Is it possible to drink cocoa if you have gastritis with high acidity?

Beneficial features

The beneficial properties of cocoa depend on the dosage of the drink. Let's consider the advantages of the drink.

Source of good mood

It has long been noted that a cup of cocoa improves mood and improves body tone. The effect of cocoa is explained by the presence of phenylethylamine in the composition. The substance is a natural antidepressant. Even a small amount of drink gives you energy.

Energy production is facilitated by the calorie content of cocoa. For people with decreased tone or increased stress, the drink is irreplaceable.

Chemical composition

The drink contains useful substances:

The product is rich in folic acid, which has a beneficial effect on blood composition and is beneficial for pregnant women.
The melanin contained in cocoa helps normalize the sleep and wakefulness phases and increases the body's defenses. The substance protects human skin from ultraviolet radiation.
Procyanidin heals skin and hair. It is not without reason that cocoa is used in the manufacture of cosmetics.
Cocoa butter heals wounds and relieves inflammation. Doctors recommend consuming a small amount of the product for ulcers or gastritis.

Cocoa is useful to take for hypertension; the drink lowers blood pressure.

Benefits of cocoa

Cocoa is a pretty healthy drink. It includes:

proteins – protein is a building material that promotes the healing of the gastric mucosa during ulcers and erosions;
melanin – stimulates the body’s defenses, improves sleep, prevents the development of skin diseases;
procyanidin – improves the condition of hair and skin;
antioxidants – prevent the development of cancer, stimulate the secretion of hydrochloric acid;
folic acid – essential for women’s health, improves blood composition;
phenylethylamine – improves mood by stimulating endorphin secretion;
bioactive substances – improve blood fluidity, prevent blood clots, lower blood pressure;
phenethylamine – increases body tone;
cocokhil – improves the condition of the stomach during gastritis, accelerates the regenerative process.

Cocoa is allowed for gastritis due to its great benefits for the body. It helps improve digestion, stimulates the production of gastric juice, and restores the condition of the mucous membrane. Consuming cocoa is especially beneficial for low stomach acidity.

If the level of hydrochloric acid is high, taking it in large quantities can lead to pain, nausea and heartburn. Only a doctor can determine exactly whether you can drink cocoa for gastritis and in what quantities after diagnosing the disease.

Harmful properties of cocoa

Contraindications to the use of cocoa come from the individual characteristics of the person.

The harm from cocoa is due to the increased content of purines in the chemical composition. The elements bring more benefit to the human body than harm. Purines break down proteins in the body and participate in DNA synthesis. For a number of people, their increased amount in the body results in inflammatory processes in the joints, ultimately leading to gout. It is not recommended to drink cocoa for people prone to joint syndromes or suffering from excess uric acid in the body.
When purchasing cocoa in a store, pay attention to the manufacturer and the quality of the product. On the market, along with natural cocoa powder, a soluble version is offered. This product contains a lot of dyes and flavorings that are not beneficial.
In a number of tropical countries, cocoa trees are treated with pesticides and chemical fertilizers. To exterminate insect pests, the fruits are subjected to radio irradiation. Before purchasing, it is better to clarify how the cocoa powder is made.
The product causes allergic reactions due to essential oils and organic acids with a complex chemical structure.
Excessive consumption leads to excessive stimulation of the nerves, nervousness, increased excitability, negatively affecting the gastrointestinal tract.

Tips and tricks

In recent years, gastritis has become much younger. Now it is diagnosed even in primary schoolchildren. Poor nutrition “on the run”, abuse of fast food, chips, carbonated drinks, stress, nervous exhaustion give rise to a disease that can “take over” the patient in one day. How to protect yourself and your loved ones from this insidious disease?

Wash your hands before eating. This rule, which we have been instilled in since childhood, was not invented in vain. Often gastritis develops against the background of an infection that has entered the body.
Maintain good food hygiene. Wash fresh vegetables and fruits thoroughly, fry and boil meat and fish well, use only clean utensils for cooking. Don't eat food that has expired.
Eat rationally. The ratio of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals in the daily diet should be balanced. Maintain equal time intervals between meals. Eliminate “unhealthy” foods from your diet: chips, soda, fast food. Don't overeat or eat on the run.
Get rid of bad habits. Alcohol and tobacco are dangerous not only for the stomach, but also for the entire body. Nowadays a healthy lifestyle is in fashion. Don't let bad habits control you!
Monitor your body's reaction to medications. Some tablets, suspensions or drops may irritate the stomach wall. If this happens, consult a doctor who will cancel or replace the “aggressive” medicine.
Don't overwork yourself. Severe nervous or physical exhaustion provokes not only gastritis, but also other diseases.
Do not be nervous. Try to protect your peace of mind: don’t get involved in conflicts, don’t worry about nonsense, and in general, try to look at the world positively. Stress weakens the immune system and other important body functions.

On our website: Cucumbers and tomatoes for gastritis - is it possible?

We also recommend watching a video about the benefits of cocoa:

Buying cocoa

It is not even the plant product itself that can cause harm to the body, but the conditions of cultivation and processing. According to research results, cocoa powder produced in China is of low quality. Trees of this type do not grow in China: local entrepreneurs purchase fruits of dubious quality in southern countries and process them in poor conditions.

When purchasing powder in a store, carefully study the information on the packaging - country of origin, expiration date and composition.

Cons of chocolate drink

Cocoa has many advantages, but despite the benefits, the drink has disadvantages. Basically, the negative impact of the drink is associated with the individual functioning of the gastrointestinal tract in a patient with gastritis.

Before adding hot chocolate to the diet, the patient must undergo a full examination so that the doctor can understand the entire clinical picture of the disease.

The drink is contraindicated in the following categories of patients:

People with inflammatory joint diseases,
There are diseases that cause excess uric acid,
Superficial gastritis.

Purine in cocoa, on the one hand, has a positive effect on the body and promotes the absorption of proteins and participates in the formation of deoxyribonucleic acid. But, on the other hand, the substance has a depressing effect on the condition of the patient who suffers from inflammatory diseases of the joints. Constant consumption of cocoa leads to complications, the patient develops gout.

People with gastritis should treat the instant product with caution. Stores offer instant cocoa that does not require cooking. 90% of instant drinks contain practically no cocoa beans. In the first place are the components: dyes, thickeners, sugar, flavorings. An artificial drink will harm a sore stomach and provoke another attack of acute pain. Even a healthy body is not always able to absorb artificial components.

Before purchasing cocoa powder, pay attention to the composition of the product and the country of manufacture. Try to purchase cocoa from producers in the countries where the chocolate tree grows: Latin America, Africa, Thailand

The powder is purchased in China, and various flavorings and coloring components are added to its composition. This makes the product cheaper, but its quality leaves much to be desired.

The big disadvantages include the treatment of cocoa beans from insects. In hot countries, large cockroaches settle on chocolate trees and during harvesting, the insects end up in the finished product. Chitin in insects can cause a severe allergy attack in humans. Various pesticides are used to control pests, which are not always permitted in our country. At the end of 2000, high-frequency radio rays were used to combat insects in Latin America and equator Africa. Drinking cocoa made from such beans is not only contraindicated for gastritis, but also dangerous for a healthy person.

It is safer to buy a product from a domestic manufacturer that has been tested and approved by the Ministry of Health. Among the well-known manufacturers are: Cargill, Dukat, Nestlé Russia, Rot Front, Cocoa Product. The average price for a pack of 100 g starts from 70 rubles.

How to prepare cocoa for gastritis

For gastritis, it is allowed to consume cocoa if the disease is not in an acute stage. Features of use are shown below.

If you have gastritis, you should drink cocoa infrequently, in moderation.
It is healthier to brew cocoa with milk for gastritis. The chemical composition of the drink is rich in protein, which performs construction and protective functions in the body. During the inflammatory process of the mucous membrane, the stomach needs useful nourishment.
The product is high in calories. To avoid excessive stress on the stomach, it is recommended to drink cocoa in small portions for gastritis with high acidity.
Do not drink a drink made from instant starting powder. Such cocoa contains flavorings, chemical stabilizers and dyes that are unacceptable in the diet of a patient with gastritis. Use exclusively natural powder obtained from benign fruits, which will benefit the body and delight you with a pleasant taste.
In addition to protein, natural cocoa powder contains polysaccharides, tannins, organic acids and minerals. The substances are chemically active; if they enter the stomach in excess, they can provoke increased gastric secretion. With gastritis with high acidity, the process leads to a pronounced aggravation and deterioration of health.
The drink can have a healing effect for gastritis with reduced secretion. Stimulating the production of gastric juice will have a beneficial effect on the patient's condition.

The question of whether it is allowed to drink cocoa with gastritis is decided individually. In different forms and phases of gastritis, the drink can be both beneficial and harmful.

What is cocoa

Cocoa is the name given to the seeds (beans) of the tree of the same name, which grows in Central and South America. By pressing, cocoa butter is extracted from them - the basis of everyone's favorite chocolate. And the dry residue obtained after processing is ground and turned into cocoa powder, from which a flavorful drink is subsequently prepared.