More than 60 million Americans suffer from heartburn or acid reflux, according to recent numbers from the American College of Gastroenterology. Heartburn is the symptom you experience when stomach acid backflows into the esophagus. What goes down is not meant to come back up when it comes to the foods we eat, and reflux can result from consuming certain triggering foods and beverages, smoking, medications, overeating, lying flat after eating, excess weight, and pregnancy. GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) is the most severe form of acid reflux. However, this condition can be managed by avoiding or moderating the following in your diet:
1. Tomatoes
Raw or cooked, these popular veggies contain large amounts of malic and citric acid, adding to the amount of digestive juices already rolling around in your stomach. Tomatoes can not only trigger excess production of gastric acid—but also make gastric acid levels rise high enough to force them back up the esophagus, resulting in reflux discomfort.
2. Citrus fruits
Like tomatoes, citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, limes, tangerines, clementines, and grapefruit contain a lot of citric acid as well as malic acid, which can trigger heartburn and acid reflux. Many acid reflux sufferers opt for pineapple juice as it’s less acidic.
3. Chocolate
Chocolate of all types, particularly dark chocolate is caffeinated, which also makes it very acidic when eaten in excess. Chocolate is also derived from cocoa, a plant that often triggers heartburn because it relaxes the LES (or lower esophageal sphincter), allowing an easy pathway for stomach acids to regurgitate back up into the esophagus.
4. Garlic and onions
These allium veggies are notorious for boosting immunity and taste in soup and sauce bases, however, by nature they are slow to digest in the stomach, which means they tend to stick around and trigger more acid production. Cooking makes both garlic and onion more tender and easily digestible, but many acid reflux sufferers choose to avoid them altogether.
5. Spicy foods
Spices come from the bark, roots, seeds, and skins of a wide variety of plant species. In terms of heartburn and acid reflux, the most common spice culprit comes from chili peppers containing capsaicin. Capsaicin is believed to slow the rate of digestion, leaving food sitting for longer in the stomach where it produces more stomach acids and causes heartburn. Cayenne, curry powder, cloves, and black pepper are common heartburn spice triggers.
6. Fried and fatty foods
Fats and oils of all kinds are more difficult to digest, so they stay longer in your stomach and trigger more acid secretion. In addition, fats tend to cause the lower esophageal sphincter to loosen and relax, allowing undigested food to regurgitate.
7. Caffeine
Like chocolate, caffeinated coffees, teas, energy drinks, and sodas are acidic, but caffeine also stimulates the production of gastrin, a hormone necessary for digestion. This means it aids in the stomach’s churning action as well as the secretion of hydrochloric acid. Caffeine also tends to slow the stomach’s emptying so the contents are retained longer causing bloat and heartburn.
