Your body needs fat to work right, but fatty foods can make GERD symptoms worse. So you'll probably want to stay away from things like butter or margarine. In their place, try a healthier fat like olive oil to see what might work for you.
Saturated fats such as butter, cream and cheese, can be especially bad for acid reflux, so try to ensure that the fats you eat are healthier unsaturated ones, such as avocado or walnuts.
Adding butter to bread or sour cream to potatoes can drastically increase the fat content, which can then worsen the symptoms of reflux.
You can try avoiding trigger foods and lying down after eating, losing excess weight, exercising, and quitting smoking and avoiding alcohol, if applicable. In severe cases, surgery may be necessary to cure GERD.
Drinks such as ginger tea, certain fruit and vegetable juices, and plant-based milks may benefit people experiencing acid reflux and heartburn. Avoiding citrus juices, carbonated beverages, and alcohol can also help to reduce symptom frequency and severity.
Avocado: Despite being high in fat, avocados are rich in healthy fats, which can settle your stomach and prevent acid reflux symptoms.
Oatmeal has been a whole-grain breakfast favorite for generations. It is a good source of fiber, so it keeps you feeling full and promotes regularity. Oats also absorb stomach acid and reduce symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). For something sweet, top your oatmeal with bananas, apples or pears.
Fatty Foods
When you're experiencing a bout of indigestion, put low-fat foods on the menu and eat small meals spaced throughout the day, which can put less pressure on your stomach. Avoid high-fat culprits, like butter, ice cream, red meat, and cheese, at least for a while.
Refined olive oil has a high acidity level, while extra virgin olive oil has an acidity level of less than 1.5 percent, making it the best choice in olive oils for those with heartburn and acid reflux. Like any other trigger, olive oil is not going to affect all heartburn sufferers in the same way.
Whole grains — High fiber, whole-grains like brown rice, oatmeal, and whole grain breads help stop symptoms of acid reflux. They are a good source of fiber and may help absorb stomach acid. Lean protein — Low-fat, lean sources of protein also reduce symptoms.
Green vegetables such as broccoli, asparagus, leafy greens, peas, cucumbers, and Brussels sprouts are known to prevent and alleviate acid reflux. In addition to being very low in fat, these vegetables are also high in alkaline content. The low pH offsets the high pH of the stomach acid.
Foods to Eat on an Acid Reflux Diet
Noncitrus fruits: Apples, bananas, blueberries, and strawberries are safe bets.
Because higher fat meals can trigger GERD, look for non-fat or very low-fat sliced meats like turkey, ham, roast beef and chicken. Purchase those with as little processing as possible. Start with meats that are not "smoked" or "cured".
Yogurt that is low in fat is generally safe to eat for those who have GERD. You should avoid eating yogurt that contains whole fat rather than low amounts of fat. Whole fat yogurt can be harder for you to digest and might trigger GERD symptoms.
Some people with GERD find that the yolk of the egg aggravates their symptoms. The good news is that you can easily enjoy just the egg whites. To avoid butter and oil, eat just the white of a hard boiled egg. A light scramble in a little bit of butter or coconut oil is another option.
Some types, like Greek yogurt, plain unsweetened yogurt, and low-fat yogurts, are preferable for people with acid reflux.
Histamine in sourdough can cause digestive issues in some, but the fermentation process breaks down phytic acid and makes it easier to digest for most people. Severe acid reflux sufferers may not tolerate sourdough due to the lactic acid in the bread.
Bananas for stomach acid are considered safe because they have alkaline (alkaline) properties. In addition, this fruit is also considered to help balance the acid in the stomach so that symptoms of acid reflux or GERD can be prevented.
Milk and dairy products are high in fat and tend to make heartburn worse. When you have frequent GERD symptoms, like heartburn, eating high-fat dairy products like cheese can aggravate your symptoms. Furthermore, cold dairy products like ice cream can actually numb and inhibit the lower esophageal sphincter's function.
However, tea is also related to some clinical symptoms including heartburn and reflux. Tea consumption is reported to be associated with GERD, especially in Asian population. Theoretically, theophylline, a component of tea, may contribute to relax the LES, leading to esophageal acid reflux.