Your stomach contains an acid that is essential for breaking down the foods you eat every day. Because of its volatile pH level, there are muscles in place to help keep it spilling into other parts of your body. When these muscles don’t function properly, particularly the lower esophageal sphincter muscle, the acid can move up into the esophagus or chest to cause a burning, painful sensation. If you experience this burn more than once a week, it is advisable to make sure your diet includes the best foods for acid reflux.
What causes acid reflux?
Acid reflux can be triggered by the foods you eat. It might also be caused by how much you eat and what you do after a meal. Many have reported experiencing symptoms like heartburn after large meals, lying down and bending at the waist immediately after eating. Acid reflux can also be a result of non-dietary related factors like pregnancy, smoking, obesity and taking certain medications.
What are the symptoms of acid reflux?
The most common symptom is heartburn, which manifests as a burning sensation or pain in your stomach, chest, throat or neck. Heartburn is often mistaken by patients for a heart attack simply because it feels like one. Another popular symptom is the regurgitation of stomach acid, which tastes bitter in the mouth.
Acid reflux can also make you nauseous and cause bloating, burping, relentless hiccups, scratchy throat, cough, unintended weight loss and changes in the color of stools. Eating the best foods for acid reflux regularly can reduce or completely eliminate these symptoms.
What are the best foods for acid reflux?
You can be free of acid reflux and heartburn if you watch what you eat. One of the best foods for acid reflux is oatmeal. It is a great tasting breakfast with plenty of fiber to help digestion and can prevent reflux. An alternative breakfast choice is a fruit salad. Fruit such as bananas, watermelons, cantaloupe and honeydew are known to be gentle on the stomach and can help keep acid where it belongs.
Adding a salad to your lunch and supper is a good way to keep stomach acid from splashing up, provided you don’t add tomatoes and keep dressings low in fat.
Broccoli, cauliflower, celery, asparagus, green beans, turkey, chicken and seafood have heartburn-easing abilities. Reflux-preventing carbohydrates include brown rice, bulgur wheat and semolina wheat. You should also season meals with parsley to benefit from its effects on your stomach.
What are the worst foods for acid reflux?
When it comes to food you should avoid, expert opinions are varied. This is because these foods don’t affect everyone the same way. While beef, for instance, might cause acid reflux in some people, it might not cause any symptoms in others. The most complained-about foods are dairy products like cottage cheese and ice cream. Oranges, grapefruit, lemons and tomatoes have also been recorded as causing reflux. More foods include pasta, sugary treats and alcoholic beverages.
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