Do you suffer from stomach pain? Discover which drinks can help and which can make it worse.
The stomach is the organ responsible for breaking down solid food into a kind of semi-fluid mass called ‘chyme’.
It enables the digestive process to get underway, through muscle contractions and the secretion of highly-acidic gastric juices.
A number of different ‘malfunctions’ may be responsible for your stomach pain:
Drinks containing caffeine, such as tea, coffee, yerba mate, hot chocolate, cola, guarana and energy drinks increase acid production in the stomach and can exacerbate pain.
Sources of fatty acids, especially saturated ones, tend to aggravate any inflammation of the stomach wall, which is why it’s best to avoid full fat milk.
Sugars, meanwhile, promote acidity and attack the stomach wall. So avoid fizzy and mass-produced sweetened drinks (which includes many fruit juices, especially citrus fruit and tomato juice), flavoured drinking yogurts, etc.
Alcohol, like caffeine, stimulates over-production of hydrochloric acid, and can upset the balance of the gastric mucosa over the long term.
By lowering the body’s defences and contributing to the development of lesions (1-2), it promotes the growth of Helicobacter pylori, often responsible for gastritis.
Studies have shown beer to be by far the worst alcoholic drink when it comes to stimulating acid secretion.
So it’s best not to drink it during painful episodes, and to restrict consumption more generally to no more than 2 alcoholic drinks a day.
Some people can be sensitive to certain spices (ginger or cardamom in chai, cinnamon lattes, cocktails with chili…) and should thus avoid them if they are prone to heartburn.
Dietary fibre, more specifically the soluble fibre found in vegetables, legumes and fruit, help protect the stomach lining.
Drinking vegetables juices is therefore recommended.
Some fruit juices can be drunk in moderation (opt for those made from passion fruit, pear, apricot and nectarine, high in soluble fibre).
A number of studies suggest that foods rich in antioxidants, especially flavonoids, may slow down the growth of Helicobacter pylori.
It’s therefore a good idea to choose drinks made from flavonoid-rich fruits and vegetables:
Several studies have shown vitamin A to be beneficial for inflammation of the stomach (3-4). It may therefore help to focus on drinks made from foods that contain it:
Water is obviously the ‘gold-standard’ health drink and should be drunk in large quantities (dehydration being an aggravating factor in stomach problems).
It can also be drunk in the form of herbal teas (a few cups a day), by infusing or decocting plants with potential benefits for the stomach:
Traditional home remedies typically include some of these plants which have documented effects.
Scientists have highlighted the potential of probiotics in combatting Helicobacter pylori bacteria, particularly species from the lactobacillus family (such as those featured in the formulations H. Pylori Fight & H. Pylori Fight Advanced Formula).
It’s thought they are able to co-aggregate with the bacteria responsible for gastritis and stomach pain.
Traditionally used for helping to relieve stomach problems, liquorice has recently been the subject of numerous studies designed to confirm its potential.
As a result of its glabridin content in particular (9), it is believed to stimulate mucus production in the stomach, thus boosting natural protection against the effects of gastric secretions and those of Helicobacter pylori.
Dietary supplements are particularly effective, but take care to ensure they contain deglycyrrhizinated liquorice (such as the chewable tablets DGL 500).
You can also try other natural compounds associated with providing relief from regular stomach problems, such as amla (with the product Double Amla) or pistachia lentiscus (Mastic Gum).
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