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(Health Secrets) If you have a painful burning or gnawing feeling in the stomach, you are not alone. Millions of Americans develop stomach ulcers every year. Pain from these small holes or sores can last from half an hour up to three hours. Usually, the pain occurs in the upper abdomen, but may sometimes occur below the breastbone. Fortunately, there are several natural remedies which can heal and soothe stomach ulcers without the risks and side effects that come from using mainstream drugs.
Appetite and weight loss are also common symptoms of ulcers. Other symptoms that may occur include recurrent vomiting, black stool, blood in the stool and anemia.
Often ulcer pain is misinterpreted as heartburn, indigestion or hunger. A person with duodenal ulcers may experience weight gain due to eating more in an effort to ease discomfort.
Also known as peptic ulcers, stomach ulcers are caused by the destruction of the gastric or intestinal mucosal lining of the stomach by hydrochloric acid, an acid normally present in the digestive juices of the stomach. Infection from the bacterium Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is thought to play an important role in causing both gastric and duodenal ulcers. H. pylori may be transmitted from one person to another through contaminated food and water.
Chronic use of anti-inflammatory medications such as aspirin is another major cause of ulcers. Cigarette smoking is an important cause of ulcer formation and can contribute to ulcer treatment failure.
Following are some of the best natural remedies for healing and soothing stomach ulcers. Choose the interventions that fit into your lifestyle:
* One of the very best home remedies for ulcers is eating fresh raw cabbage. Juicing the raw cabbage will make it easier to take, and mixing it with carrots in the juicer will make it better tasting. Drink half a cup before each meal and at bedtime. Your ulcer may be gone in only a few weeks.
* Eat at least three bananas a day. These fruits contain an antibacterial substance that inhibits the growth of ulcer-causing H. pylori. Studies show that animals fed bananas have a thicker stomach wall and greater stomach mucus that helps build a barrier between digestive acids and the lining of the stomach. Eating plantains is also helpful.
* Cayenne pepper is wonderful for healing ulcers as well as dulling the pain. It is a bit strong and may take some getting used to at the outset. Start with one-eighth teaspoon of cayenne pepper in a glass of water twice a day and work up to a quarter-teaspoon. You can also take cayenne capsules available at health food stores. Take three a day immediately after meals.
* The bark of slippery elm soothes the mucous membranes that line the stomach and duodenum. It is often taken in powdered form. Some herbalists recommend taking a teaspoon of powdered slippery elm bark added to one cup of warm water three times a day.
* Colloidal silver helps kill the H. pylori bacteria and helps heal injured stomach tissues.
* Raw honey soothes and reduces inflammation of the lining of the stomach and is good for healing as well.
* Garlic’s antibacterial properties include fighting H. pylori. Take two small crushed cloves a day.
* Plums and other red and purple colored foods such as berries inhibit the growth of H. pylori.
* Coconut oil kills the bacteria that cause ulcers and gas, but it’s mostly a long-term remedy.
A few other good ulcer remedies are: raw goats’ milk, barley water, aloe juice, bee propolis capsules, licorice root and marshmallow root.
For more information:
http://www.mamashealth.com/Stomach.asp
http://www.treelight.com/health/nutrition/CoconutOil.html
http://health.howstuffworks.com/home-remedies-for-ulcers2.htm
http://www.tbyil.com/Ulcers.htm
