook the pumpkin pieces until done over low heat.

Pumpkin for exacerbation of gastritis

Whether to include pumpkin in the diet for gastritis or not - the doctor should decide. You can not do this on your own, so as not to harm yourself instead of benefit.

  • The main positive aspect of the vegetable is that the pulp normalizes acidity, which usually exceeds the norm in this disease. Having an alkaline reaction, pumpkin relieves the patient from heartburn, nausea and pain.

In the presence of atrophy, it creates a protective film on the inner surface of the walls, heals wounds and inflammations. Neutral taste and dense consistency provide the opportunity to use pumpkin pulp as raw material for a variety of dietary dishes: from soups and porridges to jelly and pastries.

Only a doctor can determine when and in what form the product is most acceptable for the patient. Pumpkin is usually not recommended during an exacerbation of gastritis, especially raw. Pumpkin juice should also not be drunk during an exacerbation of the inflammatory process. The product is often included in the menu after the end of the acute period.

During an exacerbation, pumpkin soup or pureed soup with vegetables and greens can be useful. Pumpkin pulp is allowed as a separate product. Cereals are added to such porridge later, when the acute period is over.

Is pumpkin useful for erosive gastritis?

Pumpkin is included in the diet menu for gastritis and other digestive disorders. Its pulp is a repository of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Pumpkin dishes soothe the stomach and intestines, relieve inflammation, saturate the body, and do not linger in the digestive tract. It forms an alkaline environment that neutralizes excess acid. Is pumpkin useful for erosive gastritis?

  • One of the defining properties of pumpkin is regenerative. Pumpkin food heals erosions and also protects the stomach walls from the formation of new damage.

Thanks to pumpkin, with gastritis of this type, there is a possibility of stopping the pathological process. At the same time, the efficiency of the glands that produce enzymes and herbal juices can be restored.

  • However, experts warn that pumpkin is not a panacea. It can only partially help the patient, as a dietary component in complex therapeutic measures.

Pumpkin pulp is prepared both as a separate dish and in combination with other products. In any case, the cooking is gentle: peeled pulp is boiled, steamed or stewed, but not fried in a frying pan.

Erosions in the stomach occur when the mucous membrane protection is disrupted. Erosive inflammation of gastritis can be acute and chronic. Nutritional errors can be one of the causes of the disease, so treatment often begins with its correction. In the initial period, products that stimulate secretion are limited, and food that irritates the mucous membrane is excluded. In the chronic course, a moderately gentle diet is indicated.

  • Pumpkin is useful for gastritis when there is increased acidity and erosive changes in the stomach.

The benefit is that the product is able to neutralize excess hydrochloric acid, as well as regenerate damaged tissues. Thus, pumpkin protects the mucous membrane and prevents the appearance of new erosions in erosive gastritis.

  • Pumpkin is often used in the treatment of gastritis and pancreatitis.

Dietary dishes relieve stomach pain, stop vomiting and diarrhea, which are constant companions of inflammation of the stomach and pancreas.

In order for the pumpkin to give maximum benefit, it is necessary not only to cook it correctly, but also to choose the raw materials. The vegetable should be ripe, brightly colored, medium in size, with a dry stalk. There are no cracks, spots or dents on a quality pumpkin. Fruits stored for future use or collected from a personal plot should be stored in a dark, cool place.

Benefits

Healthy people do not have questions about the benefits of pumpkin. This is explained by its composition. The popular melon crop is rich in proteins, carbohydrates and does not contain excess fat. Pumpkin fiber saturates the body with vitamins and minerals, removes excess fluid, cleanses the liver and digestive organs. The calorie content of raw pumpkin is 22 kcal, processed - 25 kcal per 100g.

  • Pumpkin can be useful for gastritis if prepared and consumed correctly. [ 2 ]

Thanks to fiber, you can quickly feel full. This way, you can reduce the amount of food and normalize your body weight, so the vegetable is used in many weight loss diets. People with obesity should definitely eat pumpkin dishes.

The pulp of the orange vegetable has a beneficial effect on the body as a whole, which is why it is very useful in the diet during the cold season:

  • increases endurance;
  • stabilizes liver function;
  • protects from irritating factors;
  • prevents atherosclerosis.

Melons are good for diabetics. Pumpkin oil is used to remove parasites. The pulp, juice and seeds are used in dietetics and cooking.

Contraindications

Despite the abundance of useful properties, pumpkin is not recommended for everyone with gastritis. Thus, pregnant and lactating women, young children should be careful with the vegetable: they may develop allergy symptoms and diarrhea.

In case of hypoacid gastritis, raw pumpkin is contraindicated. Thermally processed product is limited in case of some concomitant pathologies. Here are these contraindications:

  • diabetes;
  • intestinal obstruction;
  • ulcer;
  • hypertension;
  • flatulence;
  • individual intolerance.

Possible risks

No matter how many laudatory odes have been sung about pumpkin, its inclusion in the diet for gastritis should be approved by a doctor. Because, rarely, possible complications occur: individual components of pumpkin provoke fermentation or allergies.

You can consume seeds and juice after the acidity has been established, so that food helps to normalize its level. Overdosing on seeds is dangerous for patients, in particular, with high acid levels.

Pumpkin for gastritis should be eaten in limited portions to ensure there are no undesirable effects. And only then include other dietary ingredients in the menu.

With any form of gastritis, doctors, along with medical measures, recommend a diet. Otherwise, recovery is impossible. Pumpkin for gastritis, in particular, the pulp, is beneficial and makes the therapeutic diet more varied. What dishes and in what quantities to eat - the doctor decides individually, discussing the topic of diet with each patient separately. Boiled, stewed, steamed food is suitable, but fried pumpkin is not suitable.

Pumpkin dishes for gastritis

For cooking for a patient with gastritis, take the pulp, seeds, oil, and juice of pumpkin. Pumpkin porridge for gastritis reduces acidity and eliminates heartburn. A pumpkin dish prepared in milk for gastritis, due to its enveloping effect, relieves inflammation of the stomach walls.

Pumpkin porridge is easy to prepare. Cut the yellow-orange pulp into cubes, add water, and cook under a lid until softened. The cooked mass, without excess water, is kneaded to a puree consistency and poured with milk. After boiling, remove from heat, add a little butter and sugar.

  • Pumpkin pulp is stewed, boiled in water and steamed, baked. It is suitable both as an independent dish and in combination with cereals, milk, honey.

It is not advisable to fry the vegetable in oil, because such processing increases the calorie content and leads to the formation of carcinogenic components.

When choosing a pumpkin for food, you should pay attention to its size. It is believed that the fruits are medium-sized, 3-5 kg, grown without chemicals. They have sweet juicy pulp, and are stored well.

  • To clean the fruit, cut it in half, remove the seeds, and rinse it under running water. Cut the pulp into cubes, steam it, and season it with honey.

For soup, the pulp is combined with potatoes, carrots, onions, herbs, and sour cream. If the acidity is high, the onion is not cut, but boiled whole and then removed.

Pumpkin in moderate quantities is allowed for gastritis in any form of the disease, but only if it is heat-treated. The raw product is allowed for increased acidity during persistent remission. The quantity is necessarily limited.

The diet menu for gastritis includes juice, pulp, seeds - everything has its own properties. Each patient should introduce pumpkin into the diet for gastritis only with the permission of the attending physician.

The pulp is able to form a film and treat erosions on the gastric mucosa, which makes it an indispensable product for atrophic gastritis and erosions. Young fruits are especially useful. The porridge neutralizes excess acidity inside the stomach, relieving the patient of heartburn, nausea, belching and pain.

You can't eat seeds if you have high acidity, because they can make the situation worse. In general, they have many useful qualities: they normalize blood sugar, get rid of cholesterol and toxins.

  • The oil retains most of the components present in the pulp.

The oil is useful because it protects against the development of chronic gastritis and ulcers, contains anti-inflammatory and regenerating substances, and neutralizes excess acid.

Pumpkin juice is a remedy for hyperacid gastritis. A 10-day course of treatment with the drink relieves pain and exacerbation symptoms, stabilizes the functions of the gastrointestinal tract.

Dietary pumpkin dishes for gastritis

The task of dietary pumpkin dishes for gastritis is to reduce the load on the digestive system when digesting products. Therefore, when preparing them, dietary technologies should be followed. In particular, peeled pumpkin for gastritis should be stewed, boiled in water or steamed, baked. Raw fruits should be grated or chopped with a blender.

  • Gastritis does not like spicy, fried, pickled, heavily spiced dishes, including pumpkin.

Pumpkin allows you to enrich and diversify the patient's diet and speed up his recovery. In addition to standard soups and porridges, a number of drinks, desserts, and savory dishes are prepared from pumpkin: stews, salads, cutlets, puddings, mousses, casseroles, jellies, and cocktails. The pulp fits perfectly into baking recipes.

The pumpkin pulp is used to obtain juice enriched with components necessary for digestion. Pectin substances are especially important, as they improve peristalsis and metabolism, remove toxins and wastes, and protect the mucous membrane from irritating components.

A dietary salad of raw pumpkin is appropriate for hyperacid inflammation. Vegetables are added to the slices or grated pulp to taste: carrots, cucumber, zucchini, even an apple. Dressing is also to taste - low-fat cream or yogurt, olive oil and lemon juice.

Pumpkin porridge for gastritis

The patient should eat soft, non-spicy food that does not irritate or overload the stomach. In this context, pumpkin is a very suitable vegetable for gastritis. The orange pulp is a low-calorie product that is more than 90% water. Its digestion does not require increased secretion of juice and intense work of the organ.

The first thing on the list of dietary dishes is porridge. In order for pumpkin porridge for gastritis to be a useful component of the diet, it should be cooked and served according to dietary rules. When heat treated, the pulp turns into a soft mass of uniform consistency, capable of enveloping the walls, protecting from any aggressive effects. For gastritis, it is advisable to choose a bright vegetable with sweet pulp and cut it into pieces. Such porridge with the addition of honey is suitable for all types of disease.

After the acute symptoms have subsided, porridge is prepared with the addition of cereals: millet, rice, semolina, corn. Oatmeal and wheat groats are not recommended.

Rice and pumpkin porridge recipe:

  • Mix 500g of grated pumpkin pulp with 0.5 cups of washed rice and 500ml of milk. Steam, add sugar and butter before serving. The cereal should be boiled as much as possible, to a slimy consistency.

The porridge can be cooked in the oven, like a casserole. By adjusting the ingredients, pumpkin porridge can be included in the menu every day. The main thing is not to overeat, neither pumpkin nor cereals.

Pumpkin soup for gastritis

At the acute stage, it is recommended to eat pumpkin soup for gastritis. It envelops the inflamed membrane and prevents stomach pain. For cooking, you will need other vegetables that enhance the effect of pumpkin: carrots, onions, celery. For a kilogram of pulp, take one carrot and onion, a celery stalk, a liter of water.

The chopped vegetables are boiled in water without the pumpkin. The pieces of pulp are then boiled separately in vegetable broth, with salt, bay leaf and parsley. The finished dish can be blended to a mushy consistency, after removing the spicy leaves.

The second version of vegetable and pumpkin soup for gastritis suggests boiling an onion and finely chopped carrots, then adding slices of pulp, boiling further and infusing. Before serving, remove the onion and season with herbs.

  • If the diet is very strict, the dish is prepared without onions and greens. And vice versa, with the doctor's permission, the soup can be cooked not in water, but in chicken broth, with the addition of sour cream.

When preparing a diet soup for a person with high acidity, do not overuse the amount of onion. Chop it a little or boil it whole and then take it out.

The dish should be eaten warm. Hot and cold food irritates the mucous membrane and does not promote recovery.

Pumpkin puree soup for gastritis

The ideal first course is pumpkin puree soup for gastritis. It is prepared in water or low-fat meat broth. Low-concentration meat broth is useful due to its protein content, while it is well absorbed and supports a weakened body.

  • Diet soups cannot be spicy, salty, or peppery.

For pumpkin soup for gastritis, take regular vegetables: chopped onion and grated carrot. They are boiled in broth or water until done. Cooking time depends on the variety and size of the slices. During this time, celery cut into strips is fried in olive oil. After combining the ingredients, use a blender to turn regular soup into a liquid puree. The recipe is supplemented with herbs or homemade croutons.

  • The presence of celery is explained by its exceptional benefits. The aromatic vegetable increases immunity, protects against infection, and serves to prevent rotting and inflammation of the mucous membrane.

Another recipe for a cream soup based on 1 liter of water: throw a whole onion, grated carrots, and pumpkin pulp into hot water. After 10 minutes, add parsley, cover with a lid for 15 minutes. Beat with a blender until the consistency of gruel. This soup is recommended even during an exacerbation of the disease.

Baked pumpkin for gastritis

For gastritis, it is recommended to prepare the following types of dishes from pumpkin:

  • boiled - mashed potatoes, soups, porridges;
  • stewed - ragout with other permitted vegetables;
  • baked - as a main dish or dessert.

Baked pumpkin for gastritis fits into this list, as does the method of its preparation. Unlike fried food, which is loved by many, which is prohibited for people with gastritis. It is forbidden to season food with hot spices, aromatic herbs, onions-peppers-garlic. Greens are recommended instead. Vegetable fats are used, including pumpkin oil.

Baked sweet varieties of vegetables are a delicious dessert. If the pulp is tougher and not sweet, baking softens it. In any case, the dietary qualities, most vitamins and minerals are preserved.

  • The melon is baked whole or in slices.

In the first case, choose a pumpkin no larger than 2 kg, wash and dry it. No need to peel it. Keep the pumpkin in the oven for about an hour. When cool, cut into portions and eat with honey, sour cream, butter - if the diet allows it.

Any size fruit is suitable for making baked slices. Large slices are wrapped in foil, lightly salted or sprinkled with sugar and put in the oven for about 20 minutes. With increased acidity, such food is allowed to be eaten daily. The tender pulp is also suitable for a patient with erosive inflammation.

Millet porridge with pumpkin for gastritis

Cereal porridges with pumpkin for gastritis are cooked for so long to obtain a soft, boiled mass. Orange varieties, with sweetish pulp, are especially appropriate on the patient's table. Moderately sweet pumpkins can be used as a side dish, pouring sour cream over them.

Millet porridge made from pumpkin is very useful for gastritis, in addition, it makes a bland diet more delicious and varied. If you additionally bake the cooked porridge in the oven, the mass will become even more tender and better for a sick stomach.

The millet-pumpkin porridge casserole contains the following ingredients:

  • grated pumpkin pulp;
  • cereals;
  • 2 eggs;
  • low-fat milk.

In 2 glasses of milk, boil half a glass of millet and a glass of grated fresh pulp with the addition of sugar and salt. Beat the eggs and carefully mix with the mass, put in a mold and grease with sour cream. Keep in the oven until a golden crust forms.

Cooking tips:

  • Dry millet is first sorted to remove any debris.
  • Then fill with cold water for about an hour.
  • Cook everything together over low heat, stirring regularly.

This porridge is not eaten during the acute period of gastritis inflammation. In addition to millet, pumpkin is cooked with rice or corn. In case of gastritis, nutritionists do not recommend combining pumpkin with oatmeal and wheat groats.

Raw pumpkin for gastritis

When talking about pumpkin for gastritis, it is necessary to clarify in what form to consume it. The easiest way is to peel and grate the pulp, mix it with permitted ingredients, saturating the stomach with fiber, and the whole body with vitamins.

  • Unfortunately, raw pumpkin is not a product that is beneficial for gastritis.

An inflamed stomach is unable to digest such food easily. It is much better to boil or stew the bright slices, combine them with other vegetables and give yourself both a taste and a medicinal pleasure.

With increased acidity, the pulp neutralizes excess acid. Boiled or baked pumpkin does not injure the inflamed walls of the stomach, on the contrary, it soothes inflammation and is perfectly absorbed. Thanks to fiber, toxins are actively removed from the body.

  • If by raw pumpkin we mean undried seeds, then they should not be overused at all.

They contain acid, which some patients already have too much of. Therefore, it is better to first clarify this point about the advisability of seeds in the diet with your doctor.

With low acidity, pumpkin not only removes toxins, but also prevents fermentation and flatulence.

In the atrophic form, fresh pumpkin juice is often drunk. The drink cleanses excess salts, normalizes the digestive process, and supports the liver. It is quickly digested and well accepted by the body. The dosage, duration, and frequency of intake are clarified with a specialist.

Pumpkin seeds for gastritis

Proper nutrition for stomach inflammation is a full-fledged component of the therapeutic plan. Pumpkin is undoubtedly useful for gastritis and is included in the diet menu. The composition of the seeds is not much different from the pulp. The key advantages of the seeds are as follows:

  • Cleansing from poisons and other harmful components contained in the gastrointestinal tract.
  • Abundance of vitamins, especially rare K.
  • The presence of fiber, which is useful for digestion.

Despite all this, most gastroenterologists are against the use of pumpkin seeds for gastritis and other pathological processes of the gastrointestinal tract. The product is especially undesirable if there is high acidity. The explanation is simple: the seeds increase this indicator. [ 3 ]

  • Both pumpkin and sunflower seeds can harm even a healthy person who constantly abuses them. And it is even more harmful for patients with an inflamed stomach to “click” on the delicacy.

When the exacerbation has subsided and the remission stage sets in, then seeds, if you really want to, are allowed. But only with the permission of a doctor and in doses. After all, the microelements and other useful compounds that seeds are rich in are extremely necessary for a recovering organism. [ 4 ]

In addition, if one of the symptoms of gastritis is constipation, then this delicacy is able to normalize stool and digestion in general.

You are reporting a typo in the following text:
Simply click the "Send typo report" button to complete the report. You can also include a comment.