Ramadan has come, now it’s fasting time! Being hungry all day while fasting can cause problems in terms of stomach and intestinal diseases. Those who have digestive system diseases, especially those who have reflux, gastritis and ulcers, should be very careful before starting fasting in Ramadan. Especially those with reflux should be very careful. As a result of eating large amounts of hard-to-digest foods after a long hunger, the gastric emptying time is prolonged and the amount of acid produced by the stomach for digestion increases. If the day has been busy, there will be a need for sleep after the meal. As a result of all these, the emergence of reflux or the exacerbation of reflux disease is inevitable!
Do not go to bed immediately after meals
As a result of rapid consumption of large amounts of hard-to-digest foods after a long period of hunger, gastric emptying time is prolonged and the amount of acid produced by the stomach for digestion increases. Those who spend the day in an intense working tempo and fasting and who eat wrongly in this way also need sleep after the meal, and they feel the need to lie down as soon as they eat. As a result of all these, the emergence of reflux or the exacerbation of the existing reflux disease is inevitable! In this respect, especially patients who have been diagnosed with reflux before the beginning of Ramadan should meet with a gastroenterology specialist who is following up; should start applying new recommendations and drug treatments.
What Should Those Who Have Reflux Pay Attention While Fasting?
It should not be fed much above the daily calorie requirement. Additional meals should be taken between iftar and sahur, and overeating in one meal should be avoided.
Iftar should be opened with liquid foods such as water or soup. After finishing these, wait 15-20 minutes and switch to other foods.
Meals should be well chewed and ground and fast eating should be avoided. By providing saliva and mucus secretion, chewing protects the lining of the esophagus and the inner surface of the stomach against stomach acid.
Iftar or sahur, one should not lie down immediately after the meal, but should wait 2-3 hours.
Foods that increase or facilitate reflux (oily foods, fried foods, spicy-spicy meals, excessive coffee and brewed tea, carbonated drinks, cigarettes, alcohol, etc.) should be avoided.
Medicines recommended by your doctor for reflux disease, which reduce stomach acid secretion, should be taken at iftar and sahur.
Should people with stomach ulcers or gastritis fast?
It would be beneficial for those who have stomach ulcers before to consult their physician before Ramadan. These patients can fast if there is no permanent damage to the stomach or duodenum due to ulcer disease and if the ulcer has completely healed. In order to prevent recurrence of the ulcer, one should continue to take drugs known as stomach protectors a day and reduce gastric acid secretion. Especially in the second half of Ramadan, there is an increase in the frequency of undesirable conditions such as increased pain or ulcer-related bleeding or perforation in people with ulcers. People with complaints of recurrent vomiting occurring 1.5 -2 hours after a meal, especially those who wake up at night and have complaints of abdominal pain, burning, bloating, and fullness that spread to the back should be evaluated for ulcers. Otherwise, the risk of developing undesirable conditions such as ulcer-related bleeding and perforation will increase.
Increase Fluid Consumption
The extremely long fasting period and the increasing air temperature due to the season make fasting difficult and make it necessary to take some precautions. The most important points to be considered in terms of nutrition are; to increase fluid consumption, to consume less spicy foods, to avoid salty pickled foods and delicatessen products and fried foods, to reduce tea and coffee consumption, to consume plenty of vegetables, fruits, compotes and yoghurt.
Can we manage not to gain weight during Ramadan?
In Ramadan fasting, which coincides with the summer season, the fasting period exceeds 15 hours! Eating patterns change completely in fasting people, and with the decrease in the number and frequency of meals, as soon as our body receives the signal that it cannot get enough energy, it reduces the metabolic rate by 30-40% in order to save energy. When factors such as excessive and unbalanced nutrition and decreased physical activity are added to this defense mechanism, weight gain occurs in many people who fast during the month of Ramadan. Thus, excess weight gain in a short time can lead to fatty liver. Therefore, as we always recommend, we should feed frequently and little; It will be useful to have an additional meal between iftar and sahur.
