Gastritis is an unpleasant digestive condition often causing issues like severe abdominal pain, bloating, indigestion, and nausea. Since it is a result of bacterial infections, antibiotics are considered the safest approach to deal with it. However, you might not know but some dietary choices can help you ease your symptoms too.
Some certain foods and beverages aggravate the condition for you while some work well for your gastric health. So, you should be very careful to investigate before eating and drinking anything. Because sometimes the simplest food items can cause great trouble.
To help you a little, this article explores whether apple juice is good for gastritis or not. Let’s find out.
How does Apple Juice Work for Gastritis?
The pH of the apple juice is estimated to be 3.67 which is very acidic. So, if you have an already irritated stomach lining, apple juice might work like adding fuel to a fire.
Yes, you’ve got it right. Apple juice might not be a good option to consume if you have gastritis or acid reflux. But that doesn’t mean you’ve to give up on this.
We’ve got you some tricks that can help you enjoy your apple juice even during gastritis.
6 Tricks to Consume Apple Juice during Gastritis
1)Add more water to your juice
The acidity of apple juice can be alleviated if you add more water and fewer apples to your juice. In simpler words, dilute juices might not cause as much harm as a concentrated one can. However, we still recommend you to consume a very little quantity at first and then see if it works or not. If it does, you can slowly increase the intake but be very careful.
2) Use less acidic apples
The type of apples you are using to make juice also matters. For best results, we recommend you use less acidic apples for making juice. It is typically said that green apples are very acidic as compared to red, mature ones. So, the latter may work well for your stomach.
Also, it is often said that Iranian apples are the most stomach-friendly. They are usually rich in fiber and pectin and thus protect your stomach lining by absorbing excessive acid. So, how about making juice out of them?
Remember to start with a very low quantity and proceed only in case of safer outcomes.
3)Turn your juice into a smoothie
This can be a great idea for satisfying your apple juice cravings and keeping your gastritis-affected stomach healthy.
You can modify your juice into a smoothie by adding some fruits that are easy to digest and relieve stomach inflammation. Avocados can be a good option. Various scientific studies have also found that avocado extracts inhibit the development of ulcers along the gastric lining and thus don’t let your mucosa damage.
So, now the next time you want to have apple juice, try it with avocados mixed within. You might not have to dilute it this way. Avocados will make up for the acidity of apples.
If you don’t like avocados, feel free to choose any other option which doesn’t affect your stomach.
Can you eat whole apples in gastritis?
Whole apples have a different scenario compared to apple juice. They have flavonoids with a strong antioxidant effect. Thus, they are associated with inhibiting the growth of Helicobacter pylori i.e. the causative agent behind gastritis and many stomach ulcers. Also, they are high in fiber and thus are considered beneficial for gut flora.
However, make sure you choose more alkaline and matured species to avoid any inconvenience.
Is apple cider vinegar good for gastritis?
As we are discussing apples and their related products, how can we forget about apple cider vinegar?
Apple cider vinegar is a vinegar made after apple juice is subjected to fermentation. The apples are first squeezed to get the juice out which is then fermented to make cider vinegar. It is usually used as a popular ingredient in salads and dressings but also offers various health-related benefits.
With respect to gastritis, apple cider vinegar is considered a helpful choice as it eases the condition by keeping inflammation at bay.
Moreover, apple cider vinegar enhances gastrointestinal health, boosts vitality, fights fungus, and lowers triglyceride levels. It aids in food digestion, boosts the stomach lining’s immunity, and avoids inflammation.
Also, it is abundant in many necessary vitamins and minerals that aid in calming an upset stomach and preventing gastritis. Healthy bacteria will be able to grow in the digestive tract because the cider vinegar balances the pH levels.
Neutralize before consuming
Many foods and health experts don’t recommend consuming cider vinegar as it is. It is because its acidic content can be harmful and thus should be neutralized. There are some simple ways to do that. Here are they.
- Dilute it with water. Water, being neutral, will lessen its acidic content. One tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to a glass of water is often a recommended quantity.
- You can add honey to it. 1 tablespoon of honey and 1 tablespoon of cider vinegar in a glass of water would be perfect. Honey will also work to enhance the taste of the apple cider vinegar which is usually very sharp and sour.
- Baking soda can be another good option to neutralize the acidic nature of cider vinegar. 1 tablespoon of baking and apple cider vinegar in a cup of warm water can serve you well.
Final thoughts
Gastritis is one of the most sensitive digestive issues which has affected a lot of people around the world. If you have it, you need to be very careful with what you eat. Acidic foods might aggravate the situation for you so it is always wise to check out the pH of food before consuming it.
Considering apple juice, it is a little dangerous to consume as explained above. However, there are some ways to still include it in your diet without disturbing your stomach; just like the ones we got you above!