Gastritis is, by definition, one of the diseases of the 21^st century. Caused by stress, junk food, and excessive alcohol and medication intake, gastritis is usually cured by taking even more pills. Not anymore, though. Here is an amazing list of all the home remedies for gastritis you could possibly need so that you can stop medicating yourself and start living as healthily as possible. Not to mention getting rid of gastritis for good!

What Is the Cause of Gastritis?

Gastritis is a disease belonging to the inflammation family of ailments. It can be either an inflammation, erosion or irritation of the stomach and its lining. It does not have one single cause, but it’s rather triggered by a plethora of reasons, one more different than the next. Here they are.

• Stress and anxiety
• Chronic vomiting bouts
• Prolonged usage of specific medication that harm the stomach such as aspirin and anti-inflammatory medication
• The bacterium Helicobacter pylori that lives deep within the lining of the stomach. If left untreated, this nasty bacterium leads to an infection that can turn into ulcers and even cancers for some people.
• Pernicious anemia can be another cause of gastritis. It occurs when the stomach is low on a particular substance that helps it digest and properly absorb vitamin B12.
• Reflux from the bile – this literal backflow of fluids and acids from the bile to the stomach can also cause gastritis
• Infection that is caused by different bacteria or viruses.

What Are the Symptoms Associated with Gastritis?

It’s important to note that the symptoms of gastritis vary from one person to another because no two stomachs are alike. Some people can go through severe bouts of pain while other don’t feel anything at all, for example. However, here are the most common of said symptoms.

• Upset stomach coupled with nausea
• Bloating in the abdominal region
• Pain in the abdominal region
• Indigestion followed by vomiting
• A burning sensation in the stomach between the main meals of the day or at night
• Hiccups
• The loss of one’s appetite
• Vomiting bouts where the sick looks like coffee grounds or even blood
• Stools that are very black, almost tarry in color.

What Are the Best Home Remedies for Gastritis?

Modern western medicine teaches that gastritis is to be treated with a medication such as antacids, vitamin B2 shots for pernicious anemia or even antibiotics if the H. pylori virus caused gastritis itself. However, one mustn’t jump to pills as soon as the first sign of acid reflux appears. There are so many wonderful home remedies for gastritis for you to try that it would be a shame, really, not to take the natural route to healing. Here are just some of them.

#1. Herbal Remedies

Mankind has been using plants, herbs, and spices for millennia to treat injuries and ailments. One of them is gastritis and teas are the best and most delicious way to cure it You can ingest all the following plants in two ways:

• Teas – seep them all for approximately 5-10 minutes if you’re using leaves and flowers and 10-20 minutes if you’re using roots. Also, you must drink some two to four cups every day.
• Capsules and extracts – almost all plants that are beneficial for the human body can be found in concentrated form in capsules and concoctions. Buy them from the drug store, supermarket or local health store and follow the prescription with which they come.

Here are some of the plants that will work wonders as home remedies for gastritis.

• Cranberry – this delicious treatment fights the H. pylori infections that cause gastritis. In more detail, it keeps the bacteria from attaching to the lining of the stomach and its tissues. You can either drink cranberry juice, make tea out of the dried fruits or take pills based on the cranberry extract, because they all work. Remember you need to ingest as much as 400 mg every day, twice a day for this home remedy to work.
• Mastic – this is a type of resin that comes from the mastic tree. You can find it in drugstores and health shops under the names ‘Yemen gum’ or ‘Arabic gum’. It looks like little yellow or white crystals, and it tastes a bit bitter at first. However, after some mastication, it releases a very fresh and lovely piny or even cedar-like aroma.
  Take between 1000 and 2000 mg of it every day in 2 or 3 doses, if you want these home remedies for gastritis to work.

• Extract of DGL licorice – yet another delicious entry on our home remedies for gastritis list, licorice needs to be taken two or three times a day if you go for tablets. You can drink the same amount of cups if you choose the tea version.
  It’s one more remedy that fights off the H. pylori bacteria and keeps it at bay. Apart from that, it also reduces inflammation.
• Peppermint – you are given the same choices as for the licorice. You can take some tablets, two or three times a day or you can drink the scrumptious peppermint tea which will soothe your stomach in no time.
• Ginger – apart from the fact that it too fights the H. pylori bacteria, ginger prevents ulcers as well. Chew some small pieces of fresh, organic ginger, boil it and drink the resulting tea or add ginger powder to all sorts of drinks, from warm milk you can drink in the evening to smoothies, shakes, and plain orange juice.

#2. Stop Eating Foods That Trigger the Gastritis

A very simple treatment from the home remedies for gastritis list you can try begging now is to lay off all junk and spicy food. If you suffer from severe gastritis, you can try to cook all the food eaten at home, if you have the possibility. In this way, you will be able to avoid ingredients that harm you. Otherwise, try to stay away from the following.

• All beverages that have acid, including sodas, coffee, and juices made with citrus fruits.
• All refined foods, such as pasta, bread, and the ones made with plenty of sugar.
• Trans fatty acids which one typically encounters in cakes, cookies, ice cream, and all sorts of baked goods available to purchase in stores.
• All processed foods, including breakfast cereal, frozen dinners, potato chips, and meaty products, the likes of salami, sausages, and bacon.
• Deep fried foods
• Foods that are heavily spiced.

#3. Engage in Pleasurable Activities

As mentioned in the beginning, most of the home remedies for gastritis are either delicious or pleasurable, and this particular one is most delightful. Researchers have found that engaging in something you like when you feel the pain and heartburn associated with gastritis may relieve those symptoms we all know and hate so much.

Therefore, if you feel your ailment flaring up, try to calm yourself down by doing something you truly like. You can read a book, do a puzzle, go for a walk if you feel well enough to do that, listen to music, practice your favorite hobby or go out for dinner with a friend. All these loveable activities will help reduce stress levels in your system. Consequently, your gastritis will have no chance but to back down.

#4. Spend Time with Your Loved One or Loved Ones

Building on the above, researchers state that home remedies for gastritis can take the shape of social interaction as well. They’re not even talking about common social interaction, but rather about the type that involves physical human contact, such as a hug, hand holding or kissing. This kind of contact is responsible for producing and releasing vast quantities of oxytocin in the brain, which will gravely reduce all stress levels in your body.

It has been scientifically proved that holding hands, a gesture we take for granted since we do it every day is one of the best remedies for stress and anxiety. People who had their hand held by a loved one before doing something they found stressful stated that they felt relieved and a lot braver in doing what they had to do.

Therefore, here are some home remedies for gastritis in the field of social interaction you can try and which are certain to make you feel 100 percent better.

• Hold hands with your significant other, your child, a friend or one of your parents.
• Ask for a hug whenever you feel the need. Do not be ashamed or frightened, as no one will say no to giving you a hug.
• Have a coffee break with your favorite colleague at work every day.
• Chat with your neighbor in the morning or late at night when you come home from work.
• Have a short phone call with a loved one that is not located close to you.

#5. Smoke and Drink as Little as You Possibly Can

Heavy drinking and smoking are by far one of the primary factors that lead to this ailment. Therefore, it’s only natural that, as far as home remedies for gastritis go, eliminating these nuisances from your daily habits will work wonders.

The science behind this is that both alcohol and the compounds usually found in tobacco irritate the stomach’s lining. You don’t have to eliminate them altogether if you can’t, especially since some forms of alcohol, such as wine have been proven to have a positive effect on the human body. However, you must lower your intake as much as possible.

#6. Eat More Vegetables and Fruits

The home remedies for gastritis list also includes fruits and veggies in abundance. In the same way, you need to know what foods to avoid to rid yourself of this ailment. You also need to know which foods to consume more of so that you can increase your chances of getting better. Try to eat as many fruits and vegetables high in vitamins, calcium, antioxidants, and flavonoids as you can. Here are some examples.

• Antioxidants sources – blueberries, bell peppers, squash, tomatoes, and cherries.
• Vitamin B and calcium sources – beans, kale, spinach, whole grains, and almonds.
• Flavonoids sources, which fight the H. pylori bacterium – onions and garlic, celery, apples, and cranberries.

#7. Introduce Protein into Your System

This point is an excellent idea when it comes to home remedies for gastritis, but you must do it in a healthy way. That means to say you need to turn to clean and lean protein sources, such as the following.

• Poultry – but only the white meat, not the dark and without the skin.
• Beef – you must choose the extra lean ground beef, the sirloin tip, the top round, the eye of round, the rump roast, and the tenderloin.
• Pork – choose Canadian bacon over the regular one, the tenderloin or the center loin.
• Lambs – choose the chops, the tenderloin shank or the leg roast.
• Game – go for squab, duck and pheasant without the skin, elk, venison, bison, and rabbit.

#8. Get Enough Sleep

Last, but definitely not least on the list of home remedies for gastritis is sleep. When you don’t get enough pillow time, your immune system weakens, and your stress levels rise. Therefore, by simply resting enough, you will be able to cope with stressful situations that arise during the day a lot better than you would normally do. Your body’s immune system will be better as well, so you have a greater chance at fighting off the pesky bacteria that are trying to punch you in the stomach.

An average adult should get anywhere between seven and nine hours of sleep every night. Teens need approximately nine or ten hours while younger children will require at least ten. To make sure you do get all the sleepy time you need, you can try some of the following.

• Create a sleeping routine and stick to it. This method means you have to seek to go to bed and wake up at the same hours every day, including weekends.
• Near bedtime, limit your usage of any electronic devices as much as possible. The waves of information, as well as the blue light they emit, keeps your brain up at night far longer than it should be.
• No eating one hour before you go to bed.
• Listen to some relaxing music and try to sleep with your significant other in the same bed. As detailed above, human contact does solve many of our problems, including sleeping ones.

Gastritis is a real piece of work when it comes to ailments. It can be extremely painful and, if left untreated, it can lead to serious complications. However, we are all in luck, for there are countless home remedies for gastritis which we can use, all of them pleasant and delicious. Don’t skip any of them!

Image Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5