Conventional wisdom once held that, if you had an ulcer, it was because of the foods you ate. However, nowadays we know that information is false. According to UC Health, we know that foods don’t cause or heal ulcers — and that includes nuts. There’s no evidence that nuts are bad for an ulcer, which is good news for all nut lovers. In general, nuts in moderation are actually good for your health.
“In the past, it was thought that nuts were bad for digestion and could aggravate digestive diseases,” says Andrew L. Rubman, ND, a naturopathic physician and director of the Southbury Clinic for Traditional Medicines in Southbury, Connecticut. “Although some people may get indigestion from nuts, most people won’t as long as they chew them thoroughly. Nuts are worth adding to your diet for their healthy fats, oils, and proteins.”
How Nuts Can Help Ulcers
According to the Mayo Clinic, nuts are a great source of antioxidants, or nutrients that help protect your cells from damage. Eating a diet high in antioxidants can help lower your risk of developing health conditions like heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer.
However, research published in BMC Gastroenterology also shows that eating foods that contain antioxidants can help decrease your likelihood of developing a Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection. This is important because an H. pylori bacterial infection attacks the lining that protects your stomach and is a common cause of ulcers, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Therefore, eating foods with antioxidants may help lower your risk of experiencing an H. pylori infection.
Other Benefits of Nuts
Nuts have become a recommended part of people’s diets because of the general health benefits they convey. According to the Mayo Clinic, nuts have a variety of nutrients that are good for your body. In addition to antioxidants, nuts also include unsaturated fats, omega-3 fatty acids, fiber, and plant sterols.
As such, eating nuts can help reduce your risk of certain illnesses. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, the Cleveland Clinic, and the Mayo Clinic, nuts may help prevent:
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Cancer
- Gallstones
- Blood clots
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
To directly answer the question, “Can people with ulcers eat nuts?”, you may be glad to hear that it is safe to eat nuts if you have ulcers. In fact, they may even help protect against ulcers.
