Madeleine Hull
Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, is a common condition affecting up to one-third of the U.S. population. It is characterised by frequent acid reflux, which causes a burning sensation in the chest or throat. While diet plays a significant role in controlling GERD symptoms, this article will explore ways to manage the condition without solely relying on dietary changes.
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What You'll Learn
Eat smaller meals more frequently
Eating smaller meals more frequently is one way to manage gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) without changing your diet. This method can prevent you from skipping meals and then eating very large meals, which can aggravate GERD.
GERD is a chronic acid reflux condition that affects about 20% of the population. It is caused by a faulty esophageal sphincter, which normally blocks food from coming back up after passing into the stomach. When this muscle relaxes, food can leak upward through the loosened opening, causing acid reflux.
Diet plays a major role in controlling acid reflux symptoms and is the first line of therapy used for people with GERD. Acid reflux and GERD can cause uncomfortable symptoms, including a burning sensation in the chest or throat, and can irritate the lining of the esophagus.
To manage GERD, it is recommended to eat small meals every few hours. This can help to prevent overeating, which may contribute to heartburn. It is also important to avoid lying down after eating, as gravity helps keep acid in the stomach when sitting or standing.
In addition to eating smaller meals more frequently, there are other dietary and lifestyle changes that can help manage GERD. These include avoiding trigger foods, such as acidic and fatty foods, and incorporating more alkaline and fibrous foods into the diet.
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Avoid lying down after eating
If you have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), it is recommended that you avoid lying down for at least three hours after eating. This is because lying down too soon after a meal can cause stomach acid to rise and irritate the lining of your oesophagus, resulting in discomfort and indigestion. This is especially true if you have consumed a large or fatty meal, as these take longer to digest, giving acid more opportunity to escape.
The oesophageal sphincter is a muscular tube that opens to let food pass into the stomach and then closes to block it from coming back up. However, if the sphincter relaxes, food and acid can push upward through the loosened opening and cause acid reflux. Lying down too soon after eating can increase the likelihood of this occurring.
To prevent acid reflux, it is important to allow sufficient time for your food to be digested before reclining. This means that if you typically lie down after dinner, you should try to eat dinner earlier in the evening. Gravity can also help keep acid down, so if you are lying down, it is best to sleep on your left side. This positions your lower oesophageal sphincter in an air pocket above your stomach contents.
In addition to avoiding lying down after meals, there are several other lifestyle changes that can help manage GERD. These include eating smaller meals, quitting smoking, and wearing loose-fitting clothing to reduce abdominal pressure. Making changes to your diet can also help, such as replacing simple carbs with complex forms of fibre, and avoiding fatty and fried foods, citrus fruits, and sauces or toppings high in fat.
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Avoid vigorous exercise after eating
Exercise is critical for maintaining or losing weight, which directly affects GERD. However, certain types of exercise can worsen the symptoms of GERD. Working out can both alleviate and trigger reflux, depending on the type of exercise and its intensity.
To avoid vigorous exercise after eating, it is recommended to wait for one to two hours after eating before exercising. This is because when the stomach is empty, it is less likely to reflux. If you eat within this time frame before exercising, it is also recommended to avoid foods that trigger GERD and opt for simple or complex carbohydrates instead, as these are metabolized more quickly.
It is also important to choose the right type of exercise to avoid triggering GERD symptoms. Moderate and low-impact exercises are generally better for GERD than high-intensity or high-impact exercises. Examples of recommended exercises include walking, light jogging, yoga, riding a stationary bike, and swimming. Exercises that involve lying flat or putting pressure on your abdomen, such as stomach crunches or high-impact exercises, can worsen GERD symptoms by relaxing the lower sphincter muscle and allowing stomach acid to flow back up into the oesophagus.
In addition to avoiding vigorous exercise after eating, it is also important to maintain a healthy weight, as excess weight can put pressure on the sphincter muscles and cause them to malfunction. Losing weight or reducing waist size can help alleviate GERD symptoms.
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Consume alkaline foods to neutralise stomach acid
Consuming alkaline foods can help neutralise stomach acid and alleviate symptoms of GERD. Alkaline foods are those that have a high pH and can help to offset strong stomach acid.
Dairy products are a reliable source of alkaline foods. If you can tolerate dairy, opt for non-fat milk or low-fat yoghurt. Non-fat milk can act as a temporary buffer between the stomach lining and acidic stomach contents, providing immediate relief from heartburn symptoms. Low-fat yoghurt has the same soothing qualities, along with a healthy dose of probiotics, which enhance digestion.
Ginger is another food that is alkaline in nature and can help to ease irritation in the digestive tract. Try sipping ginger tea when you feel heartburn coming on. Lemon juice, while generally considered very acidic, can also have an alkalising effect when mixed with warm water and honey. Honey has natural antioxidants, which protect the health of cells.
Vegetables are also considered to be alkaline foods. They are a good source of fibre, low in fat, and can help to reduce heartburn symptoms. Examples of vegetables to include in your diet are root vegetables such as sweet potatoes, carrots and beets, and green vegetables such as asparagus, broccoli and green beans.
In addition to consuming alkaline foods, it is important to make other dietary and lifestyle changes to help manage GERD. This includes eating small meals frequently, rather than larger, heavier meals, and avoiding late-night dinners and bedtime snacks.
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Chew gum to increase saliva production
Chewing gum can be an effective way to increase saliva production and alleviate the symptoms of acid reflux or GERD. The increased saliva production from chewing gum can help wash away and dilute stomach acid, reducing the likelihood of acid reflux symptoms.
Chewing gum stimulates the production of saliva, which contains bicarbonate. This makes the pH of saliva alkaline, which can help to neutralise stomach acid and protect your tooth enamel. Chewing gum can also encourage you to swallow more often, which helps to reduce the acid in your stomach.
A 2005 study found that chewing gum for half an hour after a meal can reduce gastro-oesophageal reflux. However, there is limited research evidence behind the effectiveness of chewing gum to reduce acid reflux.
It is recommended that you choose a sugar-free gum, as chewing sugary gum can be detrimental to oral hygiene. It can damage your tooth enamel and increase your chances of cavities. Bicarbonate gum is also recommended, as it can help to neutralise the acid that rises from the stomach.
While chewing gum can be beneficial for some people, it is important to note that it can worsen acid reflux in others. Therefore, it is advisable to monitor the effects of gum on your condition.
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Frequently asked questions
It is not possible to cure GERD without making any changes to your diet. However, it is possible to cure GERD without cutting out all your favourite foods. Making a few simple modifications to your current diet is often enough to help reduce the discomforts of GERD.
You can try eating small meals every few hours to prevent you from eating very large meals, which can aggravate GERD. You can also try eating more alkaline foods, such as dairy, bananas, cauliflower, and melons, which can help neutralise stomach acid.
Yes, you can try to quit smoking, as this is linked with an increased risk of acid reflux. You can also try to avoid lying down after eating, as gravity helps keep acid in the stomach when you are standing or sitting.
