Lemon for gastritis: is it possible or not?

People who are faced with any pathology of the gastrointestinal tract are annoyed to learn that they will have to give up their favorite foods - because some of them adversely affect the inflamed mucous membrane. The list of controversial foods includes fruits, in particular lemons for gastritis. Who can dispel doubts and create a healthy diet for the patient? Naturally, the doctor whom the patient trusts.

Can lemon be used for gastritis?

Correctly answer the question: is lemon possible with gastritis? - really only after the diagnosis has been clarified. The key factor is acidity, because sour fruit affects acidity. The pulp contains a lot of citric acid, malic and other organic acids are present in it, which are harmful to pathogenic microorganisms, parasites that cause inflammation and damage to the mucous membrane.

• Lemon for gastritis with excess acidity is an undesirable ingredient in the diet. It enhances the secretion of its own juice and irritation of the stomach walls.

The hypoacid variant of gastritis is characterized by a lack of hydrochloric acid and insufficient digestive capacity of the system. In this condition, the correct use of lemon will be beneficial.

• Some sufferers drink juice or eat lemon without sugar. However, it is better to mix lemon juice with apricot, pear, peach, preferably with pulp.

Lemon tea in the morning is a very good choice for low-acid gastritis. You can simply dilute pure water with concentrated juice. This drink activates digestion and the production of gastric juice, normalizes stool, and removes toxins.

These recommendations are not relevant during an exacerbation, including hypoacid inflammation. When acute symptoms subside, citrus can be re-included on the menu, but gradually and with the permission of the doctor.

Lemon for gastritis with high acidity

According to some doctors, lemon with gastritis with high acidity in a reasonable dosage cannot radically affect its level. The lack of potassium, sodium and calcium is much more dangerous, and lemon contains these elements in abundance. Potassium, by the way, protects against stress, namely, they are the cause of stomach problems, including gastritis. In this regard, lemon for gastritis also performs a calming, uplifting function.

A slightly concentrated lemon drink in the morning relieves several digestive problems:

• relieves heartburn;
• suppresses flatulence;
• cleans the liver;
• stimulates the digestion process.

However, conventional wisdom argues that acidic patients should not consume lemon like other citrus fruits. It is believed that the acids present in them increase secretion and irritate the walls of the stomach. Therefore, the optimal solution is to take acidic fruits exclusively in the hypoacid form, during remission.

It is allowed to eat several slices a day, without peel and sugar. Or add a slice to tea. Pure juice can be taken after meals. It is useful to combine it with other juices.

Lemon water on an empty stomach is harmful for gastritis. Homemade lemonade is allowed to be drunk after meals, no more than a glass a day.

Can lemon be used for atrophic gastritis?

Information is contradictory regarding lemons for gastritis. If official medicine has one opinion, then alternative medicine is completely different. Therefore, the right decision is to follow your doctor's recommendations. It is behind him that the last word on the question of whether lemon is possible with atrophic gastritis.

• Atrophic gastritis is incurable without severe food restrictions. Food should be gentle - in composition, temperature, cooking.

Medicine believes that lemon, even in tea, with atrophic changes is harmful, because acid is an aggressive component in relation to the walls of the stomach. However, other sources claim that you can drink tea with lemon, along with dried fruit compote, jelly, and mineral water.

Lemon components can be added to food in small amounts, for example, lemon juice can be added to desserts. When consumed in this selective manner, under the supervision of a physician, lemon can be a healthy fruit.

The special danger of atrophic inflammation is that it can give rise to an oncological problem. To prevent this from happening, the disease should be treated immediately and in all ways, and not independently, but by contacting qualified specialists.

Lemon for gastritis with low acidity

Some sources categorically prohibit not only lemons for gastritis, but also all other citruses. The undesirability of lemon, which contains a lot of acid, is especially emphasized. Others describe in detail the action of lemons and how they are used in different variants and phases of the disease.

• Lemons for gastritis with low acidity are included in the dietary food list, because additional acid is needed in such cases.

With its lack, the stomach cannot cope with its main function - the breakdown and digestion of food. The symptoms of such gastritis are very unpleasant, they are manifested by bloating, belching with a nasty smell and taste, heartburn, and diarrhea. In the body, vitamin deficiency begins, the process of assimilating proteins is disrupted.

• Food is a dead weight in the stomach cavity, provoking maximum abdominal discomfort.

In this condition, patients are saved by juice or lemon fruits. You can dilute the water with juice: this mixture activates the digestion process and the production of gastric juice. Lemon juice is also combined with other fruit juices: peach, pear, apricot. Traditional tea with a slice of lemon is also suitable. Thus, with hypoacid gastritis, lemon helps to normalize the functions of the stomach.

If the inflammation is in the acute phase, then citrus should not be consumed. Otherwise, the condition of the stomach may worsen. It is recommended to introduce lemon after the severity of the process subsides, and gradually and in small doses. All actions must be coordinated with a doctor.

Lemon tea for gastritis

Under the influence of concentrated citrus juice, the inflamed stomach walls are irritated and react with acute pain. The process progresses and annoys the patient with discomfort, nausea, vomiting. If you ignore medical recommendations, lemon with gastritis can lead to the formation of ulcerative lesions of the mucous membrane.

• With low acidity, when digestion slows down, and there is not enough hydrochloric acid in the stomach, lemon in a moderate dosage has a beneficial effect on the course of the process.

Lemons in their natural form negatively affect the mucous membrane only in the acute stage of the disease. During this period, it is recommended to prepare tea with honey, milk, or herbal drinks, also without lemon. But tea with lemon for gastritis is an ideal drink. Lemon is processed with high temperature and is abundantly diluted with water, so a moderate amount of acidic components gets into the drink. Two slices of citrus are enough for a serving of tea.

Tea should be prepared and consumed properly. The sliced wedges are placed in the brewed drink and allowed to cool. You cannot drink it hot, so that the high temperature does not irritate the stomach. The best option is a warm drink, not drunk on an empty stomach. It quenches thirst, enriches it with vitamin C, relieves bloating and belching, and normalizes peristalsis.

Lemon water for gastritis

Lemon juice diluted with water has many benefits. The drink is known for its cleansing properties, it lowers sugar levels, burns fat, suppresses appetite. Warm lemon water, drunk on an empty stomach, quenches thirst and speeds up metabolism. Regulates the acid-base balance, has a beneficial effect on the activity of the kidneys and liver.

• With regular use, it exhibits cosmetic properties: it makes the skin clean, moisturized and radiant.

However, water with lemon is not so useful for gastritis. With high acidity, the presence of ulcers, acidified drink has a harmful effect: it causes increased secretion and pain in the abdomen.

With insufficient release of hydrochloric acid, the picture is different. A lemon drink for gastritis with insufficient acidity is very appropriate. Because for better digestion of food, the diet includes meals and drinks that stimulate the appetite and the production of digestive juices. Lemon promotes the breakdown and absorption of proteins.

• Such a drink should not be consumed only in the acute phase of the disease.

For preparation, they take the juice squeezed from several lemons and dilute it with drinking water. Lemon water with hypoacid gastritis eliminates interruptions in the digestive system, removes toxins, relieves the manifestations of nausea, pain, discomfort.

Honey with lemon for gastritis

When prescribing therapy and diet, the doctor takes into account the acidity level of the stomach. Lemons for gastritis, along with the rest of the sour taste of plant products, are not included in the list of healthy foods. Preference is given to mild, soft foods and drinks that do not irritate the stomach from the inside.

Honey with lemon for gastritis, in combination with additional ingredients (infusion of calendula, olive oil or water), serves a good service in all periods, except for the spicy one. The products go well with each other and with other ingredients. Recipe example:

• Prepare an infusion of 30 g of dried calendula and 1 liter of boiling water. After an hour, pour in the juice of one medium lemon and dissolve 100 g of honey. Take 50ml 3-4 times a day, half an hour before meals.

A honey-lemon drink, consumed in the morning, energizes, strengthens the immune system, makes the body stronger and more enduring. It breaks down excess lipids, stimulates the gastrointestinal tract, detoxifies the liver.

A mixture of lemon juice with honey is used for colds, for the heart, to reduce weight and blood pressure,  [1] to improve the rheological properties of blood. [2] When cooking, you need to follow the rules - add honey and lemon not to boiling water, but to warm water. Citrus is used along with the peel. You need to drink the drink warm, on an empty stomach, 30 minutes before breakfast.

 

Benefits

Of course, everyone has heard about the benefits of lemons for immunity and metabolism. The most popular citrus contains citric, malic, succinic, ascorbic acids, which resist microbes, parasites, inflammations, and have a regenerating effect.

The pharmacological potential of lemon is determined by its rich chemical composition. The most important group of secondary metabolites includes flavonoids as well as other compounds such as phenolic acids, coumarins, carboxylic acids, amino acids, and vitamins. The main compounds of the essential oil are monoterpenoids, especially D-limonene. These valuable chemical components are the reason for the important position of lemon in the food and cosmetic industry. [3], [4]

Lemon is rich in vitamins, flavonoids, essential oils, phytoncides, and the trace element potassium reduces the level of anxiety, stabilizes blood pressure, and prevents depression. There are many other trace elements in the peel and pulp, as well as carbohydrates, fats, and protein. [5]

• Despite these and other useful properties, pure lemon for gastritis is not recommended for use.

The reason is the abundance of sour juice in the pulp, which irritates the inflamed stomach walls. This is especially dangerous with increased acidity, because an increase in the amount of acid aggravates the situation and can subsequently lead to the development of peptic ulcer disease.

• However, with a lack of hydrochloric acid, lemon is very useful.

Citrus juice induces appetite, activates sluggish gastric activity, and promotes the digestion of food. Under its influence, food lying on a stone is processed and moves more actively along the digestive tract. Thanks to this, the normal functioning of the stomach is gradually restored.

Yellow fruits improve the composition of microflora, stimulate peristalsis. Thanks to lemons, useful components of food are better absorbed. Lemon invigorates, improves psycho-emotional state, relieves fatigue.

Lemon juice is widely known as a diuretic, antiemetic, astringent, and antipyretic agent. In Italy, the sweetened juice is used to relieve gingivitis, stomatitis and tongue inflammation. Lemon juice in hot water has been widely promoted as a daily laxative and preventative for colds, but daily doses have been found to erode tooth enamel. With prolonged use, the teeth will sink to the level of the gums. Lemon juice and honey or lemon juice with salt or ginger are taken as needed as a cold medicine. The oil obtained from lemon seeds is used for medicinal purposes. A decoction of the root is used in Cuba to treat fever; from gonorrhea in West Africa. To relieve colic, an infusion of the bark or peel of the fruit is given. [6]

Currently, valuable scientific publications are devoted to the increasingly broad pharmacological action of lemon fruit extract, juice and essential oil. These include studies of, for example, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, hepatogenous, and cardioprotective activities. [7],  [8], [9]

In alternative medicine, lemon is used to treat liver disease. Lemon juice has a hepatoprotective effect on alcohol-induced liver damage by lowering serum ALT and AST levels, as well as hepatic TG and lipid peroxidation. The hepatoprotective effects may be related to the antioxidant properties of lemon juice. [10]

Contraindications

Lemons should not be eaten by people who are allergic to citrus fruits, as well as pregnant and lactating mothers, children under 3 years of age. Contraindications also apply to patients with problems of the kidneys, intestines, stomach, pancreas. Lemons should be recommended with caution to hypotonic patients.

• Lemons with gastritis can exacerbate enteritis, colitis, peptic ulcer disease, pancreatitis.

In the presence of sensitive enamel, stomatitis water is best drunk through a straw to minimize contact of the acidic drink with the teeth and mouth.

With undeniable beneficial qualities, sour citrus must be approached with caution and observing the measure. Then the body uses the healing power of the unique fruits and avoids unwanted consequences.

Possible risks

To avoid possible complications, the patient needs to know about the acidity level in the stomach. Everyone can determine it in an alternative way, using the same lemon for gastritis.

• The test is simple: you just need to inhale the aroma of a piece of fruit and drip a little juice on your tongue.

If the taste and smell are perceived indifferently, then the acidity is lowered. With a sharp reaction, when the face distorts a grimace, you can be sure that the acidity is too high.

However, self-diagnosis should not replace a professional and a visit to a gastroenterologist. Only a specialist is able to assess the complexity of the condition and prescribe adequate treatment.

When consuming acidic fruits, remember that they thin the tooth enamel. You can protect your teeth by drinking liquid (lemon water, tea) through a straw.

The citrus family, without exaggeration, is the favorite fruit of adults and children. Lemons stand out among relatives with a maximum of useful components, although they eat them, because of their peculiar taste, little by little. This is an excellent prophylactic and therapeutic agent for healthy and many categories of sick people. Both official and alternative medicine have long recognized the efficacy of lemons for gastritis if consumed correctly and on time. You should clarify these nuances with your doctor.