7 Home Remedies for Ulcers: Natural Herbs and Treatments

Stomach pain, bloating, heartburn … the discomfort of opens in a new windowulcer symptoms is no joke! If you’d like to try some simple home remedies for ulcers, here are seven to help soothe the fires within.

If you’re experiencing severe ulcer symptoms such as vomiting, dark bloody or tarry stool, faintness, trouble breating, appetite changes, or unexplained weight loss, it’s important to seek help from a medical professional.

Onions

Stock up on opens in a new windowonions! They might give you gas, but they also prevent the growth of ulcer-causing bacteria that can increase your risk of gastritis (stomach inflammation) and, over time, lead to stomach cancer. Add sliced onion to salads and sandwiches, or toss them into stir-fries, fajitas, and pastas—just avoid frying, which can upset your stomach.

RELATED: opens in a new windowWhat Are Stomach Ulcers?

Yogurt

Everyone’s wild for yogurt these days, and for good reason: Most opens in a new windowyogurts contain active cultures, lactobacillus and bifidobacterium, that can help digestion by balancing out bad bacteria with good bacteria. If you’re on antibiotics, these yogurts can be especially helpful: They replenish the good bacteria that your meds have eliminated from your body, preventing diarrhea.

Castor oil compress

Calm a painful ulcer with a castor oil “pack” applied to your abdomen. Castor oil can reduce inflammation, relieve pain, and heal tissues beneath the skin, and a compress is easy and inexpensive to make. Place a towel in castor oil until completely saturated. Squeeze to remove any extra liquid and avoid dripping. Cover the painful area on your abdomen, then top with a dry towel and a hot-water bottle for added pressure. Leave the pack on for up to one hour.

Cabbage

Although it’s not the flashiest opens in a new windowvegetable, cabbage offers some amazing ulcer-healing abilities: It helps protect the lining of the stomach and intestines and wards off the bacteria that cause ulcers. Try to eat two cups of raw cabbage every day (coleslaw, anyone?), or consider making a super-potent juice: Four cups of cabbage juice per day has been shown to heal peptic ulcers in less than a week! Choose fresh green cabbages for an optimal ulcer cure.

Aloe juice

You might use aloe vera gel for sunburns and other skin problems, but did you know that the plant’s juice can work its soothing magic on your inflamed stomach lining too? Pick up some juice at your local health-food store or drugstore, and drink a few sips before each meal and at night. Aloe juice will relieve ulcer pain and promote healing.

Garlic

Garlic is one of the world’s most effective and universal natural cures—and it can help prevent and heal stomach ulcers! If you can stand the strong taste, eat two cloves of raw garlic every day to control levels of the H. pylori bacteria in your gut. You can also chop up fresh garlic and add two tablespoons of raw, unprocessed honey. The benefits of honey are not limited to taste: Its antibacterial powers will double-team those nasty bad guys in your gut!

Tea

By now, you should know that coffee will irritate an already-existing ulcer. But not so for opens in a new windowtea! In fact, peppermint and chamomile teas are anti-inflammatories that can soothe your ulcer pain and encourage healing. Brew your tea and allow it to cool until just warm—too hot and you’ll irritate your ulcer. Stir in some opens in a new windowraw honey for its antibacterial qualities as well as for its sweet flavor.

opens in a new windowPeppermint can worsen gastroesophageal reflux (or GERD) symptoms, so steer clear of peppermint tea, oil, or other peppermint flavorings if you have this condition.

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