Avoid meat with tough fibre, too fat meat (pork), sausage, lobster, salmon, chicken salads, mayonnaise, cucumbers, pickles, cabbage, tea, coffee and alcohol.
Four or five light meals a day are preferable to three heavy meals.
The regulation of the flow of gastric juices is constitutional. The general circulation must be forceful, the habit of deep breathing and of regular periods of complete rest of body and mind established.
Since one with chronic gastritis is liable to have many idiosyncracies, he should not be urged to eat foods for which he has a dislike. The easily digested foods should be prepared in various ways and served in an appetizing, dainty manner.
There are four special phases of chronic gastritis, Mucous Gastritis, Hyperchlorhydria, Hypochlorhydria and Achlorhydria.
In Mucous Gastritis there is a profuse secretion of mucus into the stomach. In this case it is always well to wash out the stomach before introducing food, as suggested above.
The same general diet, suggested above for acute gastritis, should be followed.
Hyperchlorhydria. The condition known as Hyperchlorhydria shows a liberal excess of hydrochloric acid. The condition is common, and is brought on by worry, nervous excitement, eating when overtired, irregularity of food, imperfect mastication and excessive use of alcohol. The diet should be a mixed one, in about normal proportions. If anything, it should incline more to proteins than to starches. The hydrochloric acid is necessary for the digestion of proteins. It reduces the protein to acid albumin, which is less irritating to the stomach. However the proteins are stimulating to the stomach and the protein proportion should not be carried to excess.
The juice of one-fourth of a lemon taken one half hour before the meal will decrease the secretion of hydrochloric acid into the stomach.
Limewater and milk may constitute the diet for two days; alkaline, effervescing mineral water may be used and then the diet should follow the general principles for chronic gastritis. Avoid all irritating foods.