Milk is bad for gastritis Gastritis refers to a variety of diseases that take place in the stomach, which will involve, at least, inflammation in its lining. There are many factors that can contribute to the appearance of this disease, such as excessive alcoholic beverages, bacterial infections in the stomach, etc.
We will probably agree that gastritis suppresses appetite, as occurs in several diseases. We don’t want to eat, and, at most, we only want to consume things that are as light as possible.. If you are thinking about drinking a glass of milk to treat your gastritis, it is important that you value the information that you will find in the next sections.
Milk is bad for gastritis
What can cause gastritis?. Gastritis can be caused by different agents and/or situations. Among the most common, we will find:
- Stress: In reality, stress can trigger hundreds of diseases, and gastritis is one of these.
- Infection due to advanced age: With the passage of time, the walls of the stomach become thinner, which translates into greater susceptibility to infections and regressions of its walls. This is why many patients with gastritis tend to be people of significantly advanced age.
- Consumption of analgesics: It happens that these compounds can compromise substances responsible for protecting the walls of the stomach. This can occur both in cases of regular administration or excessive administration.
- Infections: Some bacterial infections can affect some people more than others. The former usually present gastritis, a susceptibility that can be considered hereditary or produced by the patient’s life history.
In any of these cases, arthritis destroys the walls of the stomach with abnormal amounts of gastric acid, which can cause, in addition to inflammation, stomach ulcers, occurring in the most critical cases. Understanding this point is key to knowing how milk can affect this condition.
Drink milk for gastritis
The first thing we can highlight about the consumption of milk is that both it and other low-fat dairy products, specifically semi-skimmed ones, tend to mitigate gastric acid, which protects the walls of the stomach during gastritis. But it doesn’t all end here, since it is also known today that milk can also stimulate the production of stomach acid.
So, does milk mitigate or increase gastric acid? Although it may be a bit impatient, the answer is: both. It happens that milk, at first, is capable of reducing gastric acid levels, but this will only be a matter of time before you experience the typical stomach pains again.
A study carried out in 1976 confirmed that milk increased gastric acid. This conclusion was obtained by completely emptying the stomach of 2 test subjects, who would subsequently receive a certain amount of milk.
After just one hour, the contents of their stomachs were extracted, finding that they had higher acid levels than the subjects initially had. In this sense, milk may not be the perfect resource to treat gastritis.
Why does milk produce this effect?
Questions arise about milk and gastric acid stimulation. At first, it was thought that it was its calcium content, which was responsible for increasing the levels of acid secretion in the stomach. However, calcium was later discarded.
Instead, a better candidate was found, a protein called casein. This is because it produces and stimulates gastrin, a hormone responsible for the production of gastric acid through the activation of parietal cells (located in the abdominal wall), responsible for the secretion of acid in the stomach.
Relieve the pain, but not the illness
Milk can act quickly against gastritis, relieving stomach pain. Although this will only be a matter of time, since, as we have observed, its effects lie in the stimulation of stomach acid, so the results could be much more harmful for the patient respectively.
This does not rule out its great contributions of calcium to the body. It is important to pay attention to the cases of gastritis explained in the previous experiment, where it is observed that milk is not the most effective resource for regulating gastric acid. Above all, if there are stomach ulcers, the patient may find it more difficult to recover.
Alternative options to milk for gastritis
We can enjoy varieties of milk, which will not give us the same flavor, but we will be more sure that there will be no further damage to our stomach. Among the most accessible options, we will find:
- Soy milk: Which is obtained from soy seeds, thus being of plant origin. It is highly recommended for people with lactose intolerance, with great nutritional contributions.
- Almond milk: It does not have bad cholesterol, and, thanks to its effective absorption, it facilitates digestion, ideal for patients with gastritis.
- Skim milk: Do not confuse with semi-skimmed milk. Although this is not the most ideal option, it is more convenient compared to whole milk.
The patient can consult with a specialist doctor, who can recommend some dairy products for his diet. Thus, you will find a healthy food regimen that, at the same time, can meet your nutritional needs.
Another important element is frequency. Although these derivatives will not present the same effects as typical milk, it is important to regulate intake, since excesses, even if they are dairy plant derivatives, could also cause harm to the patient with gastritis. This is another point to consult with the specialist doctor.
Yes, milk can be harmful for gastritis
As we have discovered, the consumption of milk can negatively affect the patient with gastritis. Although you may feel some relief in a short time, after 1 or 2 hours you may notice greater complications. Therefore, it is important to be cautious with the consumption, not only of dairy products, but of any category of food that may be harmful for gastritis.
External resources: Is milk bad for gastritis
References: healthgrades; healthifyme; Wikipedia
Read also: Milk is bad for the liver; Milk and uric acid; Is milk high in cholesterol?
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