If you have frequent heartburn, do you avoid certain foods?
Do you know which foods to avoid?
The first line of defense is to find out if you suffer from acid reflux, which often goes untreated.
Regardless of whether or not you’ve been officially diagnosed with GERD, heartburn is still a frequent and preventable health issue.
It’s largely a matter of food sensitivities; however, there are dietary staples that cause heartburn more frequently than others.
When you know the most common foods that cause heartburn and ingestion, you’ll know how to bypass painful symptoms.
NOTE: no two people share identical food sensitivities. What is true for you might not be the case for someone else.
Make a list of these foods in your in mind, and you are more likely to eliminate heartburn and indigestion.
Alcohol
Alcoholic beverages can relax the lower esophageal sphincter, leading to heartburn. Drinking any alcoholic beverage also dehydrates your body, which not only causes drunkenness, but also corresponding digestive issues.
Even though the feelings of relaxation and euphoria are short-lived, these dehydration effects are long-lasting, and part of your “hangover” may be heartburn.
Caffeine
Preventing heartburn isn’t only a matter of what you eat, but also what you drink. Certain drinks can make heartburn more likely, especially those with caffeine. (In all actuality, even decaffeinated coffee has been known to trigger symptoms.)
Other beverages include the obvious culprit of coffee, but also caffeinated tea, soda, and carbonated beverages will often create an issue. Caffeinated beverages bloat the stomach, which causes heartburn and indigestion for many people.
High-fat meats
Meat itself is difficult for your body to digest. When you combine meat with high-fat content, you get a dangerous combination. To truly control and treat your heartburn, a plant-based diet is recommended.
Fried food
Fried foods are high in trans-fats, which makes junk food staples such as French fries harder for your body to digest. The result is quite often heartburn.
As fried foods are famous for slowing down the digestive process, the acid left over moves toward the esophagus. It’s best to avoid foods that are prepared this way, regardless of whether or not you suffer from chronic heartburn and indigestion.
Citrus Fruits and tomatoes
Foods with excess acid have been known to cause heartburn. Fruits and vegetables that are high in acidity include tomatoes and their counterparts salsa and tomato juice. Also citrus fruits such as oranges, grapefruits, and lemons are known to cause issues.
If you are eating a dish that contains an abundance of these foods, you may suffer.
Even if foods are healthy—such as fruit and vegetables—you still may have a food sensitivity that you’re not aware of.
The best course of action: get a food sensitivity test.
