Contents
People at risk and risk factors for stomach ulcer and duodenal ulcer (peptic ulcer)
People at risk
- The women aged 55 and over, for stomach ulcers.
- The men aged 40 and over, for duodenal ulcers.
- Some people might have a hereditary predisposition to peptic ulcers.
Risk factors
Certain factors can worsen or delay the healing of ulcers making the stomach more acidic:
- smoking;
- excessive alcohol consumption;
- the stress ;
- le coffee does not seem to be involved, according to a study carried out in Japan in 201322.
- in some people, diet may make symptoms worse1 :
– drinks: tea, milk, cola drinks;
– foods: fatty foods, including chocolate and meat concentrates;
– spices: black pepper, mustard seeds and nutmeg.
- Certain medications like anti-inflammatory drugs, cortisone, bisphosphonates (used for osteoporosis), potassium chloride.
Hot pepper: to be banned? People with stomach or duodenal ulcers have long been advised not to consume hot peppers because of their stinging and “burning” effect, which could exacerbate their pain. However, studies seem to show that hot peppers do not cause additional damage to the digestive tract. They might even have a protective effect. Also, using cayenne pepper as a spice, even in large amounts, would not make ulcers worse. However, caution should be exercised with regard to capsules capsaicin (the substance that gives chili peppers its hot taste) and other concentrates, which may contain much higher amounts of capsaicin than the food. |