H. pylori diet: eating well during and after treatment
H. pylori is cured by antibiotics from your doctor, not by food. During treatment, eat small, regular, low-spice meals: khichdi, daliya, soft chapati with sabzi, chicken, dahi and soft fruit. Probiotic dahi may reduce antibiotic side effects. Avoid spicy and fried food, excess chai, smoking and NSAID painkillers.
Why treatment comes first
H. pylori lives in the stomach lining and causes gastritis, ulcers and, in a small number of people over many years, stomach cancer. It is common in Pakistan, where it usually spreads through contaminated water and close contact. The only reliable cure is a 10 to 14 day course of two antibiotics plus an acid-reducing medicine, exactly as prescribed. Stopping early is the main reason treatment fails.
Eating through the treatment course
- Small, frequent meals: 5 small meals are easier than 3 large ones when the stomach is sore.
- Gentle food: khichdi, daliya, rice with daal, soft chapati, boiled sabzi (lauki, tori, gajar), chicken, fish, eggs.
- Dahi and lassi: probiotic dahi with the antibiotics may reduce diarrhoea and nausea.
- Soft fruit: banana, papita, seb; avoid very sour citrus if it stings.
- Keep water up, especially if antibiotics cause loose motions.
After the course
Get the follow-up test your doctor advises, at least 4 weeks after the last antibiotic. If symptoms continue even after the infection is cleared, it may be acidity, reflux or IBS rather than H. pylori: see the gut health page. Keep up boiled or filtered water and hand washing, because reinfection is possible.
See a doctor first if
- You vomit blood, or pass black, tarry stools
- You have difficulty swallowing or unexplained weight loss
- Pain is severe, or wakes you at night regularly
- You are over 50 with new stomach symptoms
- You have a family history of stomach cancer
Common questions
What are the symptoms of H. pylori?
Many people have no symptoms. When present, they include a burning or gnawing pain in the upper stomach (often worse when hungry or at night), bloating, early fullness, nausea, burping and loss of appetite. Black stools, vomiting blood, difficulty swallowing or weight loss are warning signs that need urgent care.
Can diet cure H. pylori?
No. H. pylori is a bacterial infection of the stomach lining and is cured only by a course of antibiotics with an acid-reducing medicine, prescribed by your doctor. Diet reduces symptoms and may support treatment, but it does not clear the infection.
What should I eat during H. pylori treatment?
Small, regular, low-spice meals: khichdi, daliya, soft chapati with sabzi, boiled or lightly cooked chicken and fish, dahi and lassi, banana, seb and papita. Probiotic dahi taken alongside antibiotics may reduce side effects like diarrhoea.
What should I avoid?
Very spicy and fried food, large amounts of chai and coffee, cold drinks, smoking and alcohol, painkillers such as ibuprofen and diclofenac (ask your doctor), and late heavy meals. These irritate the stomach lining and worsen symptoms.
Does broccoli, green tea or honey kill H. pylori?
Laboratory studies show that sulforaphane (from broccoli sprouts), green tea and honey can slow the bacteria, but human studies have not shown they clear the infection. Use them as ordinary foods, not instead of the prescribed treatment.
How do I know the infection has gone?
Your doctor repeats a test, usually a urea breath test or stool antigen test, at least 4 weeks after finishing antibiotics and off acid-reducing medicines for a couple of weeks. A blood antibody test stays positive for a long time and does not prove cure.
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Sources
- Malfertheiner P et al. Management of Helicobacter pylori infection: the Maastricht VI/Florence consensus report. Gut, 2022
- Chey WD et al. ACG Clinical Guideline: Treatment of Helicobacter pylori Infection. Am J Gastroenterol, 2017
- Zhang MM et al. Efficacy of probiotics in Helicobacter pylori eradication: meta-analysis. World J Gastroenterol, 2015
- Yanaka A et al. Dietary sulforaphane-rich broccoli sprouts reduce Helicobacter colonization. Cancer Prev Res, 2009