Heartburn Control And Acid Reflux Diet Tips

Heartburn Control And Acid Reflux Diet Tips

By Barry Lutz

Acid reflux is a condition where stomach acids being used during the digestive process move back into the esophagus instead of being contained in the stomach. As a result, the esophagus is irritated and there is a burning sensation. In many cases there is also acid regurgitation into the mouth, leaving a very bitter taste.

These are symptoms of what we know as heartburn, which is something that affects millions of people in varying severity. Do note that if you are experiencing this for the first time, acid reflux and the resulting heartburn is a digestive disorder - you do not have a heart condition to be concerned about.

There are a number of reasons for heartburn, but to a large extent it is unknown why some people are affected where others aren't. However, what is known is that for those who have experienced heartburn, its severity and persistence is related to the foods that are being eaten - those foods known as heartburn trigger foods, and thus the need for an acid reflux diet.

An acid reflux diet is designed to make dietary changes to help eliminate heartburn. These changes are intended to eliminate the acid reflux trigger foods, but to also include certain foods that are known to help with heartburn. Here are some acid reflux diet tips.

Heartburn And Foods To Avoid

When considering heartburn and which foods to avoid, there are some general things that you are trying to accomplish - you want to stop eating foods that cause more stomach acid. An increase in stomach acid can occur from the acid content in the food itself, but it can also occur because the food being eaten requires more acid for digestion. In either case, there will be more acid in your stomach for a longer period of time, and as a result there will be more opportunity for acid reflux.

Also, some foods have a tendency to relax the lower esophageal sphincter, which is the valve at the top of your stomach and is responsible for keeping the acids from refluxing back into your esophagus. Consequently, if you are eating foods that relax this valve, then you are causing a condition for acid reflux and heartburn to take place.

To begin with, it should be no surprise that spicy foods contain more acid. Lots of people like spicy foods a lot, and lots of people have heartburn; there is a correlation. If you do have heartburn problems then try eliminating foods that have things like chilies and hot peppers in them - and I know for myself, that if I even look at garlic I am going to get bad acid reflux.

What may not be as obvious is the very high acid content is certain fruits, with the citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruits being of the worst. As well, tomatoes are very acidic, which is a problem because of all the common sauces and soups that use tomatoes. However, if your heartburn is a bad problem then these fruits are something to cut back on, or avoid; this would also include these fruits in juice form.

That being said, fruits are also very healthy for you containing lots of minerals and vitamins. So, before categorically eliminating the group - try them individually and see what causes you the most heartburn problems. If you find you can tolerate some kinds then keep eating them, while eliminating the others from your acid reflux diet.

Alcoholic drinks increase acid content, with beer being the worst and actually know to double your stomach acid within an hour. Additionally, caffeinated drinks are known to increase stomach acid, and drinking decaffeinated sodas really isn't a solution, as the carbonation also is an acid reflux trigger.

Chocolate, another favorite for many people, is also another food to avoid. The reason for this is because chocolate is one of those foods that are known to relax the LES, and thus allow acid to move back into your esophagus and trigger heartburn.

Fatty foods are very hard to digest, and thus take longer and will require more acid for digestion. Since more acid is required, more acid is going to have to be produced. And when more acid is produced, the stomach will both have a higher acid content, as well as having the acid remain in the stomach longer - increasing the likelihood of acid reflux and heartburn.

Foods with high fat content, and this includes both the foods and food preparation, should especially be avoided in your acid reflux diet - and that especially includes the fast foods that are high in fat, and are then deep fried in fat to cook them.

Fatty foods to avoid are whole milk and cream, animal and vegetable oils, fatty meats like bacon, sausage, and cold cuts - and especially avoid fried food preparation.

Heartburn And Foods to Eat

You will want your acid reflux diet to include substitute foods for the foods you should avoid. For instance, if you are going to eat red meat be sure that it is very lean, and better substitutes are fish or chicken. And you will want to replace whole milk with skim milk.

These substitutes are foods that won't cause acid reflux and heartburn, they are foods that will actually help get rid of it - here are some foods to include in your acid reflux diet because they help eliminate the acid content in your stomach.

Apples and bananas are good foods to eat for heartburn. This is due to their characteristic of dissolving the acid in your stomach. Pineapple and papaya are other fruits that are considered beneficial because they help neutralize stomach acids.

Grains also help neutralize stomach acid, so eating foods like crackers and cereals and rice can be a help. Something to note though - oatmeal, which is one of my favorite comfort foods, usually will end up giving me heartburn, and I am talking about plain oatmeal with nothing else in it. When this occurred to me that this was happening I was surprised, but upon looking up some more information I found out that this is a common problem.

All diets should include lots of vegetables, but especially your acid reflux diet since vegetables are very good very good for controlling the content of acid in your stomach if you will focus on eating the ones that are most alkaline. This list of vegetables will include broccoli, carrots, and green cabbage.

And water - drink lots of water. Water will help to flush acid that has gone up into your esophagus back down. It will also help dilute the acid that is in your stomach, and by doing this will make it weaker if it does reflux.

These acid reflux diet tips, and some of the foods that you should avoid and that will help reduce stomach acid content, should go a long way in controlling your acid reflux and heartburn problems. However, if you find that your heartburn will not go away despite making acid reflux diet changes that is a sign that you could have acid reflux disease. This is a far more serious situation, and one that you should really consult with your doctor about, because this can also lead to more serious health problems.

Acid reflux diet [http://www.acidrefluxproblems.com/acid-reflux-diet/] changes can help get rid of your heartburn and acid reflux problems. To learn more about this, and see a number of acid reflux diet books, come to [http://www.acidrefluxproblems.com/]

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