Must people with gastric ulcers avoid red meat ?

Question

Is it true that red meat makes gastric ulcers worse ? Should ulcer patients stick to fish and chicken ?

Answer 1

You can have your red meat but skip that glass of red wine....(alcohol)
Also avoid spicy food, caffeine, smoking and stress.

Answer 2

Red meat doesn't worsen peptic ulcers (gastric & duodenal ulcers are known collectively as peptic ulcers) as long as it's lean. Meat with a lot of fat could have an adverse effect. It's the fat.

Since you mentioned fish, you may have come across encouragement to eat fish. "Oily" fish are recommended, such as salmon, mackeral, sardines and herring, because they have a high content of Omega-3 fatty acids which trigger the body's formation of prostaglandins, compounds that protect the gastric lining (and the entire GI tract) from forming new ulcers.

Incidentally, ulcers are caused by bacteria, not foods. Certain foods irritate existing ulcers but don't cause them.

FYI - Plant matter is more difficult for the body to digest than meat.

Answer 3

Yes it's true and yes you should avoid it. Red meat is hard for the body to digest. It stays in the stomach longer and makes your stomach produce more gastric acid to break it down. This can make your stomach ulcers worse. You should stick to fish if you can.. chicken is a good alternative. Just make sure you chew your food very well.. the bigger the pieces that you swallow the harder your stomach has to work to digest. .