Jeffrey Salazar
Acid reflux, or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), is a condition that occurs when the sphincter muscle at the base of the oesophagus relaxes, allowing food and stomach acid to travel back up the oesophagus. This can cause heartburn, a burning sensation behind the breastbone, and regurgitation. While there are no universal trigger foods for GERD, certain foods and habits can worsen symptoms. These include eating large meals, lying down after eating, consuming highly processed foods, and eating late at night. To reduce acid reflux, it is recommended to make dietary and lifestyle changes, such as eating smaller meals, choosing baked or grilled foods over fried options, and increasing fibre intake through whole grains, root vegetables, and green vegetables.
How to Reduce Acid Reflux: Diet Characteristics
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Foods to eat | Whole grains (oatmeal, couscous, brown rice), root vegetables (sweet potatoes, carrots, beets), green vegetables (asparagus, broccoli, green beans) |
| Foods to avoid | Fatty foods, fried foods, spicy foods, citrus fruits, tomato sauces, vinegar, chocolate, caffeine, onions, peppermint, carbonated drinks, alcohol, dairy products, mint, chewing gum, processed foods |
| Eating habits | Eat smaller meals, do not lie down after eating, do not eat before bed, chew slowly, do not overeat, remain upright for 2-4 hours after eating, avoid vigorous exercise after eating |
| Lifestyle choices | Maintain a moderate weight, quit smoking, drink more water, take antacids |
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What You'll Learn
Identify your personal triggers
While there are certain foods that are known triggers of acid reflux, it's important to remember that everyone's triggers are different. So, it's a good idea to identify your personal triggers to help you manage your acid reflux.
To identify your personal triggers, keep a food diary and record what you eat and when you experience acid reflux symptoms. This will help you to pinpoint which foods or drinks are causing your acid reflux. You can then try eliminating them from your diet to see if your reflux improves.
Some common foods and drinks that can trigger acid reflux include fatty and fried foods, spicy foods, citrus fruits, tomato sauces, vinegar, chocolate, caffeine, onions, peppermint, carbonated drinks, and alcohol. Processed foods can also increase acid reflux symptoms as they are often difficult for the body to digest. Look out for artificial food colours, artificial sweeteners, MSG, or high-fructose corn syrup as indicators of highly processed foods.
In addition to diet, other lifestyle factors can contribute to acid reflux. These include being overweight, smoking, wearing tight clothing, and exercising vigorously soon after eating.
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Avoid eating before bed
Eating before bed can trigger acid reflux, so it is important to avoid doing so. Acid reflux is when food pushes upward through a loosened opening in the muscular tube that lets food pass into the stomach, causing stomach acid to back up into the oesophagus. This is worsened at night when lying down, as it is easier for stomach acid to work its way up.
To avoid acid reflux, it is recommended to not eat during the three to four hours before going to bed. This is because foods that are high in fat, salt, or spice delay the digestive process, causing food to sit in the stomach for longer. Fatty and fried foods, in particular, linger in the stomach, making it more likely that stomach acid leaks back up into the oesophagus.
If you experience acid reflux, it is recommended to prop yourself up on pillows in bed to help manage bouts of bedtime indigestion. It is also important to note that drinking water before bed can make your stomach fuller, and therefore it will produce more acid. If you are going to drink water, it is advised to time it so that most of it has left your system before you go to sleep.
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Eat smaller meals
Eating smaller meals is one of the most effective ways to prevent acid reflux. This is because large meals can cause acid reflux by putting pressure on the base of the esophagus and the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), a muscular tube that lets food pass into the stomach and blocks it from coming back up. When the LES is put under pressure, it relaxes and allows food to push upward through the loosened opening, causing acid reflux.
To avoid this, it is recommended to eat smaller, more frequent meals. This helps to ensure that the LES is not put under excessive pressure and allows it to function properly. By eating smaller meals, you reduce the likelihood of acid reflux and its associated symptoms, such as heartburn and regurgitation.
Additionally, eating smaller meals can help with portion control and prevent overeating. Overeating can contribute to acid reflux, as it puts pressure on the stomach and can cause the LES to relax, leading to acid reflux. By eating smaller meals, you can maintain a healthy weight, which is another factor in reducing acid reflux. Excess weight can put pressure on the base of the esophagus, worsening acid reflux symptoms.
It is important to note that everyone's food triggers are different, and there are no universal trigger foods for acid reflux. However, by keeping a record of what you eat and when you experience symptoms, you can identify your personal triggers and make informed decisions about your diet. This includes paying attention to the portion sizes that work best for you and ensuring you do not overeat, even when consuming foods that are generally considered safe.
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Avoid fatty foods
Fatty foods are known to trigger acid reflux and heartburn. They lower pressure on your LES (lower esophageal sphincter) and delay stomach emptying, increasing the risk of reflux symptoms. Fatty foods linger in the stomach for longer, making it more likely that stomach acid leaks back up into the oesophagus, causing uncomfortable GERD symptoms.
To help prevent reflux, you can try decreasing your total fat intake. This means opting for lean meats, poultry, fish, or other protein sources and choosing dishes that aren't fried, greasy, buttery, or heavy in creamy sauces. Replace saturated fats and trans fats with oils such as olive, sesame, canola, sunflower, and safflower; avocados; nuts and seeds; soybean; and fatty fish such as salmon and trout.
It's also important to maintain a balance of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins in your meals. Research has found that people with acid reflux feel worse when they eat a high-fat diet. Carbs that the body digests quickly, like simple sugars and starch, are more likely to cause heartburn than slowly-digested carbs like fibre. People with acid reflux have fewer symptoms when they eat fibre supplements or a high-fibre diet.
In addition to modifying your diet, it's important to make changes to your eating habits. Eat smaller, more frequent meals and avoid lying down after eating. Gravity helps keep acid in the stomach, so it's best to remain in an upright position after meals. Avoid eating during the three to four hours before you go to bed, and don't exercise vigorously for a couple of hours after eating, as this can send acid into your oesophagus.
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Consume more plants
Consuming more plants can be an effective way to reduce acid reflux. According to Sarah Andrus, MS, RD, LDN Outpatient Dietitian at Mass General Brigham, regions with diets that are rich in plants tend to have lower rates of acid reflux.
A plant-based diet can help manage acid reflux symptoms, and a registered dietitian can help you incorporate more plants into your meals. There are several variations of a plant-based diet, including vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, and flexitarian. However, a common trait is the preference for eating more plant-based foods. These include fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, grains, beans, and some plant-based oils.
The Mediterranean diet, for example, promotes whole, minimally processed foods and emphasizes plant-based foods as the foundation. It has been suggested that this eating pattern may help reduce symptoms linked to acid reflux. Many foods in the Mediterranean diet are lean and easy to digest, and the diet may also aid in weight management, which is important as obesity is a risk factor for developing acid reflux.
When it comes to specific plant-based foods that may help with acid reflux, you can try the following:
- Whole grains such as oatmeal, couscous, and brown rice.
- Root vegetables such as sweet potatoes, carrots, and beets.
- Green vegetables such as asparagus, broccoli, and green beans.
It is important to note that while increasing your consumption of plant-based foods can be beneficial, some plant-based foods may exacerbate acid reflux symptoms. These include spicy foods, acidic foods, mint, chocolate, high-fat foods, carbonated drinks, alcohol, coffee, and other products with high caffeine content. Additionally, some staples in a plant-based diet, such as sour fermented foods, acidic vegetables, and fruits, as well as high-fat bean dishes, should be avoided until your acid reflux symptoms resolve.
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Frequently asked questions
Acid reflux and GERD symptoms can be worsened by fatty and fried foods, spicy foods, citrus fruits, tomato sauces, vinegar, chocolate, caffeine, onions, peppermint, carbonated drinks, alcohol, and dairy products. However, it's important to note that triggers vary from person to person, so keeping a record of what you eat and when you experience symptoms can be helpful.
Eating foods with high water content and fibre can help prevent acid reflux. This includes whole grains, root vegetables, and green vegetables. Alkaline foods can also help offset strong stomach acid.
Acid reflux and GERD are caused by a weakening or damage to the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), which is the valve between the stomach and esophagus. When the LES doesn't close properly, acid can flow back into the esophagus. The foods you eat can affect how much acid your stomach produces and how well the LES functions.
In addition to dietary changes, eating habits and lifestyle choices can help prevent acid reflux. This includes eating smaller, more frequent meals, not lying down after eating, avoiding vigorous exercise after eating, and quitting smoking.
