Ruchie, glad to hear you have an answer at least.
I have a book by Dr John Briffa, a doctor in London with a special interest in immunology and nutrition. He says:
Although for many years ulcers were thought to be caused by stress or an excess of fatty foods, in fact, many ulcers seem to be caused by a bacterium known as 'Helicobacter pylori', and the possibility of this should be discussed with your doctor.
The lining of the gut is shielded from potentially damaging digestive secretions by a coating of protective mucus. An ulcer is a raw area in the wall of the intestine where this protective mechanism has broken down.
There is a great deal you can do to help healing through your diet. All spicy foods/irritants/acid forming foods should be avoided. A high fibre diet will help to prevent ulcers recurring so choose more gentle forms of fibre such as oats, brown rice, fruits and veggies.
Cabbage juice (yuk!) is very effective at healing ulcers. You'll need a juicer to make this, and may feel great relief within days - no need to down lots of it - just sip the juice regularly through the day, and it can be made quite diluted if you don't like the taste.
Vitamin A can be beneficial in healing ulcers, as it enhances tissue healing (discuss with your doctor if you have any history of kidney stones/problems). Don't take more than 10,000IU a day if you're pregant or planning pregnancy.
Zinc promotes tissue healing.
DGL (Deglycyrrhizinated licorice) is a compound which has been shown to be about as effecive as conventional drugs in healing ulcers. Take doses 15 minutes before meals and 1-2 hours before bedtime.
Your diet should be very gentle until the ulcer is healed - puree, mash and well cook your food. (Basically, the IBS diet looks very good for ulcer healing too!)
Hope some of this helps and you're feeling better soon.
Sorry for this v long post!
Shellsbells
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Ruchie - re ulcers...
