Acid Reflux

Food to Avoid With Acid Reflux: What You Should Know

Acid reflux isn’t life threatening but can progress overtime until it is severe. This is why prevention is better than a cure. After treatment, simply know what food to avoid with acid reflux. Continue reading this article to also find out what foods you can enjoy and how to maintain your health for life.

What To Avoid

Cases of acid reflux really vary from one person to the next. This article will tell you about every major food to avoid with acid reflux, however, it might be worthwhile keeping a diary so you know exactly what’s best for your specific needs. Generally, you’ll need to avoid high fat foods like fatty meats, high-fat dairy products, fried foods, and fast food. The problem here is the stomach has a hard time digesting fatty foods and so it secretes more acid. This results in the build-up of acid in your stomach, which eventually causes acid reflux.

Fruits and vegetables are extremely beneficial to everyone’s health. But for those of us who suffer from acid reflux, things are a little different. We need to avoid citrus fruits like lemons and oranges, as they are considered acidic. Certain vegetables can also be acidic such as raw onions and tomatoes.

It is also good to use different kinds of spices while cooking, as these are known to have health benefits. Still, it is better to stay away from using chili peppers, as these can weaken the lower esophageal sphincter muscle. Pepper is actually used by some to treat acid reflux, but this is not good for those whose esophagus is already severely damaged by the condition.

Alcoholic beverages is another thing you should avoid if you have acid reflux. Alcoholic beverages like beer can double acidic production in your stomach within just an hour. Also try to stay away from sodas, caffeinated beverages and coffee.

What You Can Eat

It doesn’t mean though that just because you have acid reflux, you can’t enjoy food anymore. You may eat meat, but make sure it is not high in fat. For instance, you can eat skinless chicken breast, lean beef, and fish. Get enough protein and calcium from low-fat dairy products like soy cheese, sour cream, and fat-free cream cheese. Couple your food with grains like multi-grain bread, baked potato, broccoli, peas and brown rice. Enjoy some sweets every now and then with jellybeans, fat-free cookies and red licorice. Since eating smaller, more frequent meals is best for acid reflux sufferers, you may snack on bananas and fresh apples from time to time.

Doctors may recommend alkaline-rich food for people with acid reflux. These foods include blackberries, mushrooms, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, sprouted beans, and honey.

Extra Help

Be proactive and find other ways to improve treatment. Fiber is known to treat acid reflux symptoms and should therefore be part of your diet. You may get enough fiber from oatmeal or sprinkle a powdered fiber supplement over your food or drink.

It is true that there may be a lot of food to avoid with acid reflux, but your appetite doesn’t have to suffer with the limited choices. There are thousands of recipes you can find online that are especially designed for those of us who have acid reflux. Before trying out any method though, consult your doctor first.

What’s on Your Acid Reflux Food not to Eat List?

Certain food and drinks can add to the problem of acid reflux. How do we know which acid reflux foods not to eat and what ones are unlikely to cause reflux to flare up? The best way to be certain if a particular food is causing an attack of reflux, is to keep a list of the foods you eat and drink. Also, record any symptoms you have during this period. A food that causes excess stomach acid in one person may not cause it in someone else. Keeping a record will help you determine the foods you need to avoid in order to control your acid reflux. There are certain foods that are more likely to cause reflux than others are.

Acid Reflux – Food Not To Eat

Foods commonly known to cause heartburn include dairy products such as milk, ice cream, cottage cheese, and even yogurt.  Milk may seem like a quick solution to sooth the stomach and stop acid reflux. The truth is, it encourages the production of more stomach acid.

Drinks that can increase the secretion of stomach acid include beer, wine, and soda pop.  Drinking beer can double your stomach acid within an hour.

Fried food, fast food, fatty foods, mints, chocolate, other sweets, potato chips, and tomato-based products can all contribute to excess stomach acid. Other foods include ground beef or chuck, chicken nuggets, Buffalo wings, macaroni and cheese, spaghetti with sauce, mashed potatoes, and fries.

You may discover that reflux occurs after eating foods that are not on a typical “acid reflux food not to eat” list or that you can eat certain foods on the list with no problems. For example, eating chocolate may not trigger an acid attack in you, but may have the opposite effect on others. Keep a record to see what you can and cannot eat.

The best way to avoid acid reflux is to eat smaller meals throughout the day instead of three big meals. This will reduce the amount of acid required to digest the food. Foods such as bread, pasta, and rice have a tendency to absorb the acid and are prone to be easier on the stomach.

Do not lie down soon after eating, wait at least an hour. Avoid heavy meals in the evening. The more food you eat, the longer it takes to digest and thus produces more acid. Elevate your head six inches or more when lying down.

According to some studies, there is no evidence to support the claim that acidic fruit, coffee, and spicy food trigger acid reflux. In fact, many claim that citrus fruits such as lime actually reduce their acid reflux.  However, many people with acid reflux can not tolerate these foods and they are leading contributors on their “acid reflux food not to eat” list.

The symptoms of acid reflux can be very painful. Most people take prescription or over the counter medications such as acid reducers to alleviate the symptoms. The condition can be controlled by making diet and behavior changes. Learning the foods you need to avoid, eating smaller meals, elevating your head at night, and not eating too soon before bedtime. You may want to talk to your doctor and work with him or her on a plan for controlling your acid reflux.   But you must keep an “acid reflux food not to eat” list to know for certain what foods your own body can handle!