An ulcer is a wound or erosion in the lower portion of the food pipe, stomach, or duodenum. A gastric ulcer occurs when the natural resistance of the stomach tissues towards acids and the digestive juices decreases. Usually, there is a pain in the middle of the chest after having a meal because the food irritates the ulcer, therefore one tends to avoid eating. In a duodenal ulcer, there is increased acid secretion in the stomach, which trickles down into the duodenum and erodes it. This condition occurs on an empty stomach and so one prefers to overeat. In Ayurveda, a gastric ulcer is known as annadravshool. Annadrava means ‘assimilated food’, and shool means ‘pain’, i.e., ‘pain that arises when the food is eaten’. The duodenal ulcer is known as parinaamshool: parinaam refers to the ‘post-digestive fluid’, so parinamshool is the ‘pain (shool) occurring after the final stage of digestion in the stomach’.

Natural Home Remedies for Stomach Ulcers:

• Have 1 glassful of cold milk with a pinch of green cardamom powder and 1 teaspoon powdered rock candy (or unrefined sugar), 3-4 times a day or whenever there is a pain.
• Take 1 teaspoon of Indian gooseberry (amla; amalaki) powder with a ½ teaspoon of powdered rock candy (or unrefined sugar) twice a day on an empty stomach.
• Mix 1 teaspoon of roasted barley flour into 1 glassful of water. Add 1 teaspoon of powdered rock candy (or unrefined sugar). Have this 3-4 times a day.

Diet and Lifestyle:

• Have light and easily digestible food.
• Use whole-wheat flour, brown rice or parboiled rice, cow’s milk, coconut water, and barley water.
• Avoid heavy, dry, penetrating, spicy, and sour foods. Avoid fish, mustard oil, mustard seeds, pulses, rice, tea, coffee, and alcohol.
• Avoid waking up late in the night, sitting under the sun, and fasting.