Are seeds harmful if they have high acidity? Is it possible to eat sunflower seeds if you have gastritis? The effect of seeds on the stomach
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Sunflower seeds are a popular and incredibly healthy treat for adults and children.
The vitamins and microelements contained in them support the functioning of the immune system, help lower cholesterol levels, and increase the production of the “joy hormone” - serotonin.
But there are a number of diseases in which they can do more harm than good. One of the diseases in which significant attention is paid to diet is gastritis.
Is it possible to eat seeds for gastritis? Since pumpkin is also included in the diet menu for gastrointestinal diseases, is it also possible to have pumpkin seeds?
When can you eat seeds for gastritis?
Pumpkin is really very healthy; its pulp and seeds contain many substances essential for the body: antioxidants, fatty acids, vitamins, iron, magnesium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, selenium, zinc.
By consuming pumpkin seeds regularly, you can strengthen your immune system, improve the functioning of your cardiovascular system, and improve digestion.
But you should not abuse them; for a noticeable effect, 50 grams per day is enough. People with weak intestines should be especially careful; all pumpkin dishes have laxative properties.
Sunflower seeds, which contain proteins, healthy acids, unsaturated fats, vitamins, and microelements, are no less useful.
They contain vitamin PP (nicotinic acid), which helps in the treatment of such serious diseases as dementia and schizophrenia.
Nicotinic acid is involved in protein metabolism, hormone synthesis, and intracellular processes.
Despite all their benefits, seeds can be harmful for diseases of the digestive organs. It is not recommended to use them for stones in the liver and gall bladder, pancreatitis, gastritis.
The therapeutic diet of patients with similar pathologies is based on pureed food, and coarse seed particles can injure the inflamed mucous membrane.
In addition, for gastritis with high acidity, pumpkin seeds contribute to an increase in the level of acid in the stomach, which will cause heartburn attacks.
There is an opinion that sunflower seeds help cope with heartburn. Is it so?
For a short time they can really help, but later with gastritis with high acidity they will only do harm and slow down treatment.
For heartburn, you can use flax seeds, jelly and a decoction of them acts as an enveloping agent, helping to eliminate heartburn and relieve stomach pain.
Seeds for acute and chronic gastritis
Acute gastritis occurs at least once in almost every person’s life.
It is caused by various reasons: overeating, poor-quality or spoiled food, poisoning, failure to comply with hygiene rules, and intestinal pathogens entering the body.
The disease begins with a dull pain in the solar plexus, then the pain increases, nausea and vomiting appear, and the temperature may rise to 38-38.5 degrees.
At this time, pumpkin and other seeds are strictly prohibited, even in small quantities.
The prognosis for acute gastritis is most often favorable; following all the necessary recommendations for treatment and diet, the patient soon returns to his previous diet.
Many foods that were banned during illness are returning to the diet.
If the gastroenterologist allows you to cancel the diet, you can gradually introduce pumpkin and sunflower seeds into the daily menu, but do this very carefully, starting to eat a few pieces a day.
But gastritis often takes on a chronic form. The patient may not experience any symptoms for some time, but any errors in food, stress, or infectious diseases provoke exacerbations with symptoms similar to acute gastritis.
Exacerbations can also be seasonal, occurring more often in spring and autumn.
During these periods, the patient follows a strict diet; he can only eat pureed soups, viscous porridges, boiled vegetables and low-fat dairy products.
Eating any seeds can cause great harm to the stomach, especially with gastritis with high acidity.
During remission, the list of permitted foods expands; you can eat lean meat dishes, weak chicken and vegetable broths, eggs, and fruits.
If the patient's condition allows, pumpkin seeds in limited quantities will not harm him. They can be added to cereals, salads, and baked goods, which are acceptable for gastritis with high acidity.
As for sunflower seeds, restrictions are not lifted from them, since their consumption can cause an exacerbation of the disease.
According to some data, one glass of fried seeds contains as much fat as a double portion of pork kebab, and all fatty foods are excluded from the diet of a patient with gastritis with high acidity, even during remission.
In addition, sunflower seeds from the supermarket can be dangerous due to the substance they contain - benzopyrene, which is carcinogenic and can cause cancer and mutations at the gene level.
Continuous exposure of benzopyrene to the body will expose future generations to complex genetic problems.
Pumpkin seeds do not contain large amounts of fat, so they are allowed even for pancreatitis, although inflammation of the pancreas requires adherence to a very strict diet, which is not canceled even during periods of absence of symptoms of the disease.
Among the traditional medicine recipes there is a remedy made from pumpkin seeds, used for pancreatitis: make a powder from dried seeds, add boiled water to obtain a homogeneous mass.
If your doctor allows you to eat honey, you can add a little to the resulting pulp. Take one teaspoon before meals.
When consuming sunflower and pumpkin seeds, you should follow some rules so as not to harm the body:
- It is undesirable to eat them raw and fried; the best option is slightly dried in the oven or in the sun;
- do not consume too much; if you have gastritis with high acidity, the seeds will cause aggravation - pain, bloating, heartburn;
- you cannot eat on an empty stomach due to the large amount of fat in the composition;
- Hulled seeds quickly oxidize even in packaging and lose their beneficial properties, so you only need to buy a natural product and it’s better to do this on the market;
- seeds should not be eaten at the same time with milk, such a combination can cause diarrhea;
- You can add various seeds, including flax and sesame seeds, to porridges, salads, yoghurts, kefir; it is better to grind them before use so that coarse particles do not injure the stomach when gastritis is aggravated.
When using this or that advice from the Internet, you must remember that each person is individual and what helps one may harm another.
Therefore, when using any medications or nutritional recommendations, it is a good idea to get a doctor’s opinion.
Useful video
Gastritis. A word that for many sounds worse than a sentence: after all, such a diagnosis means that now for a long period of life the patient will have to follow the daily routine, be attentive to the medication regimen prescribed by the doctor, and many other restrictions.
What seeds can be consumed for gastritis?At the same time, avoiding this diagnosis in our age is not easy. No matter how much doctors argue whether it is possible to get gastritis without the participation of the Helicobacter pylori bacterium, the existence of which science learned not so long ago, in fact for an ordinary person it does not matter at all. Another thing is important: as a rule, with an active lifestyle, gastritis occurs in approximately two-thirds of the population. For some, later, when the body’s strength reserves are depleted, and for others, at school or even preschool age.
So, the diagnosis has been made: what to do?
After the diagnosis is made and the diet given, too many questions remain. After all, what do the nutritional rules given by a doctor usually look like?
Therapeutic Diet No. 1 makes the following recommendations.
- Food is allowed to be consumed either raw (those products that allow this), or dishes that are thermally processed in one of the following ways are recommended: boiled in water, steamed and baked, but without hard crusts. Fried foods are prohibited.
- Salt should ideally be excluded, but can be left in very small quantities.
- No “extreme” temperatures. Too cold, too hot is not allowed.
- Meals should be fractional.
- Allowed: soups with low-fat broth, fish, poultry or lean animal meat, dairy products, eggs.
- Prohibited: flour, pork and other similar meats, cheeses, all kinds of hot and salty seasonings, sauces, and many vegetables.
Not a very complete list, right? Many products are not mentioned in either the permitted or prohibited list. The question of whether this or that product can be eaten arises in every second patient. One of these products is seeds.
Talking about seeds
A favorite product of many people is sunflower seeds. There are real fans of these seeds who crack them all day long, there are those who just sometimes like to nibble on them in good company, and the question for them remains open: is it possible to eat seeds for gastritis or will you have to give up your favorite treat? Since seeds are different, it is advisable to break this question into several sub-points and consider each separately.
Sunflower seeds
So, probably the most popular image that appears before your eyes is sunflower seeds. The same ones that are so comfortable to hang out in good company, chatting about this and that. Gastroenterologists sadly shake their heads at this question: no, sunflower is one of the foods that are difficult for the stomach. Its grains are difficult to digest and irritate an already inflamed stomach.
The seeds will injure the mucous membrane, which is damaged as a result of a more aggressive environment than expected. Small ulcers will be additionally scratched by hard grains, and the more there are, the more difficult this situation will be tolerated by the gastrointestinal tract. Moreover, there is a possibility that the acidity due to the seeds will increase even more.
Eating seeds after the exacerbation is relieved is also not recommended. It would seem that the stomach no longer bothers me, even minor manifestations of malaise have passed. What's the matter? But the fact is that remission does not mean recovery. There are no symptoms, but the processes of destruction, which have subsided, are ready to begin again - you just have to break the diet and allow weakness. This helps gastritis.
So how can we manage without treats now? Try replacing the seeds with one of the following products.
- Walnut tree fruits (nuts). Consumption of up to one hundred grams per day is allowed.
- Peanuts, however, are fattier, so the portion from the previous nuts should be halved.
- Cedar fruits (nuts), in the same quantities as peanuts.
And even these permitted foods can only be eaten during the period of remission! Any other nuts or sunflower seeds will cause aggravation! If you have gastritis or pancreatitis, you should not eat them! Despite the fact that the answer to the question of whether it is possible to eat sunflower seeds with gastritis seems to have been received and it is unambiguous, it should be remembered that not just sunflowers alone...
Pumpkin seeds for gastritis
After all, the source of seeds can be not only sunflower, but also pumpkin! Good news for all lovers of this useful product, as well as for those who are looking for a replacement after the previous point. Pumpkin, any products based on it, as well as pumpkin seeds are allowed on therapeutic diet No. 1!
If the acidity in your stomach is high, then pumpkin seeds will actively participate in its normalization. If you have constipation as a result of poor digestion of food, pumpkin seeds will help normalize your stool. Pumpkin seeds for gastritis and pancreatitis are allowed without any special restrictions on volume (of course, within reasonable limits), eat for your health!
Zucchini
Despite the fact that the article about seeds could have been completed at the previous point, it is worth considering one more product to fully disclose the issue. Namely, zucchini and squash caviar. In principle, caviar for gastritis can be eaten in any form. Including squash. It has a good effect on the gastrointestinal tract, has an enveloping effect, softens inflammation of the stomach and intestines, and normalizes stool. In addition, it increases metabolism, which helps normalize weight.
You can eat zucchini during remission, which, in turn, can increase its duration. It is important to remember that thermal processing methods, which also work here: zucchini for gastritis can only be eaten boiled, stewed or baked. It is forbidden to fry it or eat it with mayonnaise or other forbidden sauce.
And finally
Not only those who suffer from gastritis or other gastrointestinal diseases, but also absolutely healthy people, in the framework of this article should be warned against one non-obvious product.
Many of you, when eating fruit, do not spit out the seeds, but swallow them, believing that they will pass through “in transit” and will not cause harm. This is wrong. Each seed of a cherry, apricot, plum and even an apple carries a small (very small) dose of hydrocyanic acid. It is dangerous for the human body. Completely unnoticed by yourself, it is possible to eat such a quantity of them that, under certain circumstances, will lead to hospitalization.
Moreover, eating apple seeds in a gastritis patient in remission can cause an exacerbation. If you have problems with the gastrointestinal tract, do not eat the seeds, spit them out, throw away the cores of apples, pears and other fruits.
During antigastritis therapy, in addition to taking medications, patients are prescribed a strict nutrition program. Many people like to chew seeds or seeds, but they have a rough structure, so they can injure the inflamed mucous membrane. So is it possible to eat seeds with a pathology such as gastritis or not? What recommendations do gastroenterologists give?
Is it possible to eat seeds if you have gastritis?
In the presence of gastrointestinal pathologies, patients need to limit their diet to exclusively gentle products, which cannot be classified as seeds.
This product has an irritating effect, so its use may exacerbate the pathological process and provoke burning discomfort and pain symptoms in the epigastrium.
Some people think quite the opposite, that the seeds are incredibly useful for gastritis sufferers. But do not forget that with this disease the mucous membrane is inflamed and irritated, and the seeds only intensify the pathological symptoms.
If you have hyperacid gastritis, it is better to avoid eating pumpkin seeds, because this product increases hydrochloric acid secretion, increasing the already high acidity, which leads to painful heartburn. If inflammation of the mucous membranes is accompanied by a hypoacid environment, then pumpkin seeds can be eaten without exceeding the permissible norms, i.e. 50 g/day.
Sunflower
Sunflower seeds are considered the most common seeds. They have been known in Russian culture for quite a long time.
- The seeds are rich in microelements vital for patients. Just 70 g of seeds can meet your daily requirement for vitamin E.
- In addition, the seeds contain a lot of vitamins and tanning components, trace elements and minerals.
- The seeds are also rich in elements that have a beneficial effect on hormonal synthesis and take part in metabolic processes.
- Also, the components of the seeds help eliminate myocardial pathologies and dementia, and prevent the development of schizophrenia and depression.
To prevent the seeds from causing harm, they should be eaten when the secretion of hydrochloric acid secretion is reduced, provided that gastritis is in a state of stable remission. You are allowed to eat no more than 50 g of seeds per day.
Linen
The seed rightly deserves all the praise. They are successfully used in their pure form or in oil form in the complex therapy of many digestive pathologies. They are rich in vitamins, fats and organic acids, useful for lesions of the gastric mucosa.
If you eat flax seeds in crushed form, they envelop the gastric mucous membranes, protecting them from the negative effects of hydrochloric acid secretions, as well as rough food.
For any gastritis, you can consume 100 g of flaxseed raw or prepare infusions or decoctions based on these seeds. You can simply pour boiling water (0.5 l) over a large spoonful of seeds and leave in a thermos overnight. The next day, the resulting infusion is consumed ¼-½ glass before each meal.
You can also eat flax seeds during pregnancy, because they will protect against the aggressive effects of acid and also speed up healing.
For gastritis, you can eat flaxseeds after meals, but not more than 50 g per day, and consumption in the form of decoctions will help eliminate inflammatory processes and speed up recovery.
Fried
Roasted seeds practically do not lose their healing properties. They help improve digestion, and some patients note that the product helps get rid of an uncomfortable burning sensation in the epigastric region.
It is useful for people to remove in peaceful ways, and sunflower seeds are an ideal remedy for this. Therefore, it is not forbidden to consume fried sunflower seeds, but we must not forget about the permissible daily allowances.
As for pumpkin seeds, it is better not to eat them fried, not only for patients with gastritis, but also for relatively healthy people.
Therefore, it is better for gastritis sufferers to eat them exclusively fresh and in strictly limited quantities. For pumpkin seeds, the daily norm is 50 g.
How to use it correctly?
If during exacerbations it is prohibited to eat seeds, then during stable remission, gastroenterologists are not so categorical and allow patients to indulge in seeds from time to time.
There are several ways to use seeds sparingly, in which they will not harm the stomach walls.
- Crush the seeds into a paste and sprinkle them on cottage cheese, yogurt or porridge.
- Do not consume seeds in quantities exceeding 50 g.
- Eat seeds after jelly or liquid oatmeal. These products have an enveloping property, due to which the negative effect on the walls of the stomach is practically reduced to zero.
- If you have gastritis, you should never eat seeds on an empty stomach.
Seeds are great stress relievers, so don’t give them up.
When choosing seeds, you need to be careful and not buy them in stores, where the product often contains prohibitive amounts of benzopyrene. This is an extremely dangerous carcinogenic substance that can lead to gene mutation.
It’s better to buy them from trusted people or grow them yourself in the country. It is necessary to follow medical instructions so as not to accidentally harm the stomach, then eating pumpkin or sunflower seeds will only bring benefits and pleasure.
For gastritis, the diet involves excluding everything fatty, fried, spicy, smoked from the menu, giving up fast food and sweets. Instead, healthy and easily digestible foods are introduced into the menu. What about seeds? When consumed in moderation, they do not harm the body, but, on the contrary, enrich it with vitamins and microelements. But how safe is this product for a stomach with inflamed mucosa? We will answer this question in the article. Below you will read whether you can eat seeds with gastritis and in what quantity, and also find out who will have to give up this product.
Is it possible to eat seeds if you have gastritis?
Doctors are divided on whether sunflower seeds can be consumed by people suffering from gastritis. Some believe that the seeds are too heavy for an inflamed stomach, and digesting them is an impossible task for it. This means that by eating sunflower seeds, you can worsen your own health and delay recovery.
Other experts believe that seeds have a beneficial effect on the body as a whole due to their composition.
What are the benefits of seeds?
Sunflower seeds are a “folk” snack that perfectly satisfies the feeling of hunger and allows you to pass the time. As a rule, they are included in the diet as a separate, independent product. They are eaten instead of a snack. High nutritional value is not the only advantage of seeds. They contain fats that are healthy for the body, and there is no cholesterol in their composition at all.
The vitamin and mineral composition of the product is very rich:
- vitamin E: it is necessary for skin elasticity, hair health, good memory, functioning of the cardiovascular system (to cover 100% of the daily tocopherol requirement, it is enough to eat about 80 grams of sunflower seeds);
- B vitamins: ensure optimal functioning of the nervous system, are responsible for healthy sleep, affect the condition of the skin, hair and nails;
- vitamin D: it is needed to maintain beautiful skin, for the health of mucous membranes and maintain their acid-base balance;
- vitamin F: protects nerve fibers and cell membranes from destruction, prevents the development of heart attack and atherosclerosis;
- vitamin A: participates in many metabolic processes, is necessary for strong bones, tooth enamel, is responsible for light perception, fights free radicals, improves the functioning of the heart and blood vessels;
- phosphorus: regulates the body’s water balance, makes bones strong, reduces the likelihood of fractures due to falls and bruises, helps absorb calcium;
- potassium: needed for the functioning of the most basic organs - the heart and brain, maintains normal blood pressure, ensures the removal of excess fluid from the body;
- magnesium: necessary for the normal functioning of the nervous system; its deficiency increases the level of anxiety and irritability;
- iron: responsible for maintaining an optimal level of hemoglobin in the blood, necessary for the constant supply of oxygen to the muscles, including the heart;
- selenium: needed for good immunity, participates in metabolic processes in the body;
- zinc: accelerates the healing process of wounds, reduces inflammatory processes, is needed for the full functioning of the brain and nervous system;
- chromium: helps convert fat into muscle, increases muscle tone, regulates the functioning of the thyroid gland.
Speaking about the effect on the digestive tract, it is worth saying that the oils that make up the seeds have an enveloping and healing effect on the gastric mucosa. This allows you to speed up the process of repairing damage to it.
Another positive property of seeds is their ability to eliminate heartburn. People suffering from gastroenterological diseases often feel a burning sensation in the chest, especially after eating. By eating a handful of seeds, you can get rid of the unpleasant feeling in just a few minutes. Once in the stomach, the seeds neutralize hydrochloric acid in the gastric juice, which provides a beneficial effect on heartburn.
How can seeds harm you?
Despite all their beneficial properties, fried seeds can be harmful for gastritis. It is strictly forbidden to use the product during acute gastritis and during exacerbation of the chronic form of the disease. It is especially dangerous to consume seeds for acute gastritis with high acidity.
Coarse pieces of seeds, when passing through the esophagus, can injure its mucous membrane, and when they enter the stomach, they lead to irritation of its walls. In addition, if the seeds are not properly cleaned from the husk, its particles may enter the stomach, which will negatively affect its functioning.
Important! If, after consuming the seeds, discomfort in the stomach, nausea, heartburn, belching or other dyspeptic disorders appears, the product should be discarded.
Seeds are a high-calorie product. 100 grams of seeds contain more than 600 kcal. Sitting in front of the TV with a glass of seeds can significantly increase the total number of calories consumed per day. Regular use of the product will lead to weight gain, which should stop people who are already suffering from excessive weight.
What seeds can you eat if you have gastritis?
During the remission stage of gastritis, you can expand your diet by adding safe foods. Doctors continue to debate about the safety of seeds, so this product should not be rushed into the menu. If you really want to pop some seeds, you need to limit yourself to a few seeds, and it is recommended to eat them after the main meal, but under no circumstances on an empty stomach. This will minimize possible harm to the product.
Experts speak of 50 grams of seeds as a relatively safe portion of the product for patients with gastritis. However, it is worth starting with half of this amount and observing the body’s reaction.
Tip: To reduce the likelihood of stomach harm, the seeds should be chewed thoroughly before swallowing. This will facilitate the process of their digestion in the stomach.
To get the benefits of sunflower seeds, you can use a simple recipe:
- 100 grams of seeds are ground in a coffee grinder to flour;
- add 2 tablespoons of liquid honey to it;
- mix the components thoroughly;
- transfer the resulting mixture into a glass jar;
- You can eat no more than 2 teaspoons of treats daily.
In addition to sunflower seeds, pumpkin and flax seeds are often eaten. It is difficult to say how safe these products are for gastritis. On the one hand, pumpkin seeds contain useful substances that the body needs to fight gastritis to fight the disease. On the other hand, they are also a solid product that can damage the gastric mucosa.
Important! Pumpkin seeds have a laxative effect, so they are not recommended for people suffering from frequent diarrhea and intestinal problems.
Flaxseeds have a more gentle effect on the stomach. But it is recommended to use them internally after germination. It is especially useful to drink jelly made from flax seeds. To prepare it, pour 2 tablespoons of seeds into a glass of boiling water and leave overnight to infuse. In the morning, the liquid is filtered through cheesecloth, and the finished drink is drunk in portions throughout the day.
One of the dangers of seeds is the risk of overeating. Many admit that once they eat a handful of seeds, it is difficult to stop. Unbeknownst to yourself, you can eat much more than the intended portion. In large quantities, seeds will negatively affect the stomach, their digestion can be very difficult, cramps, attacks of pain, and nausea will appear.
Seeds are a healthy product with high nutritional value and rich composition. However, they need to be included in the diet in small quantities even for people with a healthy stomach, and those who suffer from gastritis should under no circumstances “lean on” the seeds. Remember the measure!