Features of nutrition with increased stomach acidity

General rules

Acidosis means a shift in the acid-base balance to the acidic side.
But this applies to tissues and environments that normally have a neutral environmental reaction of 7-7.35 (blood, tissues, lymph, internal environment of cells). This term does not apply to biological media that are initially acidic (for example, gastric juice) or slightly acidic (urine). To assess the condition of the gastrointestinal tract, the acidity value is determined, which consists of free hydrochloric acid and bound hydrochloric acid. Hydrochloric acid is produced by the parietal cells of the fundic glands of the stomach. A research method that allows you to determine acidity in the stomach and antrum is pH-metry . When performing daily pH measurements, even the daily rhythm of acid formation is determined. This allows for the most effective treatment - prescribing an acid-suppressing drug during the period of highest acidity.

What is dangerous about high stomach acidity? Normally, the process of acid formation is regulated and an increase in acidity turns on the mechanism of acid neutralization: the cells of the antrum of the stomach produce somatostatin , which blocks the secretion of hydrochloric acid. The cause of acid-related diseases is an imbalance in the mechanisms of acid production or acid neutralization, as well as poor nutrition and the presence of constant stress.

Against this background, with insufficient efficiency of the esophageal and pyloric sphincters, pathological gastroesophageal and duodenogastric reflux may occur, manifested by heartburn , belching and bitterness in the mouth. And with an imbalance between aggressive factors (with a high content of hydrochloric acid, pepsin , which represent acid-peptic factors) and protective factors (gastric mucus and duodenum, glycoproteins , bicarbonates , immunoglobulins , reparative activity of the mucosa, its good blood supply), inflammatory phenomena of the gastric mucosa occur . Increased acidity is a frequent companion to gastritis and peptic ulcers .

The secretion of hydrochloric acid and pepsin is regulated by the vagus nerve. And the mechanism of ulcer formation can be represented as follows: increased tone of the parasympathetic nervous system - gastric hypersecretion - formation of an ulcerative defect. Based on this, the opinion “No acid - no ulcer” was supported for a long time, but in recent decades, in connection with the discovery of Helicobacter pylori, the formulation became relevant: “No Helicobacter pylori - no ulcer.”

Therefore, treatment of peptic ulcer is aimed at the effects of two factors - acid-peptic, using drugs that reduce gastric acidity, and Helicobacter. The most powerful drugs that control stomach acid formation are proton pump inhibitors. Antacid drugs are still used, which reduce acidity by interacting with acid in the stomach cavity ( Almagel , Maalox , Taltsid , Rutacid phosphalugel ).

Nutritionists are also taking an approach based on the acidity of the stomach - the diet will depend entirely on this factor. Proper nutrition for high acidity is important, it is part of the healing process and is organized on the basis of Table No. 1 .

The purpose of therapeutic nutrition is to eliminate dyspeptic symptoms (heartburn, nausea, belching, flatulence), pain and improve food digestion. The diet is aimed at reducing gastric excitability and reducing the acid factor. Therefore, strong secretion stimulants (broths, mushrooms, coffee, carbonated drinks, smoked meats, alcohol) and mucosal irritants (condiments, spices, rough foods, rough vegetables, salty, spicy, pickled dishes) are excluded. The gentle regime includes fractional meals, which promotes good digestion and rapid absorption of food.

The degree of sparing and grinding of food depends on the severity of pain and dyspeptic syndromes, therefore the following types of diet can be prescribed:

• No. 1A - with severe exacerbation. It provides for maximum limitation of all effects on the stomach. Dishes are served only boiled, pureed and in a liquid state (slimy soups, porridges, pureed meats, jelly, compotes). Any vegetables and fruits are excluded.
• No. 1B - during the period of improvement. Dishes are also pureed, but their consistency is thicker. Vegetable purees from coarse vegetables, meat and fish soufflé are allowed.
• №1 - this is the main table, which is distinguished by a complete content of proteins, fats (limited animals) and carbohydrates (limited only simple carbohydrates) and moderate sparing of the stomach. It is used during the period of consolidation of treatment results and can be used for constant nutrition of patients.

In all cases, the diet for high stomach acidity involves the exclusion of foods that stimulate gastric secretion:

• meat, fish, mushroom broths, fermented milk products, sour drinks, coarse cereals and vegetables, tough meat with tendons;
• spicy, pickled, smoked and fried dishes;
• coffee, tea and alcohol;
• irritating foods: onions, garlic, peppers, spices, citrus juices, cranberries and other sour fruits and berries, tomatoes, turnips, radishes, ginger, chocolate;
• causing gas formation (legumes, fresh bread and pastries, kvass, drinks with gas, an abundance of sweets) and promoting the reflux of duodenal and gastric contents into the esophagus.

In all types of diet, the amount of animal fats is limited: fatty pork, cream, sour cream, lamb, goose and duck meat. It is not allowed to consume incompatible products that cause fermentation in the gastrointestinal tract.

Dishes are prepared with the addition of vegetable oils and a small amount of high-quality butter. When preparing, steaming, stewing or baking (on the main table) is used. With increased acidity, it is important to follow a meal schedule and not overload the stomach with rich food, especially at night. The last meal is 3 hours before going to bed. Dry food, mono-diet and fasting are excluded. You also need to give up bad habits.

Diet rules for high stomach acidity

It is recommended to chew each piece of food thoroughly to avoid injury to the already inflamed mucous membrane. It is advisable that the food is above body temperature, but not hot. The entire portion should fit in the palm of one hand, as all leading nutritionists in the world recommend.

In general, there is a theory that a person’s stomach is the size of a fist. Therefore, in order to avoid unnecessary stress on a sore stomach, you need to eat small meals, but often, preferably 4-5 times a day. The last meal should be no later than 18-00 pm.

All food must be carefully balanced, and, importantly, include protein foods, since proteins are an excellent building material. In no case should fats be completely excluded from the diet, 1 tbsp. l. vegetable oil helps food stay in the stomach for a short time, and thereby prevent the irritating effect of hydrochloric acid on the mucous membrane.

It is not recommended to drink tea, water or other drinks with food. If you are already very thirsty, you can take a few sips of clean water. The temperature of the drinks should not be too hot.

To reduce the acidity of gastric juice, it is recommended for medicinal purposes to drink alkaline mineral water half an hour before meals. As a rule, a gastroenterologist prescribes mineral water from a specific source, so it is advisable that the choice is made by a doctor.

Authorized Products

Nutrition for high stomach acidity includes:

• First courses with weak vegetable broth. Finely chopped vegetables and cereals, vermicelli or thin noodles are added to soups. You can prepare milk soups. It is allowed to add dill in small quantities. The degree of grinding of the ingredients was indicated above.
• Vegetables without coarse fiber (potatoes, pumpkin, beets, carrots, zucchini, green peas, cauliflower). They are prepared as a puree with butter, but without adding spices.
• Lean meat (lean pork, beef, lamb, chicken and turkey) in the form of steamed and baked dishes. Before stewing or baking, meat must be pre-cooked to reduce extractive stimulants. You can cook zrazy, meatballs, cutlets, quenelles, meatballs, aspic, beef stroganoff. Eating protein foods is very important because it helps normalize acidity.
• Well boiled or pureed: buckwheat, semolina, oatmeal or rice porridge without hot seasonings and spices. Porridge can be cooked with the addition of milk, you can also use boiled vermicelli or thin noodles, puddings and casseroles with cereals and cottage cheese.
• Soft-boiled eggs or steam omelet, omelet baked with a little butter.
• Lean, chunky and minced skinless fish, steamed or baked.
• Dairy products - milk, calcined cottage cheese, cream (for adding to soup), milk jelly. Mild cheese, cottage cheese dishes (cheese pancakes, puddings, lazy dumplings).
• Sweet fruits with coarse fiber (bananas, strawberries, pears, cherries, blueberries, apples). During an exacerbation, it is better to exclude fruits, then they are introduced in pureed form (mashed potatoes, jelly, jelly, compotes), and vegetables are consumed in heat-treated form;
• Stale white bread, low-fat biscuits and biscuits.
• Fruit juices, tea with milk, rosehip infusion, weak coffee with milk.

Table of permitted products

How to identify the disease

Increased stomach acidity can cause a variety of ailments. The optimal percentage of this acid is 0.5%. If the indicator increases, the gastric juice becomes more concentrated, resulting in additional symptoms.

A high level of acidity provokes heartburn, belching, pain, nausea, heaviness in the abdomen, vomiting, and burning.

With a very high level of acidity, gastritis develops. With such a violation, disruptions in the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract occur. To prevent the development of complications and eliminate symptoms, you need to visit a doctor and undergo diagnostics. Timely seeking medical help greatly facilitates treatment. In addition to the course of drug therapy, the doctor prescribes a special diet indicated for high acidity of the stomach.

You can also normalize the acidity level using folk remedies. However, before using them, you should consult your doctor. One of the most effective ways to eliminate high acidity is to drink freshly squeezed potato juice. It is taken in the morning on an empty stomach, thirty minutes before breakfast. The duration of the treatment course with juice is ten to fourteen days. Then you need to take a break for one week and repeat the course.

Warm mint tea is considered an excellent remedy for high stomach acidity. It not only reduces the aggressiveness of the juice, but also calms the patient’s nervous system and improves sleep. The process of preparing mint tea is very simple: add 1 teaspoon of dried mint to a glass, brew with boiling water, and leave for fifteen minutes for the medicinal drink to infuse. Take warm. Due to its composition, this drink is healthy and safe. The duration of therapy has no restrictions.

Another effective traditional medicine is an infusion made from yarrow and wormwood. To prepare it, you need to combine one teaspoon of yarrow and four tablespoons of wormwood, brew with a glass of boiling water. Leave for half an hour, strain. Directions for use: 1 tablespoon four times a day for two weeks.

Fully or partially limited products

Food should not contain:

• Foods with connective tissue (skin, cartilage, veins) as they are digested.
• Rough and irritating vegetables: onions, garlic, radishes, turnips, beans, peas, cabbage, rutabaga, sorrel. Tomatoes due to their high acid content and mushrooms as a difficult to digest product.
• Cabbage soup, borscht, highly extractive broths, okroshka. Fatty fish, fatty pork, goose, duck, canned and smoked meats, lamb, canned fish. Fatty and fried foods stay in the stomach for a long time, which is extremely undesirable with high acidity.
• Millet, barley, pearl barley and corn cereals, thick and coarse pasta.
• Salted, pickled and pickled vegetables, canned vegetables - they all cause an increase in secretion.
• Tomato, meat and mushroom sauce, pepper, horseradish, mustard, mayonnaise, ready-made hot sauces, vinegar.
• Fried and hard boiled eggs.
• Animal fats, margarine, cooking fats for deep-frying.
• Rye and fresh bread, butter and puff pastry products.
• Fermented milk products, sour fruits and berries, chocolate, strong coffee and tea.

Table of prohibited products

What to include in your diet if your stomach pH is high

When creating a menu for every day, patients with high acidity of gastric juice should focus on dishes that include the following products:

• Dietary types of meat . It can be beef, chicken or veal.
• Fish . The menu should include varieties that contain a small number of small seeds. Haddock, hake and cod are ideal.
• Yogurt and milk . These products should have a low fat content.
• Vegetables other than tomatoes . They can be eaten both raw and boiled.
• Cereal porridges that help normalize digestion. Rice, buckwheat and millet have this property.
• Sweet fruits . If you have increased stomach acidity, you can eat non-acidic apples, pears and bananas.
• Products that are made from dried beans . They are healthy due to their high vegetable protein content. It is easily digested by the stomach without causing excessive acid release.
• Allowed drinks for this diet include fruit juices from non-acidic fruits, dried fruit compotes and jelly. Sometimes you can drink green tea.

Menu (Power Mode)

During the period of mild exacerbation or recovery, the diet is quite varied, since it includes many vegetables, almost all cereals, meat and fish dishes. Alternating them throughout the week allows you to make your diet varied. Nutrition might look like this.

Prohibited Products

To avoid new problems in the stomach and prevent another increase in pH levels, you should avoid the following foods:

• Fatty meats, especially pork and duck.
• Rich broths.
• Sour berries and fruits, as well as citrus fruits.
• Tomatoes and products made from them.
• Sour cream and kefir with a high percentage of fat content.
• River fish varieties that contain a lot of bones.
• All kinds of pickles and marinades.
• Hot types of seasonings and spices.
• Coffee and spirits, especially low-alcohol wines and cocktails.
• Concentrated juices from sour fruits and berries.

These products are strictly prohibited for people who have problems with the acidity of gastric juice.

Reviews and results

A diet for high stomach acidity is really necessary and patients note this. Even if it is not strictly observed, but simply excludes foods that cause heartburn and stomach discomfort, it still makes sense. The main table is expanded in terms of products, and this makes it possible to eat a varied diet without particularly infringing on yourself. Reviews from patients indicate the effectiveness of therapeutic nutrition and its positive effect on the intestines and digestion in general.

• “... In spring and autumn, after errors in food, heartburn, belching, and constipation often occur. In such cases, I switch to diet food for 2 months. It helps quickly - heartburn goes away without pills in a week. I eat everything boiled and low-fat, dairy products, cereals and boiled meat, potato, pumpkin and squash puree. I completely exclude coffee and chocolate, soda, cabbage, pickled and pickled vegetables and snacks, and canned food. Of course, steamed cutlets are tasteless without spices, but I can stand it. The stool improves and the heaviness in the stomach disappears. I'm losing a little weight on this diet. The only difficulty I see is that I have to cook separately for myself and take everything with me to work”;
• “... I follow a diet only during periods of exacerbation - and for me it’s spring and after stress. I have long been unable to tolerate onions, garlic, radishes and radishes - first there are pains in the stomach, then colic in the intestines and later heartburn. The same thing with mayonnaise and salads dressed with it - terrible heartburn. It turns out that I naturally excluded them from the diet. I noticed that over the years the list of foods that have to be abandoned due to poor tolerance has become wider and wider. When I switch to medical nutrition, I exclude cabbage and everything connected with it - it is rough and increases pain and bloating. I eat boiled meat and fish, cutlets made from them or meatballs, various cereals and unfried soups. All meat and fish carcasses in water with sour cream are tasty and low-fat. Additionally, I brew chamomile and calendula. Within a week I can already feel an improvement, but I’ve been on a diet for about 2 months. Sometimes you can lose 4 kg”;
• “...I eat irregularly, dry food and often eat fast food. For the last two years I have been experiencing heaviness in the stomach, heartburn and belching. She was examined for gastritis with high acidity and reflux disease. Considering that exacerbations are frequent (but not severe and I am being treated on an outpatient basis), the doctor said that I need to stick to the diet constantly. Sometimes you can expand a little and move away from it, but in general, therapeutic nutrition is assigned to me for the rest of my life. She noted that it helps well. After 2 weeks, all complaints disappear, but I still maintain proper nutrition for about two months. I can’t keep it for a long time because it’s difficult to combine it with work and I don’t have time to cook for myself separately. This is how you gradually get rid of it.”

Main symptoms of high acidity

Increased acidity occurs in the process of excessive release of hydrochloric acid, which over time leads to various diseases. The main and most common symptoms are the following:

• Heartburn is perhaps the most unpleasant part of the disease. The patient is very often bothered by attacks of severe heartburn after food enters the stomach, as well as during sleep;
• belching - generally has a bitter or sour taste, accompanied by pain in the stomach area;
• heaviness - occurs even after a small amount of food;
• diarrhea and constipation - in addition to this problem, the patient also begins to lose appetite and experiences bloating.

The main causes of high stomach acidity can be bad habits, stressful situations, an unbalanced diet, the use of certain medications and much more.

If the patient refuses to undergo proper treatment, then over time, increased acidity can develop into gastritis, ulcers, gastroduodenitis, and intestinal problems may also arise. The main cause of the development of this disease is the bacterium Helicobacter pylori, which continues to live despite exposure to hydrochloric acid. Normal acidity is between 4.5 and 7.5 pH.

You can find out an approximate diet menu for pancreatitis on our website

We will tell you how to eat if you have a duodenal ulcer in this article.

Read the causes, treatment and diet menu for heartburn here

Sample menu

You can correctly create a food menu for the week, calculate the calories in your diet, the number of which should not exceed three thousand per day. The menu looks like this:

• For the morning meal ─ steamed cottage cheese cutlets, tea with milk;
• For lunch – yogurt with fruit puree;
• For lunch - puree soup from pumpkin and carrots, steamed poultry cutlets, rice side dish, compote;
• Snack – tea with biscuits;
• For the evening meal - steamed fish, mashed potatoes, tea with marmalade for dessert;
• Before going to bed, drink a glass of milk, which helps reduce acidity levels.

You can safely prepare a steamed omelet or eggs “in a bag” for your morning meal, since protein foods are very good in dietary nutrition for people with high stomach acidity. It is useful to eat oatmeal and jelly-like dishes at least twice a week, which have an enveloping effect. Jelly and milk also have this beneficial property.

Believe me, a properly selected diet will shorten the treatment time and the number of pills taken.

Reducing acidity with folk remedies

Some traditional medicine, the positive effects of which on the patient’s body have been time-tested, will help reduce the production of hydrochloric acid and reduce the overall load on the gastrointestinal tract. They can be used as an additional treatment for high stomach acidity, but only after consultation with your doctor.

Traditional medicine to eliminate this pathology offers:

• mint tea, which actively reduces high stomach acidity, prevents stress;
• basil leaves, which have a beneficial effect on the microflora of the stomach, reduce the feeling of pain and burning;
• an infusion of yarrow and wormwood, taken in equal parts, eliminates heartburn and nausea;
• raw potato juice, taken daily on an empty stomach, significantly reduces the level of stomach acidity;
• a decoction of chamomile flowers, consumed before each meal, will help prepare the gastric mucosa for work;
• a mixture of honey and juice from crushed aloe leaves, mixed in equal quantities, will eliminate the inflammatory process in this organ;
• freshly squeezed carrot juice significantly reduces the production of sulfuric acid;
• a healthy mixture of pumpkin and sea buckthorn oils, taken a teaspoon in the morning, will have a beneficial calming effect on the gastrointestinal tract;
• A glass of clean, cool water, drunk in the morning after waking up, will relieve stomach pain by diluting the high concentration of acid formed overnight.

These simple but effective folk remedies can alleviate the condition of a patient with high stomach acidity. The action of folk remedies is based on the healing enveloping of the inflamed walls of this organ with infusions of medicinal plants and healthy products.

How dangerous is the disease?

Increased and zero acidity in the stomach can provoke the development of many negative consequences that will affect specific human organs and his general well-being.

This pathology can cause ulcerative formations on the walls of the stomach, chronic, diffuse gastritis, atrophic gastritis. The appearance of neoplasms, polyps in the gastrointestinal tract, and anemia is also possible.

High and zero acidity can subsequently develop cancer, which poses a danger to human life. To prevent the development of dangerous pathologies, timely treatment should be started.

Diet option for elevated gastric pH levels

The patient can independently create a therapeutic diet for himself based on acceptable foods. If the patient cannot combine them correctly, then he should seek help from a good nutritionist who will offer him the most optimal menu.

If you wish, you can adhere to this version of the diet menu, which is designed for one day:

• Breakfast . Steamed cottage cheese is suitable for a morning meal. They can be seasoned with low-fat sour cream. It is best to wash the dish down with warm tea.
• Snack. As a second meal tomorrow, you can eat low-fat yogurt.
• Dinner. It is best to serve oatmeal soup and steamed meatballs with carrot puree. You can also drink compote.
• Afternoon snack. You should limit yourself to weak tea with a couple of biscuits.
• Dinner. The evening meal will consist of a serving of pasta and steamed fish. He washes everything down with jelly.
• Evening snack. Before going to bed, you are allowed to eat a small baked apple.

As you can understand from the approximate menu for a person who has stomach problems, the diet is easy to make varied and tasty. To do this, it is enough to learn how to combine various products with each other, creating appetizing dishes from them.

If it is difficult for a person to give up foods that are prohibited due to high acidity, then he should try to find a healthy replacement for them. For example, sweets can be replaced with dried fruits. It is also very important to realize why you have to limit yourself so much. After all, taking care of your health should come first for everyone.