Ulcers

Ulcers are raw sores in the upper gastrointestinal tract that can have many causes including excess stomach acid, smoking, alcohol, coffee, stress, certain drugs like aspirin and anti-inflammatories, heredity, food allergies, and lack of certain nutrients from poor eating habits. Symptoms include chronic pain in the stomach that feels deep, burning, aching and gnawing. Pain may ease right after eating but comes right back and increases when stressed or after drinking coffee or alcohol.  Other symptoms include blood in the stool, recurrent upper abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, loss of energy, lower back pain, headaches, choking sensation, and itching.

Striving to deal with and avoid stress where possible and having good nutrition and gut health can help prevent ulcers from forming.

• Consume whole foods and clean up the diet if necessary.

• Avoid sugar, processed food, fried food, black tea, coffee, chocolate, animal fats, carbonated drink, alcohol, and any trigger foods.

• Incorporate stress relieving techniques

• Eating frequent, small meals of softer foods can ease the pain. 

• Stomach-soothing tea: Mix equal parts of dried chamomile, calendula, meadowsweet and slippery elm.  To make a cup of tea add 3 tablespoons of tea mix to 3 cups boiling water and steep for 10 minutes.  Sip frequently throughout the day.

• Stress-Relief Tea for mind and ulcer healing: 3 parts milky green top oats, 1 part licorice root, 1 part marsh mallow, 1 part purslane or chickweed.

• ​Dr. Christopher's Soothing Digestion formula

• Bananas

• Dark green leafy vegetables

• Red pepper

• Pineapple

• Blueberries

• Cabbage

• Cultured foods

• Blackstrap molasses

• Raw honey

• Ghee

• Anti-ulcer Fruit Cocktail: Cut up bananas and pineapple in a bowl, add blueberries and season generously with cinnamon, cloves and fresh ginger. Sprinkle with raw honey and stir well. 

• Fresh cabbage juice, two or three times a day. Drink immediately after juicing.

​Incorporate immune strengthening, demulcent and emollient (soothing, mucilaginous) herbs. Studies show that more than 75% of people with ulcers show a bacterial infection so using some herbal antibiotics can also be useful. 

• Demulcent herbs

• Antibiotic herbs

• Aloe vera

• Calendula

• Chamomile

• Comfrey

• Horsetail

• Marshmallow

• Plantain

• Purslane

• Ginger

• Garlic

• Licorice

• Meadowsweet

• Slippery elm

• Turmeric

Apply over the stomach with a hot compress, massage oil and add to bath water.

• Frankincense

• Chamomile

• Myrrh

• Bergamot

• Cinnamon bark

• Clove

• Lemon

• Oregano

• Rose

• Thyme

• Vetiver

• Worrying over details

• Conflict as to capability

• Frustration at not having things go the way you want

• Pressures are too much to bear

• Feelings of anxiety, fear or tension

• Seeking revenge

• Conflict

• Feelings of helplessness

• Feeling powerless

• Feeling you are not good enough

• What is eating away at you?