Foods To Avoid: Common Triggers Of Acid Reflux
Fatty or greasy foods. Chocolate. Mint. Acidic foods and drinks, such as citrus fruits or juices, tomatoes, garlic, and onions.
Tomatoes – Also avoid marinara sauce, ketchup and tomato soup – they're all naturally high in acid. Alcohol –This has a double whammy effect. Alcohol relaxes the sphincter valve but it also stimulates acid production in the stomach. Fried foods – These are some of the worst foods for reflux.
Low in fat, egg whites are easier to digest, so they may be less likely to trigger your GERD. However, egg yolks are high in fat, so may increase your chances of getting acid reflux. If you want to include eggs in your diet, you could consider removing the yolks first.
Acid reflux can cause a burning sensation in the throat and chest. Drinking water, low fat milk, and herbal teas may help manage it. Alcohol, caffeinated drinks, and sodas may worsen symptoms, however. Acid reflux, or heartburn, occurs when stomach acid flows up into a person's esophagus, or food pipe.
Yogurt that is not too sour is also excellent for acid reflux, because of the probiotics that help normalize bowel function. Yogurt also provides protein, and soothes stomach discomfort, often providing a cooling sensation. It is easy to choose foods by looking them up to see how acidic they are.
Drinks you can try at home to improve acid reflux include alkaline water and herbal tea, specifically licorice, ginger, or chamomile tea. Does drinking water help acid reflux? Drinking water can help to balance the pH of a particularly acidic meal (which can trigger acid reflux in some people).
If you're wondering what tea is best for acid reflux, many options are great for calming symptoms like heartburn and nausea. The best options for tea for acid reflux and GERD are caffeine-free herbal teas. Herbal teas are made from different spices, herbs, and plants and are known for their many health benefits.
While avocados are a very good-for-you food, thanks to its healthy fats6, if your diet is already packed with fat, eating high-fat avocados could bring about acid reflux (healthy nut butters may be a culprit here, too). Since guac is always extra, save a little money the next time you're out and avoid it!
1. DAIRY. 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.
Toast can help decrease nausea and reduce heartburn, but not all toast is the same. Whole wheat bread is more healthful than white bread but is high in fiber and can be difficult for some people to eat. If a person has trouble digesting whole wheat toast, the first step is to try it plain without butter.
Whole grain foods like oatmeal, bread, and brown rice are healthy, hearty ways to combat occasional heartburn. These complex carbohydrates not only help absorb acid in the stomach, but they're also full of vitamins and minerals.
Hypergastrinemia involves increased levels of gastrin, a hormone that aids digestion. This affects acid levels in your stomach. Hypergastrinemia may be caused by long-term use of antacids or proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), H. pylori infection, certain surgeries and other conditions.
Dairy—particularly full-fat dairy—is one of the common trigger foods that can induce acid reflux. In fact, many people try cutting dairy out of their diets altogether to help manage heartburn symptoms. With that in mind, drinking a glass of milk to sooth your heartburn is, unfortunately, a myth.
Stomach acid is essential for digestion, but sometimes acid-producing cells in your digestive system pump out too much acid. Symptoms of high stomach acid can include belly pain, bloating, and heartburn.
Soda – Sodas and other carbonated beverages, specifically caffeinated ones, are one of the biggest risk factors for acid reflux. Carbonation causes distension in the stomach, which increases pressure on the esophageal sphincter, leading to reflux.