NYC’s Leading Integrative Health Care Center
NYC’s Leading Integrative Health Care Center
Medically reviewed by Rashmi Gulati, MD — Last updated: September 26, 2026
Water, unsweetened coconut water, caffeine-free herbal teas and probiotic drinks like kefir are the gentlest choices when you have a stomach or duodenal ulcer. Alcohol, coffee, caffeinated soda and acidic juices are the drinks most likely to make the burning worse. No drink heals an ulcer on its own, so this guide also covers what does.
Lifetime risk of a peptic ulcer
H. pylori and NSAID painkillers
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Choose drinks that add no alcohol, little or no caffeine and little acid: plain water, unsweetened coconut water, caffeine-free herbal teas such as chamomile, weak ginger tea, and plain kefir or yogurt drinks if dairy suits you. Cut back on alcohol, coffee, caffeinated soda, energy drinks and citrus or tomato juice if they trigger pain. The NIH’s digestive disease institute (NIDDK) says no special diet treats ulcers. Most heal once H. pylori is cleared or NSAID painkillers are stopped, with acid-reducing medicine.
Water, unsweetened coconut water, caffeine-free herbal tea, weak ginger tea, plain kefir
Alcohol, coffee, caffeinated soda, energy drinks, citrus and tomato juice
Treating the cause: H. pylori antibiotics, stopping NSAIDs and acid-reducing medicine
Black or bloody stools, vomiting blood or “coffee grounds”, or sudden severe belly pain
A peptic ulcer is an open sore in the lining of the stomach (gastric ulcer) or the first part of the small intestine (duodenal ulcer). The classic sign is a dull or burning pain between the belly button and the breastbone. It may come on when the stomach is empty or at night, and food can ease it for a while or make it worse.
Some people have no pain at all until a complication appears. Read what an ulcer feels like or our guide to peptic ulcers.
What you drink matters less than why the ulcer formed. These guides explain the causes, the tests and the conditions that are often confused with an ulcer.
Most online lists treat every drink as a remedy. They aren’t. These are the drinks least likely to irritate a sore stomach lining, each with an honest label for how strong the research is.
Hydrates without acid, caffeine or sugar, so it never adds to the burn. Sip it through the day and take every pill with a full glass. Alkaline water is often marketed for ulcers, but no trials show it heals them, so ordinary water does the same job.
A mild, low-calorie way to replace fluids, with about 250 mg potassium and 105 mg sodium per 100 g (roughly 100 ml). Most people can drink it on an empty stomach. Claims that it heals ulcers come from rat studies only. Go easy if you have kidney disease or take potassium-raising medicines.
Caffeine-free and calming, which makes it a good swap for evening coffee or black tea. The NIH says there isn’t enough evidence to rate it for indigestion. Skip it if you are allergic to ragweed or daisies, and check with your doctor if you take warfarin.
A few slices of fresh ginger in hot water may settle nausea; the best evidence is for pregnancy nausea. Strong ginger can itself cause heartburn and stomach discomfort, so keep it mild and stop if the burning gets worse.
Fermented dairy supplies live cultures. In a review of 40 studies (5,792 patients), adding probiotics to H. pylori treatment improved cure rates and cut side effects like diarrhea, though the 2024 ACG guideline found no high-quality data for routine use. Choose plain, low-sugar versions.
Warm, easy to digest and useful when pain or nausea cuts your appetite. No clinical trials show broth heals ulcers, so treat it as gentle food, not medicine. Skip very fatty or spicy broths if they bring on discomfort.
Its reputation comes from a 1949 report of 13 patients whose ulcers healed in about 7 to 10 days. There was no control group, and it predates the discovery of H. pylori. Harmless for most people, but no substitute for testing and treatment.
Ready-made shakes keep calories and protein up when pain or nausea makes meals difficult. They don’t heal the ulcer. If you are losing weight without trying, see a doctor, because that is a warning sign that needs checking.
In a 522-person trial, high-proanthocyanidin cranberry juice twice a day for 8 weeks left 20% of people H. pylori-negative, versus about 7% on placebo. It does not replace antibiotics, and it is acidic enough to sting an active ulcer, so dilute it or wait until pain settles.
None of these cause an ulcer on their own. They can irritate a lining that is already damaged, slow healing or clash with ulcer medicine.
The clearest drink to avoid. It can wear down the stomach’s protective mucus and increase acid, and it can interfere with some ulcer medicines. Skip it completely while the ulcer heals, and especially during H. pylori antibiotics.
Caffeine raises stomach acid, yet a Japanese study of 8,013 adults found coffee was not linked to gastric or duodenal ulcers. So it’s about symptoms, not damage: if coffee burns, switch to decaf, drink it after food, or stop for two weeks and compare.
Cola and energy drinks combine caffeine, acid and sugar, and the fizz can add bloating and belching. No soft drink helps an ulcer. If you want one, a small caffeine-free, non-citrus option with food is the least likely to bother you.
Orange, grapefruit, lemonade and tomato juice are acidic and often sting during a flare. They are not a cause, so you can bring them back once pain settles. Get vitamin C from milder fruit in the meantime.
The old “milk diet” doesn’t work. Milk may soothe for a few minutes, but the NIH’s MedlinePlus notes that drinking more milk does not help and may increase stomach acid. A splash in tea is fine if it agrees with you.
Bournvita, Milo and hot chocolate contain cocoa and sugar and are usually made with milk. Chocolate is a common trigger, so they are fine in small amounts only if they don’t bring on pain. They are not a treatment.
Often listed as an ulcer drink because its catechins fight H. pylori in lab studies. In people, that hasn’t been shown, and it still contains caffeine. Choose decaf green tea, and not on an empty stomach.
Traditional for ulcers, but reliable evidence is lacking. Regular licorice contains glycyrrhizin, which in large amounts can raise blood pressure and lower potassium. DGL licorice has it removed. Avoid it in pregnancy and ask first if you take blood pressure medicine.
Popular online, with no reliable evidence for digestive conditions. Whole-leaf and latex products act as laxatives, have been linked to liver injury, and whole-leaf extract is classed as a possible carcinogen. Don’t drink it without your doctor’s approval.
The quick reference for the drinks patients ask us about most. “Your call” means it’s safe for most people, so let your symptoms decide.
| DRINK | VERDICT | WHY | BEST WAY TO HAVE IT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Water | Yes | No acid, caffeine or sugar | Sips through the day, with every pill |
| Coconut water | Yes, if tolerated | Gentle fluids and electrolytes | Unsweetened, one glass at a time |
| Chamomile tea | Yes | Caffeine-free and calming | Warm, not hot; evenings |
| Ginger tea | Usually | May ease nausea; strong ginger can burn | Weak, a few fresh slices |
| Kefir / yogurt drink | Yes, if dairy suits you | Live cultures; may help during H. pylori treatment | Plain, low sugar |
| Bone broth | Yes | Easy nutrition when appetite is low | Skim the fat; go light on spice |
| Ensure-type shakes | Yes | Calories and protein when meals are hard | Chilled or room temperature, sipped slowly |
| Cranberry juice | With care | Some anti-H. pylori evidence; acidic | Diluted, with food, once pain settles |
| Milk | Not as a remedy | Brief relief, may raise acid later | A splash in tea is fine |
| Bournvita / Milo | Your call | Cocoa and sugar can trigger symptoms | Small cup, after food |
| Green tea | Limit | Contains caffeine; benefits are lab-only | Decaf, after meals |
| Coffee | Limit if it hurts | Raises acid; not shown to cause ulcers | Decaf, never on an empty stomach |
| Soda & energy drinks | Avoid in a flare | Caffeine, acid, gas and sugar | Swap for water or coconut water |
| Orange or tomato juice | Avoid if it stings | Acidic | Reintroduce after healing |
| Alcohol | Avoid | Damages the protective lining; clashes with some medicines | None while healing |
Not sure which drinks are behind your symptoms? Our nutritional guidance service builds a plan around your diary and test results.
Four clear steps, so you know what is being tested, why, and how we confirm the ulcer is gone.
A 60–90 minute first visit covering your pain pattern, painkiller use, alcohol, smoking, stress and what you eat and drink.
A breath or stool test for H. pylori, plus a blood count to check for anemia from slow bleeding. You may be asked to pause acid medicine before testing.
Warning signs such as weight loss, trouble swallowing, bleeding or anemia call for an endoscopy, coordinated with a gastroenterologist.
Treatment targets the cause. After H. pylori antibiotics, a repeat test at least 4 weeks later confirms the infection is gone.
Ulcers form when something breaks down the stomach’s protective lining. Healing means removing that cause, not just soothing the pain. Every step is supervised by a physician.
Behind about 90% of duodenal and 70–90% of gastric ulcers. The 2024 ACG guideline prefers 14 days of bismuth quadruple therapy, then a test of cure.
Aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen weaken the lining. Your physician may stop, lower or switch them, and add acid protection if you must keep taking one.
Proton pump inhibitors cut acid so the sore can close. For NSAID-related stomach ulcers, 8 weeks heals more (about 83%) than 4 weeks (about 67%).
Tobacco slows healing and makes ulcers more likely to come back; alcohol thins the protective mucus. Stopping both is one of the biggest things you control.
Everyday stress doesn’t cause ulcers, but untreated stress can make them worse. Mind-body therapies are part of the plan when it plays a role.
After antibiotics, we look at nutrition, iron and the gut microbiome so digestion settles and symptoms don’t return.
Your physician coordinates with your primary care doctor and a gastroenterologist when needed.
This is a starting template, not a prescription. Swap any drink that bothers you, and bring your diary to your appointment so your physician can fine-tune it.
| On waking | A glass of room-temperature water, and any morning medicine with a full glass |
| Breakfast | Plain kefir or a yogurt drink with food; if you keep coffee, make it decaf and drink it after eating |
| Mid-morning | A glass of unsweetened coconut water |
| Lunch | Water with your meal; skip soda and citrus juice while the ulcer is active |
| Afternoon | Weak ginger tea if you feel queasy, or chamomile if you don’t |
| Dinner | A cup of light broth with the meal, or a nutrition shake if your appetite is poor |
| Evening | Chamomile tea; no alcohol and no late-night snacks |
Ulcers form when something breaks down the stomach’s protective lining. Healing means removing that cause, not just soothing the pain. Every step is supervised by a physician.
Consultation, H. pylori and blood tests, and the start of treatment. Pain often eases once acid is reduced.
The usual length of first-line H. pylori antibiotic therapy.
Typical course of acid-reducing medicine; stomach ulcers from NSAIDs often need the full 8 weeks.
A repeat breath or stool test confirms H. pylori is gone, so you know the cause has been removed.
Timelines depend on the ulcer’s size and cause, your other health conditions and whether you can stop NSAIDs.
Serving New York patients since 1974.
H. pylori testing, medication review and a test of cure, not antacids on repeat.
We tell you which popular remedies are worth trying and which you can skip.
Nutrition, iron, stress and the microbiome are looked at together. Why functional medicine
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Rashmi Gulati, MD, is a board-certified functional medicine doctor Manhattan and a leading holistic doctor in NYC.
Holistic Pain Management Physician
Holistic pain management physician at Patients Medical, caring for patients with chronic pain and inflammation.
Plain water is the best everyday drink. Unsweetened coconut water, caffeine-free herbal teas like chamomile, weak ginger tea and plain kefir are also gentle options for most people. Avoid alcohol, and limit coffee, caffeinated soda and acidic juices if they cause pain.
It is a gentle, hydrating choice that most people with ulcers tolerate well, with useful potassium and sodium. It doesn’t heal ulcers; studies suggesting it might were done in rats. Choose unsweetened, and limit it if you have kidney disease.
Usually yes. Coconut water is mild and low in acid compared with fruit juice. If you notice burning after drinking it on an empty stomach, have it with or after food instead.
No soft drink helps an ulcer. Colas and energy drinks add caffeine, acid and gas. If you want something fizzy, a small caffeine-free, non-citrus drink with food is the least likely to cause trouble; water or coconut water is better.
It isn’t a remedy. Malted chocolate drinks contain cocoa and sugar, and chocolate is a common trigger for ulcer pain. A small cup after food is fine if it doesn’t bother you.
Yes. Nutrition shakes are a practical way to get calories and protein when pain or nausea makes eating hard. They don’t treat the ulcer, and unexplained weight loss should always be checked by a doctor.
It is easy to digest and a comforting source of fluid and nutrition, but no clinical studies show it heals ulcers. Skim off excess fat and keep it lightly seasoned.
Weak ginger tea may ease nausea, but it doesn’t heal ulcers, and strong ginger can cause heartburn or stomach upset. Keep it mild and stop if the burning gets worse.
A caffeine-free herbal tea such as chamomile, served warm rather than very hot. Black and green tea contain caffeine and may worsen symptoms. Avoid regular licorice tea if you have high blood pressure or are pregnant.
Not as a treatment. Milk can feel soothing for a short time, but drinking more of it does not help ulcers heal and may increase stomach acid. Small amounts in food or tea are fine if tolerated.
Coffee doesn’t appear to cause ulcers, but caffeine raises acid and can worsen pain. If it bothers you, switch to decaf, drink it after food, or stop for a few weeks while the ulcer heals.
No. Lasting cure comes from treating the cause: clearing H. pylori and confirming it with a repeat test, stopping or adjusting NSAIDs, reducing acid while the lining heals, and not smoking. Drinks help you stay comfortable along the way. Fastest way to cure a stomach ulcer
Book a visit if upper-belly pain keeps coming back, you need antacids most days, or you lose weight or appetite. Get emergency care for black or bloody stools, vomiting blood or coffee-ground material, sudden severe pain, or fainting. What to expect at your first visit
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