Can I eat onions if I have gastric ulcer? I shouldn't eat spicy food.

There are many foods that patients with gastric ulcers cannot eat, such as spicy foods, and onions are one of these foods. They should pay attention to care, avoid smoking, drinking, and maintain a good mental state. Patients with gastric ulcers should also take medication in time.

1. Do not eat onions and other irritating foods if you have gastric ulcer

Do not eat highly irritating foods. Do not eat foods that stimulate gastric acid secretion, such as broth, raw onions, raw garlic, concentrated fruit juice, coffee, wine, strong tea, etc., as well as foods that are too sweet, too sour, too salty, too hot, raw, cold, or hard. Sweets can increase gastric acid secretion, stimulate the ulcer surface and aggravate the condition; overheated food can stimulate the ulcer surface, causing pain, and even dilate the blood vessels on the ulcer surface and cause bleeding; spicy food can stimulate the ulcer surface and increase gastric acid secretion; overly cold and hard food is difficult to digest and can aggravate the condition.

2. Preventive Care

1. Smoking Smokers have a 2-fold higher incidence of ulcers than non-smokers. Smoking affects ulcer healing and can promote ulcer recurrence. The possible mechanisms are:

(1) Smoking can increase the secretion of gastric acid and pepsinogen.

(2) Smoking may inhibit the pancreas from secreting HCO3- salts, thereby weakening its ability to neutralize the acidic fluid in the bulb.

(3) Smoking can affect the closing function of the pyloric sphincter and cause bile reflux, damaging the gastric mucosal barrier; smoking can delay gastric emptying and affect the gastroduodenal motility function.

(4) Smoking can affect the synthesis of prostaglandins in the gastric and duodenal mucosa, reduce the amount of mucus and mucosal blood flow, and thus reduce the defensive function of the mucosa.

2. Diet

Beverages such as alcohol, coffee, strong tea, and Coca-Cola can stimulate increased secretion of gastric acid and easily induce ulcers. People who eat a refined, low-fiber diet have a higher incidence of ulcers than those who eat a high-fiber diet. Some people believe that foods high in residue may promote the release of epidermal growth factor or prostaglandins.

3. Mental factors

People who suffer from long-term mental stress, anxiety or mood swings are prone to ulcers. When people are under stress, it may promote the enhancement of gastric secretion and motility, increase gastric acid secretion and accelerate gastric emptying. At the same time, due to the sympathetic nerve excitement, the gastric and duodenal blood vessels contract, the mucosal blood flow decreases, and the mucosal self-defense function is weakened.

4. Medication

About 10% to 25% of patients who take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs orally for a long time will develop ulcers, among which gastric ulcers are more common. In addition to the direct stimulatory effect of drugs on the gastroduodenal mucosa, this is mainly because these drugs inhibit the activity of cyclooxygenase in the body, reducing the synthesis of prostaglandins in the mucosa and weakening the protective effect on the mucosa. Aspirin itself is fat-soluble and can penetrate the epithelial cell membrane and destroy the mucosal barrier.