Since ancient times, humanity has used honey for stomach ulcers. This bee product has unique beneficial properties. It nourishes the body with essential substances and has a positive effect on the gastrointestinal tract, eliminating nausea, pain, heartburn, and lowering acidity. The main thing in treatment is to follow the rules and recommendations for use, and the use of honey together with medicinal herbs only enhances the effectiveness of its use and promises a quick recovery.
The effect of honey on the stomach for ulcers
Stomach and duodenal ulcers are quite common. According to statistics, the first disease occurs in 5% of the world's inhabitants, the second - in 10%. The mechanism of the disease is similar: it is a lesion of the mucous membrane of the organ. The action of gastric secretions leads to trophic disorders in this area. Unlike ordinary erosion, the ulcer heals with the formation of a scar.
Peptic ulcer disease often takes a chronic form. After healing of the main lesions, the disease worsens under the influence of external and internal factors - poor diet, stress. New ulcers do not always appear, but the patient experiences almost all the symptoms of an acute attack: abdominal pain, especially when the stomach is empty, nausea, severe heartburn. Bleeding is possible, especially if the duodenum is affected.
Ulcer
With an ulcer, the patient must follow a strict diet. But there are products that act as medicines. One of them is honey. The bee product enhances the motility of the vest and duodenum, improves digestion and promotes rapid tissue regeneration.
Honey can be very useful for stomach ulcers. This is due to the composition of the bee product:
- carbohydrates – fructose, glucose, disaccharides. Carbohydrates do not affect the functioning of the stomach; they are digested in the small intestine;
- natural enzymes – participate in the process of breaking down complex carbohydrates and improve digestion;
- vitamins and mineral components are preserved for decades. These substances accelerate tissue regeneration and restore normal metabolism;
- honey includes more than 200 essential oils and aromatic compounds. Many of them are catalysts for cellular processes.
Ulcers of the stomach and duodenum are treated only with natural honey. An artificial one will not bring any benefit.
Natural honey
Honey for the stomach and intestines: benefits and harms
Does honey heal the stomach? Can you use honey for gastritis and stomach ulcers? Due to the high content of microelements that have a positive effect on the functioning of the digestive tract, honey is not only useful, but is an indispensable product for problems with the gastrointestinal tract.
Numerous studies show that bee honey:
- improves digestion processes and regulates appetite;
- stimulates the natural processes of tissue epithelization (healing of wounds, erosions, ulcers);
- relieves heartburn, relieves inflammation and attacks of pain;
- has an antimicrobial effect;
- improves intestinal motility, eliminates spasms, constipation, flatulence;
- restores intestinal microflora, treats dysbacteriosis;
- increases hemoglobin levels;
- relieves nervous excitability, improves mood, restores healthy sleep.
The harmful properties of honey are associated with its contraindications.
Why you should eat honey for ulcers
Such a rich biochemical composition turns a tasty delicacy into a medicinal product. Honey for stomach ulcers has the following effects.
- Ulcers are lesions of the mucous membrane. Honey collection restores the integrity of the mucous membrane in case of microdamage, reduces inflammation and creates conditions for the regeneration of erosions and ulcers.
- Retention of a food bolus in the stomach or upper intestine provokes digestive disorders: food does not have time to leave a certain part of the tract and is exposed to the wrong secretion. In simple cases, this provokes flatulence and bloating, but in peptic ulcers it causes a violation of the integrity of the mucous membrane and the appearance of erosions.
- Honey, thanks to the food enzymes in its composition, improves digestion, the food bolus moves along the tract without delay.
- Bee collection has a pronounced analgesic effect. Ulcers cause severe abdominal pain. With constant use of small doses of honey, the discomfort disappears.
- Ulcers prevent the stomach from contracting. The collection reduces inflammation and organ motility is restored.
Features of treatment
In order for honey to be beneficial for stomach ulcers, you must follow certain recommendations.
- Honey collection is consumed with tea, water, milk. A common misconception is that it should be eaten with a hot drink. This is wrong. At temperatures above +50 C, food enzymes die, which deprives the composition of half the benefits.
- How to take honey depends on the acidity of the stomach. To treat ulcers with high acidity, the product is dissolved in tea at +50–60 C, since in this case it reduces acidity. At low levels, add to a drink with a temperature no higher than +30 C.
- Honey for stomach ulcers is a remedy. Consuming more than 100 g of product per day is prohibited. Half the dose should be eaten at lunch. If there are no accompanying diseases, it is eaten on an empty stomach: 1 hour before meals or 2 hours after meals. You can use the collection with tea at night.
- Whether honey can be used for stomach ulcers depends on the individual’s sensitivity to the components of the product. This is a strong allergen. Before starting treatment, you need to find out what product the patient can consume and what quantity is acceptable for him. Therapy is started with small doses - no more than a teaspoon, and the reaction is observed. Not all peptic ulcer patients respond positively to the product.
- For stomach diseases, you must follow a diet. If it involves calorie restrictions, you need to carefully calculate the dose, since this is a very high-calorie product.
- Different varieties have slightly different chemical compositions. Chestnut, linden, and heather are used to treat ulcers.
No matter what beneficial qualities honey collection has, it can be included in the diet only after consultation with a treating specialist. The combination of an ulcer with some other disorders precludes its use.
Cautions
Honey is a highly allergenic product. Considering the high prevalence of polynoses, and all types of honey contain plant pollen, patients suffering from intolerance to any herbs should be careful. Even if you have consumed honey before, there is no guarantee that today or in 2 months you will not develop an allergy.
What are the signs of an allergy to honey?
- Itching in the mouth, sore throat immediately after drinking honey;
- Digestive disorders, namely loose stools;
- The appearance of urticaria: itchy, red rashes that rise above the surface of the skin, appearing for a period of 2 hours to a day.
Tip: May honey is considered the least allergenic. Try using it in folk recipes if you notice intolerance to other varieties.
It is prohibited to use folk recipes based on honey for patients with diabetes mellitus, atopic dermatitis and bronchial asthma due to allergies.
What kind of honey should I take?
All varieties have a certain healing effect. Which honey is useful for stomach ulcers depends on the composition of the variety:
- Buckwheat is the richest in iron. Recommended for recovery after bleeding. The shade is dark, the taste and aroma are specific. Buckwheat harvest reduces acidity;
- acacia - a transparent, light golden mixture, it contains a lot of fructose. Very sweet, lasts a long time in liquid form. It is a strong anti-inflammatory agent. The collection helps restore the mucous membrane;
- chestnut – stimulates the functioning of the stomach, intestines, kidneys, has a pronounced diuretic and decongestant effect. It has a weak odor, and the taste contains a spicy bitterness. The collection is effective against inflammation;
- Sunflower is beneficial due to its high content of provitamin A. The golden-yellow composition has an excellent taste and aroma. Effective as an anti-inflammatory agent, accelerates tissue regeneration;
- A rather exotic option is fireweed honey. Transparent, with a greenish tint, the composition crystallizes after a few months, turns white and becomes similar to lard. Fireweed collection is an enveloping and anti-inflammatory agent and is effective for ulcers.
Buckwheat honey
Acacia honey
Chestnut honey
Sunflower honey
Fireweed honey
Whether you can eat other varieties depends on preference. Linden is no less effective as an anti-inflammatory agent.
Healthy variation of sweet dessert
Before deciding on such treatment, a person must make sure that there are no negative effects on the body. If the product does not cause an allergic reaction, it can be safely used either fresh or in combination with other medicines, herbs, and tinctures. To avoid counterfeiting, you need to go for honey not to a hypermarket, but to a trusted and certified beekeeper who will not pass off artificial sweetness as natural.
There are many different varieties of the product, but the most useful are 3:
The first version of honey tends to quickly crystallize and spoil. It is odorless and practically insoluble in water. The color palette may vary between white and yellow. The consistency is thick. Folk recipes use this variety to remove toxins and heavy metal compounds in case of poisoning. Sweets are taken by patients who want to jump-start their metabolism, which occurs due to the large amount of B vitamins.
- relieves emotional tension, stress and depression;
- establishes the balance of cholesterol levels in the blood;
- normalizes the functioning of the central nervous system;
- stimulates the production of gastric juice;
- relieves symptoms of irritability and fatigue;
- eliminates the feeling of nausea;
- fills with energy.
Cornflower honey can be easily recognized by its light golden hue and distinct smell. This is a very expensive variety, because recently it is rare to find a field completely sown with cornflowers. The taste is sharp, sweetish, but there is a slight bitterness. The composition contains fructose, glucose and vitamins, proteins. The cornflower variety is used in the treatment of various diseases, because honey and stomach ulcers go well together due to the anti-inflammatory, choleretic and diuretic, wound-healing effect of the former.
A slightly minty, fresh and persistent smell is the hallmark of the linden variety with various shades of golden color. This is one of the most medicinal variations of a bee product, which even after crystallization does not lose its qualities. Due to the huge amount of beneficial enzymes, this variety is used in the treatment of colds and inflammatory diseases.
Advantages and possibilities of honey:
- removes the inflammatory process;
- helps reduce temperature;
- increases the level of human defenses;
- copes with a large number of bacteria.
The linden variety of bee product is useful for gastritis and other pathologies of the digestive tract.
Folk recipes
Honey has long been used to treat ulcers. Many simple and complex recipes will help get rid of discomfort in the stomach, nausea, belching, and heartburn. The drugs can be used both for exacerbation and for prevention.
Medicinal teas with honey
The most popular treatment option is medicinal tea. It is prepared in different ways:
- A tablespoon of rose hips is poured into 500 ml of boiling water. Infuse the tea for 15 minutes, add a tablespoon of acacia or buckwheat extract to a warm drink and drink ½ cup after meals;
- for low acidity, this option is useful: ½ tablespoon of rose hips and a teaspoon of fresh plantain juice are poured into 500 ml of water. The liquid is heated in a water bath for 15 minutes. After cooling, add a tablespoon of honey. You need to drink ¼ cup three times a day;
- Mint-linden tea is very tasty. Mix linden flowers, flax seeds, licorice root and peppermint leaves in equal parts. Pour 2 teaspoons of herbal mixture into a glass of boiling water and leave for 15 minutes. The tea is filtered and a teaspoon of honey is dissolved in it. The drink is drunk three times a day for 2 months.
To get a healing effect, you can add the product to any tea.
Tea with honey
Berry and herbal infusions
Decoctions of medicinal herbs enhance the effect of honey. Choose those plants and berries that do not stimulate gastric secretion or have an enveloping effect.
- Add a tablespoon of marsh cudweed and honey to a glass of boiling water and leave for 30 minutes. Drink the decoction three times a day: with low acidity 2 hours before meals, with high acidity - 2 hours after meals.
- Collection with chamomile is effective. This plant is the first remedy for inflammation of the mucous membrane. 10 g of dried flowers are poured into a glass of boiling water and left in a thermos for 3 hours. The broth is filtered, a teaspoon of honey is added and drunk before meals.
- A more complex recipe includes 3 parts chamomile and clover, 1 part wormwood, 5 parts calendula. 2 teaspoons of the mixture are brewed with boiling water and kept covered for 20 minutes. The liquid is filtered, a teaspoon of bee product is dissolved in it and 50 ml is taken 15 minutes before meals.
The collection is added to any berry decoction: rose hips, hawthorn, raspberries, black currants. The drink is drunk after meals.
Berry decoction and honey
Wine-honey mixture
For chronic gastritis, a combination of honey and red wine is recommended. Take the drug during the period of seasonal exacerbation - in spring and autumn.
2 cups of young aloe leaves are cut into pieces and mixed with a glass of liquid honey. Infuse the composition for 2 days in a dark, dry place. Then add a glass of red wine and take 1 tablespoon three times a day. Course – 2 months. Store the medicine in the refrigerator.
What can you use honey with?
The product goes well with almost any fruit, milk, cottage cheese, porridge, bread. For honey to be beneficial, it should only be added to cold and warm foods and drinks. The collection contained in a sauce or pudding does not contain food enzymes or vitamins.
Honey in cottage cheese
Honey for porridge
Honey with bread
Things to remember
Honey collection is the best auxiliary remedy for acute and chronic peptic ulcers. But when using it in therapy, you need to remember some circumstances.
- The gastroenterologist decides whether honey collection can be eaten. This is especially true for recipes that include wine, lemon, ginger and other irritating foods.
- For some diseases, you can eat honey in very limited quantities - for diabetes, allergic dermatitis.
- No matter how effective a bee product may seem, it cannot be the only means of therapy. Medicines are needed to treat ulcers.
- Honey is a medicinal product. It cannot be used uncontrollably.
Contraindications
Any treatment of duodenal and gastric ulcers, gastritis and other diseases with bee nectar is excluded in the presence of such concomitant diseases as:
- Diabetes mellitus, regardless of type.
- Vivid manifestations of allergic reactions.
- Atopic dermatitis.
- Bronchial asthma, which is accompanied by an allergic component.
Taking into account all the given recipes and application features, you can achieve good results in the course of treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. But it is worth considering that it is not recommended to neglect the medications prescribed by the doctor. In addition, all folk recipes can be effectively combined with other types of medicines.