Ulcers in the gastrointestinal tract were once attributed to stress, but most are now believed to be due to infection with the bacterium Helicobacter pylori. Surface epithelial cells secrete mucus and bicarbonate, creating a pH gradient in the mucus layer and change the very acidic gastric lumen to the nearly neutral surface of the mucosa. Gastric mucosal cells have a specialized apical surface membrane that resists the diffusion of acid back into the cell. Mucosal cells may directly resist injury by intrinsic mechanisms, such as the extrusion of back diffused hydrogen ions by means of basolateral carriers. Polyphenols display a number of pharmacological properties in the GIT area, acting as antisecretory, cytoprotective, and antioxidant agents. The antioxidant properties of phenolic compounds have been widely studied, but it has become clear that their mechanisms of action go beyond the modulation of oxidative stress. Various polyphenolic compounds have been reported for their anti-ulcerogenic activity with a good level of gastric protection. Besides their action as gastroprotective, these phenolic compounds can be an alternative for the treatment of gastric ulcers.