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Tangerines for gastritis

, medical expert
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025
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Tangerines are the perfect combination of pleasant taste and rich composition. Is it always good for health? In particular, are tangerines appropriate in the menu of patients with gastritis? It is impossible to answer unequivocally. The question is what form of gastritis is diagnosed to the patient. Depending on this nuance, the answer may be completely opposite.

Can you eat tangerines if you have gastritis?

Citrus lovers often ask doctors if tangerines are allowed for gastritis? The answer should be sought in the composition of the popular fruit, loved by most adults and children. After all, bright fruits brought from warm regions bring both pleasure and benefit to all healthy people. How do tangerines affect digestion for gastritis?

  • With normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, tangerines are useful, in particular, dietary fiber promotes the digestive process, normalizes metabolism, and essential oil even improves mood.

Gastroenterologists believe that orange citrus fruits should not be consumed with gastroenterocolitis, ulcers and erosions, because they can provoke severe pain and complications. With gastritis, the product is included in the menu only during the period of remission. Provided that the fruits are ripe and sweet and that they are mixed with bananas in the following proportions: half a tangerine and a whole banana are turned into a smoothie together. It is important to monitor your well-being: if you feel discomfort or pain, the fruits are crossed out from the menu and the attending physician is informed about this.

  • With low acidity, citrus fruits are not only allowed, but even very welcome.

They stimulate the secretion of gastric juice, reduce blood viscosity, and optimize cholesterol levels. The recommended dose is 300 ml of fresh juice three times a day or several whole fruits.

In the chronic form, tangerines are prohibited in the diet, as well as in the acute stage of erosive gastritis. During remission, a small dose of citrus, in combination with a banana, is allowed. The patient should decide this issue individually, during a consultation with a doctor.

Tangerines for gastritis with high acidity

The task of diet for increased stomach acidity is to reduce the activity of gastric juice. For this purpose, food that stimulates secretion and irritates the inner lining of the stomach is excluded. A particularly gentle diet is recommended during an exacerbation of the process.

Of fruits and berries, only sweet ones are recommended, and not fresh, but mashed or boiled. Kissel, compotes, jelly, puree - these are typical fruit dishes and drinks from the permitted group. Tangerines for gastritis with high acidity are not included in this list.

People with this diagnosis should eat small portions, at the same time, five to six times a day. Smoothies or tangerine juice should not be drunk with gastritis with high acidity. With the hypoacid form, freshly prepared drinks should be at a comfortable temperature, because hot ones irritate the inflamed stomach, and cold food requires too much energy to digest.

  • Any drinks, including water, should be drunk 30 minutes before or a quarter of an hour after, but not during a meal.

In gastritis, not only the temperature regime plays an important role, but also the saturation of vitamin C. Thermal and chemical irritants are harmful to a sick stomach. Therefore, it is better to replace tangerines in the menu with neutral bananas.

Tangerines for atrophic gastritis

Atrophic gastritis is a complex disease with the possibility of severe consequences. It is a precancerous condition of the stomach, the most common cause of which is Helicobacter pylori. Its prevalence is striking in the number of people who suffer from this disease.

  • Doctors advise patients to eat citrus fruits, as they contain many substances that support the body in fighting the disease.

However, the therapeutic diet does not provide for the use of tangerines in atrophic gastritis. The explanation is simple: the inflamed lining of the stomach does not tolerate additional irritants, and any sour product is precisely such a factor. As a result, with increased acidity, the atrophic focus can increase, complicating the course of the pathological process.

  • Sour-tasting tangerines can cause nausea, discomfort, and pain in gastritis. During an exacerbation, they are unacceptable on the patient's table, and during remission, they are allowed in limited quantities.

If the acidity is low, tangerines have a beneficial effect on the contents of the stomach and the entire gastrointestinal tract. They normalize the digestive process, promote appetite, and eliminate discomfort. Antioxidants contained in the fruits stimulate tissue regeneration, immunity, and blood circulation. Carotenes suppress cancer cells that form in the erosive form and ulcer disease.

Benefits

For older people, not spoiled by the abundance of fruits, ordinary tangerines were associated with their favorite holiday - New Year. For many, their aroma still reminds of childhood, home comfort, the expectation of a fairy tale and the fulfillment of desires. And this is no coincidence: essential oils act in such a way that a person's mood rises and well-being improves.

The benefits of citrus fruits are also expressed in more specific data. In particular, tangerines:

  • remove toxins;
  • prevent many diseases;
  • prolong youth;
  • have a positive effect on the circulatory system, thin the blood;
  • strengthen blood vessels, optimize cholesterol levels;
  • improve the functioning of the digestive system;
  • cleanse the intestines.

Tangerines for gastritis are included or not in the diet depending on the form and stage of the disease. So, with hyperacid gastritis, they are undesirable. And this is logical, because there is already too much acid, which affects the mucous membrane of the entire gastrointestinal tract, and there is no need to add an additional portion of acidic components to this environment. With low acidity, there is no such danger, but it is not recommended to abuse the fruits. Citrus fruits are a good source of nutrition with a sufficient amount of vitamin C. In addition, fruits are rich in other macronutrients, including sugars, dietary fiber, potassium, folate, calcium, thiamine, niacin, vitamin B6, phosphorus, magnesium, copper, riboflavin and pantothenic acid. Due to metabolites (alkaloids, coumarins, limonoids, carotenoids, phenolic acids and essential oils), citrus fruits exhibit abundant biological activity, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, antimicrobial and anti-allergic activities, as well as cardiovascular, neuroprotective, hepatoprotective effects, etc. [ 1 ]

It is important to remember that after eating tangerines and oranges you should not brush your teeth immediately, because the enamel softens from the acid and temporarily becomes very vulnerable. [ 2 ]

Contraindications

Citrus fruits are known allergens. It is especially common in children. Therefore, competent pediatricians advise parents to feed children not imported, but local products, to which each organism is genetically adapted.

There are also contraindications for adults. Tasty and healthy fruits are appropriate in the diet of a healthy person, but due to the fact that they increase acidity and irritate the mucous membranes, they are undesirable for inflammatory diseases of the digestive system. Tangerines for gastritis with high acidity are excluded from the diet in any form. [ 3 ]

Patients with cholecystitis, hepatitis, acute gastroenteritis, nephritis are strictly prohibited from eating citrus, and diabetics should not abuse it, in particular, not drink canned juices. It is better to eat the whole fruit or make fresh juice.

  • Some lovers even eat the skins – fresh or make jam from them.

This is not the best choice, because modern technologies for growing tangerines involve treating them against pests and fungi, and chemicals are used during transportation to preserve the freshness and marketable appearance of the product. This entire “periodic table” with the peel gets into the digestive organs, causing poisoning or gastrointestinal disorders. [ 4 ]

You should also avoid eating the seeds that are found in some varieties, since they, like the seeds of other fruits, contain a high percentage of poisonous hydrocyanic acid.

Complications

To avoid possible complications, a healthy person should not eat more than two or three fruits per day. This is the case when more does not mean better, and too much vitamin C is not better than its deficiency. Hypervitaminosis and overdose provoke diarrhea and rash, while hemoglobin and red blood cell counts decrease.

  • Tangerines are harmful for gastritis due to their high acidity. Healthy people are also not recommended to eat sour fruits on an empty stomach.

Typical complications in children are allergic rashes on the face and body. Nursing mothers should know about this, because allergens enter the baby with milk and can be dangerous for his health.

Recipes

Healthy people usually eat tangerines fresh. The fruits ripen in the fall and in the cold season they very conveniently supplement the diet with vitamins, pectins, and aromatic juices. Tangerines for gastritis, for whom they are allowed, are usually recommended in the form of fruit salads, fresh juice or smoothies. They make amazingly tasty jam, aromatic compote, sauces, various pastries, jelly, panna cotta.

There are many unsweetened recipes for dishes made from sunny fruits in world cuisines. In particular, they go well with meat and seafood, vegetables. A tasty and healthy drink is tangerine liqueur.

To prepare milk-tangerine jelly you will need the following ingredients:

  • 360 ml of water and milk;
  • 1 tsp agar-agar;
  • 2 fruits;
  • 8 tsp sugar.

Sugar and agar-agar are mixed with water, brought to a boil, and cooked for 3 minutes. Milk heated to 36 degrees is poured in, stirring the mixture constantly. The peeled slices are placed in portioned molds, filled with milk mixture, and placed in the refrigerator. The frozen dish is served.

An excellent drink is apple-tangerine compote. It is prepared from large slices of peeled tangerines and apples. They are put into water, sugar is added and a cinnamon stick is dropped in. After boiling, a little zest is thrown in. The compote should be drunk cooled, at a comfortable temperature.

A patient with stomach problems should be careful when choosing fruits. If the acidity is high, tangerines are not consumed for gastritis, if the acidity is low, they are consumed in limited doses. Some sources recommend eating fresh fruits, others - processed: in the form of juice, puree, jelly. You should choose ripe sweet tangerines for food - without traces of rot or any spots. They bring maximum benefit and, in an acceptable dose, do not pose risks to the digestive system.

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