Acid Reflux Foods To Avoid

Most people are aware that there are certain acid reflux foods to avoid if you want to minimize the agony of this condition. What most people don't know is that not everyone responds the same way to potential trigger foods.

Let's start with the basics, though. Acid reflux occurs when the lower esophageal sphincter is weakened or forced open by particular diet choices. Most sufferers are older, though even babies can suffer from the distress and discomfort. The symptoms can be so alarming that they're often mistaken for a heart attack. Fortunately, many sufferers can eliminate the uncomfortable symptoms simply by knowing which acid reflux foods to avoid.

Dairy Foods

Milk, contrary to popular belief, is an acid that instead of relieving your condition will actually aggravate it. Dairy products derived from milk, such as cottage cheese and sour cream, also fall into this category of acid reflux foods to avoid. Taking it even further, milk shakes, ice cream, even macaroni and cheese and other pastas with rich sauces can trigger an episode.

Fruits & Vegetables

This is a head scratcher for most heartburn sufferers (heartburn and acid reflux are interchangeable terms for the most part) ... potatoes. Well, the truth is that it's not the potatoes that are the problem; it's the way you prepare them. So you'll want to avoid French fries, mashed potatoes and potato salad, while a baked potato is perfectly fine (as long as you don't smother it in cheese and sour cream).

Tomatoes, tomato products, and onions can aggravate acid reflux and most doctors will recommend that you try to eliminate them from your diet altogether. The same can be said for citrus fruits, such as grapefruits, oranges, tangerines, limes, and even lemons.

Drinks

There are several beverages that can also play havoc with your acid reflux. Unfortunately for many, alcohol tops the list, especially liquors and wines. As with all the foods on this list, you can indulge yourself every now and then, but your intake should be kept to a minimum. Coffee and tea also fall into this category, though decaf forms should be all right. Carbonated drinks should also be avoided.

Fast Foods

Didn't you just know that fast food was going to end up on this list? It's not that fast food is inherently bad for acid reflux; it's the way most fast foods are prepared that sends up the red flag. French fries, onions, milk shakes, greasy cheese burgers, fried chicken ... these are all potential triggers. They're either high in acid or they're heavy and tend to push your stomach's acid production to the extreme. Substitute grilled chicken or baked potatoes when you can. Or better yet, eat at home, where you can control what you put into your body.

Desserts

Yes, right after fast food, here come desserts. What's the old saying? If it tastes good it's bad for you. Cookies, brownies, cakes, doughnuts, any pastry that uses butter and is high in fat content is going to create problems for you. This includes chocolate, unfortunately. It will rarely be as good as the real thing, but if you look around you should be able to find substitute recipes that will allow you to still enjoy the sense of naughtiness that comes with a good dessert without risking antagonizing your acid reflux.

There it is, a good foundational list of acid reflux foods to avoid. A quick note here: most of the items listed above affect heartburn sufferers across the board. However, every person is different and you may find that an item or two on this list doesn't seem to bother you. For this reason, it's perfectly okay to experiment in order to determine which foods you can still enjoy in moderation and which ones you should avoid at all costs.

And one final note: while these foods can definitely cause problems with your heartburn, often overeating is the bigger culprit. Try eating six smaller meals per day instead of three big meals. You may find that you'll still be able to enjoy many of the foods listed above when you eat them in moderation.

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Comments

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 at 6:39 AM, by Heartburn
Fruits, such as apples and bananas, are not likely to cause heartburn. And also vegetables like carrots, green beans and peas are not likely to cause heartburn.

Sun, 6 Sep 2009 at 9:35 AM, by Brian Burns

Coping with the Acid Reflux "regime" is, for me, one of the most difficult things I have had to do in respect of keeping healthy. It really is a "kill joy" condition. When you look at the list of things to avoid, it really is daunting! To add to this, different web-sites give different advice on just WHAT to avoid. Apart from the obvious triggers, what is ok for one isn't for another, so therefore it is really an individual affliction to a great extent. This can make it quite a challenge (to say the least) to get anywhere near controlling it.

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