Naturopathic remedies for gastritis?

Guest blogger Dijana Djukanovic on chronic stomach inflammation, naturopathy, and which home remedies can help

Hello from Bottrop! My name is Dijana Djukanovic and I work at the reception desk alongside my colleagues Anja Bien and Annette Rinkewitz, who have been here for more than 10 years.  I am the first point of contact for patients, relatives, and interested parties – both on the phone and at the naturopathic practice – whether it’s finding an appointment, attending to guests in the waiting room, or making a stay with us at the naturopathic center as pleasant as possible in some way.

Since we always put People first, I often have conversations with patients and learn a lot about their lives and their conditions. Listening is simply something that is close to my heart. To be there, to show closeness. One condition that many tell me about is gastritis. Stress and other factors in this increasingly fast-paced life affect the stomachs of many People, sometimes even causing chronic stomach inflammation. One question comes up time and again: which remedies for gastritis really help?

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Gastric home remedies: potatoes as an effective remedy?

Although I myself do not work as a naturopath at nabo (short for ‘Naturheilzentrum Bottrop’), I have gotten many insights into naturopathy through very close exchanges with the naturopaths Farid Zitoun and Christian Rüger, as well as the entire team.

When asked about the topic of gastritis, I immediately had to think of the many home remedies that had helped me as a child when my stomach hurt. In addition to special-diet food, these were mainly things like potato juice or chamomile tea. They have been used for generations because they’ve proven their worth. Naturopathy draws its strength from precisely these traditions. The great thing is that this knowledge is now gaining importance in conventional medicine once more.  For example, I found that the effectiveness of the potato for stomach complaints could be demonstrated in a study by the University of Freiburg (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16360927).

Remedy for gastritis: green tea vs. Helicobacter pylori?

There are also chronic forms of gastritis in addition to the acute condition which is caused by stress or too much alcohol. The trigger for them is usually a bacterium called Helicobacter pylori. This bacterium can even survive in acidic gastric juice and is said to occur in almost half of all Humans. I find this thought quite disturbing, especially because you almost never hear about it, but Helicobacter pylori is responsible for many gastrointestinal diseases. There are naturopathic gastric home remedies for these conditions too.

A study by the University of Massachusetts brought the effectiveness of green tea against Helicobacter pylori to light (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19157800). It’s a very natural home remedy that is available to many People. And without any chemicals at all! However, as with all other health matters, the following also applies: the doctor or naturopath who is treating you should always have the last word.

Gastritis: naturopathy & conventional medicine go hand in hand

I think it’s great that conventional medicine is becoming more and more aware of naturopathy with regard to remedies for gastritis. The traditional knowledge of our ancestors is still relevant today and even withstands harsh scientific criteria.

During my research, I found this very interesting study, which was conducted in a collaboration between Japanese and Pakistani universities and measured the effect of various traditional Pakistani medicinal plants on Helicobacter pylori: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0378874112001493?via%3Dihub. Again, the result is: “Stomach inflammation? Naturopathy can help!” I am sure that there will be many interesting follow-up investigations here in the next few years. My hope is that naturopathy and conventional medicine will come even closer together. Ultimately, this is exactly what Naturheilzentrum Bottrop stands for.

Gastritis: always get treated by an expert

I hope you’ll also be able to take something from my findings and apply it to your own everyday life. With special-diet food, physical care, and a few simple home remedies, you’ll possibly be able achieve a lot against gastritis already. But if I may give you another tip: don’t blindly trust everything because it looks naturopathic. Instead, it’s best if you let your experienced naturopath or trusted doctor advise you. Of course, you are welcome here at nabo with Farid Zitoun, Christian Rüger and me – be it because of gastritis or something else entirely. Naturally, this also applies if you simply want to drop by for a visit and a good cup of tea.

Incidentally, if you want to experience abdominal pain of a completely different kind, i.e. because you’re doubled up with laughter, then definitely take a look at the new outtake video on the Naturheilzentrum Bottrop YouTube channel.

I would also be happy to hear from you or read your comments because I am interested in your opinion or Personal experiences. Have you already used home remedies for gastritis? And did you have any success with them? We can all participate in exchanging information and dialogue with each other.

Best regards,

Dijana Djukanovic

More about Gastritis & Home Remedies can be found in the news section on the Naturheilzentrum Bottrop website.