Foods to Eat to Reduce Heartburn
It is important to know the underlying causes of heartburn before knowing the home remedies. An unbearable pain occurs in the lower chest due to acid reflux. It occurs when the contents of the stomach are pushed back into the esophagus. One should always consult a medical professional before opting for any kind of treatment method. If you are looking for home remedies for heartburn, here are three foods that could help soothe your symptoms:
High fiber foods
One of the common causes of acid reflux is overeating. Foods that are rich in fiber will make you feel full, and you are less likely to overeat. Include foods like oatmeal, brown rice, sweet potatoes, carrots, beets, broccoli, and green beans in your meals.
Alkaline foods
Foods that have a low pH scale are less likely to cause acid reflux than those with a high pH scale. Alkaline foods such as bananas, melons, fennel, and nuts have low pH levels. Get rid of the acidic feeling in your gut by including these foods.
Watery foods
Foods with high water content can help in diluting stomach acid. Eat foods like celery, cucumber, lettuce, watermelon, broth soups, and herbal tea to help get relief from acid reflux.
One can also follow these nutritional and lifestyle tips to get relief from heartburn:
Low-carb diet
Carbs that remain undigested lead to bacterial overgrowth and increase the abdominal pressure. An excess of undigested carbs in the stomach is the main cause of gas and bloating. You might feel like belching because of this. Thus, following a low-carb diet is a good home remedy for heartburn.
Avoid raw onion
Studies have shown that people with acid reflux did not feel any symptoms if there was no raw onion in the food. Raw onion could be a trigger for acid reflux, and thus, it is best to avoid it.
Onion has high quantities of fermentable fiber which might be the cause of gas formation that leads to belching. Raw onions may also irritate the lining of the esophagus. So as a rule of thumb, if raw onions aggravate acidity, it is best to avoid them.
Avoid mint
Some foods and products like candy, toothpaste, and mouthwash solutions use spearmint and peppermint as flavors. It has been found that peppermint, in high doses, can aggravate acid reflux, causing irritation in the lining of the esophagus. The best treatment for heartburn is to avoid such products.
Lower intake of chocolate
Even though there is no conclusive evidence on the negative effects of chocolate, some studies have shown that it causes a weakening of the lower esophageal sphincter. So, patients with GERD should limit their consumption of chocolate.
Reduce intake of coffee
The presence of caffeine leads to a temporary weakening of the lower esophageal sphincter. It results in a higher risk of acid reflux.
Consumption of decaffeinated coffee reduces the occurrence of reflux as compared to regular coffee. So, a good home remedy for heartburn would be having decaffeinated coffee. However, if the symptoms persist, it is better to be on the safer side and avoid all kinds of coffee.
Limit the intake of carbonated beverages
In some cases, it has been found that there is a direct correlation between carbonated soft drinks and acid reflux. It is especially noticed in the case of patients who have Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease or GERD.
Limit the intake of citrus juice
Studies have shown that drinking grapefruit or orange juice has worsened symptoms of acid reflux in patients suffering from GERD. Acidity is also triggered by the pH value of orange juice.
Even though the esophageal sphincter is not directly affected or weakened by citrus juice, there are high chances that it may irritate the esophageal lining. For this reason, it might temporarily aggravate your heartburn. So, make sure that you keep your citrus consumption low to moderate.
Avoid overeating
When you overeat, you exert pressure on the esophageal sphincter which is a ring-like muscle that connects the esophagus to the stomach. It is similar to a valve, and thus, it prevents the stomach’s acidic content from going back to the esophagus.
People with acid reflux have weak sphincters. Overeating causes acid to push into the esophagus.
Losing weight
Acid reflux occurs when the pressure on the abdomen is high, particularly for those who are obese and for pregnant women as well. So to get relief from heartburn, one should try to lose weight.
Excessive abdominal pressure pushes the esophageal sphincter upwards, causing the stomach acid to enter the esophagus, thus causing acid reflux.
Controlling alcohol intake
The chances of getting acidity and heartburn rise due to the consumption of alcohol. Symptoms worsen as there is an increase in stomach acid. The esophageal sphincter becomes relaxed, and therefore, it cannot prevent the acid from entering the esophagus. As far as the treatment of heartburn is concerned, the best way it is to avoid the reasons that cause it.
Chewing gum
There has been evidence that chewing gum leads to a reduction of esophageal acidity. When you chew gum, it leads to an increase in saliva production. The bicarbonate in gum seems to be helpful. However, there is no actual reduction in the reflux.
Have an early dinner
If you suffer from acid reflux, it is advisable that you have dinner not less than three hours before bedtime. Though these results are not conclusive, people with GERD experienced greater symptoms of reflux when they had dinner just before going to bed.
Sleeping posture
Studies have shown that elevating your head while sleeping can reduce the symptoms of acid reflux and heartburn.