Everyone loves avocados for their creamy, buttery texture, mildly nutty taste, and nutrient-dense nature. Salads, egg dishes, baked dishes, soups, sandwiches, and curries can all benefit from this ingredient. In addition, it also makes sweet dishes more appealing.
Although avocado can be cooked in a wide variety of ways, its consumption must be reviewed when suffering from a stomach disorder, particularly gastritis.
Our main concern is also about, is avocado good for gastritis?
Avocados are not suitable for use with gastritis. In fact, its consumption can even aggravate gastritis symptoms. Avocados contain a high amount of fat and calories, making digestion difficult. As a result, peptic acid production is further increased and gastritis is worsened.
Here’s everything you need to know about it.
Table of Content
The pH Factor of Avocado: Is Avocado Acidic or Alkaline?
There is often confusion about, is avocado is acidic or basic. Avocado is slightly acidic in nature. Its pH ranges from 6.3 to 6.6.
Acidic substances have pH values below 7—the smaller the pH value, the stronger the acidity. Further, those substances whose pH value is above 7 are considered alkaline or basic.
Avocado has a pH value much closer to 7. This shows avocados to be closer to neutral than acidic. The avocado’s acidity is due to ascorbic acid, pantothenic acid, and some amino acids.
Let’s have a look at different avocado products.
| Product | pH value |
| Avocado-Raw | 6.3-6.6 |
| Avocado-Oil | 7.5 |
| Avocado-Juice | 4.2-4.48 |
Is Avocado Good for Gastritis?
There is often a question about, is avocado okay with gastritis. What do you think? Even if an avocado is too acidic then can you have avocado with gastritis?
Avocados are not a good choice for gastritis. There are a lot of calories and fatty acids in avocados. A stomach can never be healthy when it is filled with fats or excess calories.
Furthermore, avocado’s high-calorie content makes digestion difficult. Increasing the workload of the stomach can aggravate gastritis symptoms. Poor digestion of these calories can worsen the inflammation of the stomach linings. It can even lead to gastric ulcers.
Moreover, avocados contain fatty acids that can stimulate the lower esophageal sphincter to stay open at all times. This allows the backflow of peptic acid and fatty acid into the esophagus. This can further result in upper stomach and esophagus inflammation.
Is Avocado Good for Acute Gastritis?
The high fat and calorie content of avocados can cause acute gastritis to become chronic. Gastritis is an inflammation of the stomach lining. In this case, it is necessary to relax and comfort the stomach by eating low-calorie food. This will allow the inflammation of the linings to heal.
In contrast, eating high-calorie foods will trigger our stomach to work above its capacity. This further leads to increased inflammation.
Is Avocado Good for Gut Bacteria?
Avocados are rich in fatty acids. The fatty acids are the only source of carbon and energy for bacteria in the gut. In addition, avocados contain sufficient amounts of dietary fiber. These fibers provide a substrate for increasing the number of gut bacteria.
Further, large and healthy growth of microbes has been observed in the intestinal tracts of avocado-eating people. These microbes produce metabolites that boost the health of the intestines.
Is Avocado Good for Acid Reflux?
There are a few common questions about avocados. Like, can avocado cause acid reflux? Can avocado cause heartburn? Many people think it is healthy food for acid reflux because of its low acidity. But, is it true?
Avocados are not suitable for acid reflux. The fatty acid present in avocados aggravates gastric acid production. Additionally, avocado stimulates the release of a hormone that keeps the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) loosely open. As a result, stomach acid backflows into the esophagus, causing heartburn, chest pain, and irritated burping.
Moreover, the high caloric content in avocado makes its digestion difficult and slow. The slow emptying of the stomach also aggravates the symptoms of acid reflux by increasing the stomach workload.
Also, they also contain abundant amounts of vitamin C. In fact, this amount is quite sufficient to irritate the stomach. This further worsens the acid reflux symptoms.
Is Avocado Good for You?
Avocados provide a substantial amount of monounsaturated fatty acids and are rich in vitamins and minerals. You can get a number of benefits by adding avocado to your diet in various ways. Avocado health benefits are as follows:
Rich In Nutrients
Avocados are rich in calories, dietary fibers, and vitamin C. Also, they offer a combination of other essential minerals, including potassium, magnesium, and calcium. The nutritional value of avocado is listed below:
| Nutrients | Amount (in 100 grams of avocado) |
| Number of calories | 160 |
| Fats | 14.7 g |
| Carbohydrates | 9 g |
| Protein | 2 g |
| Vitamin C | 10 mg |
| Vitamin B-6 | 0.3 mg |
| Potassium | 485 mg |
| Magnesium | 29 mg |
| Iron | 0.6 mg |
| Calcium | 12 mg |
| Sodium | 7 mg |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg |
Maintain Cardiovascular Health
Beta-sitosterol, a plant sterol similar in structure to cholesterol, is present in considerable amounts in avocados. There are 76 milligrams of beta-sitosterol per 100 grams of avocado. In the blood, good HDL cholesterol is maintained through the consumption of plant sterols, including beta-sitosterol. Further, this prevents the heart from a number of diseases including heart stroke.
Improves Vision
Lutein and zeaxanthin, two phytochemicals needed for healthy vision are present in avocados. These phytochemicals provide protection to the eyes by reducing the damage due to UV light.
Additionally, avocados are also rich in monounsaturated fatty acids that help absorb fat-soluble antioxidants, such as beta-carotene. Thus, beta-carotene improves vision by maintaining the health of the cornea.
Prevent Cancer
Antioxidants, folate, carotenoids, and phytochemicals present in avocados prevent the body from developing cancer. As a result, these substances reduce the risk of peptic, colonic, pancreatic, and cervical cancers.
Suppresses Depression
Avocados contain a sufficient amount of folate. A substance called homocysteine has been shown to be reduced in the body when folate is present. Excess homocysteine in the body can cause cognitive dysfunction, stress, depression, confusion, and hormonal changes that disturb sleep and appetite.
Aids Digestion
Avocados contain a large amount of fiber, which contributes to healthy digestion. An adequate amount of fiber prevents constipation, bloating, indigestion, and abdominal cramps.
Avocado Side Effects
Avocados are generally considered safe for consumption due to their neutral nature. In excess, avocado consumption can also cause complications, just as any other food can. The following are some of the most common avocado side effects:
- Avocados are very high in calories. Consumption of avocados can result in weight gain. Avocados have high levels of fatty acids. This can lead to fat accumulation in the body.
- They are rich in fibers. It will cause you to feel full without even consuming enough nutrients. The result can be a high caloric intake that leaves your body deficient in other nutrients.
- In avocados, there are small chain carbohydrates known as polyols. Polyols appear to have laxative-like effects. Those who are intolerant of these sugars can trigger allergic reactions.
- Avocados contain substantial amounts of saturated fatty acids as well. The consumption of these fatty acids can result in disorders such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
Conclusion
Avocado is the perfect partner for every dish because of its rich, creamy texture and fresh taste. But when it comes to gastritis, the foremost question that comes to mind is, is avocado good for gastritis?
The high caloric content and fatty nature of avocados make them unsuitable for people with gastritis. You can, however, consume a small amount of it with your normal diet.
FAQs
Let’s figure out some frequently asked questions on avocado and gastritis effect.
Can I Eat Avocado During Gastritis?
Answer: No, it is usually not recommended to take avocado with gastritis. Due to its high caloric and fatty content, avocado increases the metabolic load of the stomach. Avocado is also hard to digest. Inflammation of the stomach lining can be worsened by it.
Is Avocado Good for Gastric Ulcers?
Answer: No, avocado is not good for gastric ulcers. The fatty acids in avocados can aggravate the production of gastric acid in the stomach. Thus, worsening the peptic ulcer. Further, the high calories in avocados are difficult to digest. This slows down the emptying of the stomach, increasing the acid production in the stomach.
What Foods Worsen Gastritis?
Answer: When you have gastritis, you should avoid spicy, fatty, fried, processed, and acidic foods. A person with gastritis should avoid tomatoes, citrus, grapes, oranges, carbonated drinks, alcohol, coffee, tea, chocolate, peppermint, midnight snacks, etc.
What Foods Help Soothe Gastritis?
Answer: With gastritis, broccoli, beans, bananas, kiwi, sprouts, ginger melon, oatmeal, yogurt, lettuce, celery, and sweet pepper are typically recommended. A diet low in fat, non-fried, and organic is always appropriate for a person suffering from gastritis.
