You’ve felt it: that burning sensation that starts in your chest and slowly rises up your throat like a slow burning fire. It goes by many names, including the expletive-laden terms that patients keep to themselves, but the most common are gastroesophageal reflux, heartburn, and acid indigestion.
If it only happens once in a while, that means you probably ate something that didn’t sit well with you. However, if it happens more than twice a week, you may have a more serious condition called gastroesophageal reflux disease. Either way, your diet is the best place to start managing your acid reflux symptoms so they don’t get out of control.
What is an acid reflux diet?
Taking a good look at your diet is the first line of defense to combat gastroesophageal reflux, especially since most symptoms are reported after a meal, according to research published in the July 2017 issue of the Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility.
If you have acid reflux, you are likely to have trigger foods, meaning those that cause burning pain, spitting up, or difficulty swallowing. Trigger foods can vary from person to person. Following a reflux diet means that you should eliminate foods that commonly cause heartburn and add foods that are known to alleviate symptoms.
For most people, that means removing suspicious foods and monitoring the effect on symptoms, then slowly adding them to see if acid reflux comes back. This is how you find what food is causing that in your case.
Much of how diet affects acid reflux has to do with a muscle ring that relaxes to allow food to pass from the esophagus to the stomach, called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). Some foods and lifestyle behaviors cause the LES to relax too much, and that allows the contents of the stomach to return to the esophagus, according to research from August 2019 published in the Journal of Thoracic Disease.
What should you eat on an acid reflux diet?
An acid reflux diet is extremely personalized, as a trigger food for you may not be a trigger food for someone else. However, this type of diet can be healthy in general, and you may improve the quality of your diet.
Some common trigger foods are the ones that should be limited in the diet anyway, and others are known to make the LES relax too much.
Food allowed
- Fresh fruit with less acidity, including berries, stone fruit, bananas, melon, most apples.
- Vegetables.
- Lean proteins, such as chicken, lean beef, fish, eggs.
- Whole grains.
- Nuts and seeds.
- Vegetables.
- Low-fat dairy.
Foods to avoid
- Caffeine.
- Spicy food.
- Foods high in fat, including whole and fried dairy.
- Chocolate.
- Mint.
- Carbonated drinks, such as soft drinks.
- Alcohol.
- Acidic foods and drinks, including citrus, tomatoes, pineapple, foods containing vinegar, buttermilk.
What can I drink for acid reflux?
Since caffeine generally aggravates acid reflux, opt for caffeine-free herbal teas like chamomile. However, avoid peppermint or peppermint tea, as it can trigger symptoms. Other drinks that are generally safe for people with acid reflux include:
- Water
- Coconut water
- Low fat or fat free milk
- Alternatives to milk, such as almond or soy milk.
- Low-acid juices, such as those made from carrots, watermelon, or cucumber
Is this type of diet healthy?
Obviously, there are some foods on the “banned” list that are healthy foods, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get those nutrients from other foods that won’t aggravate your acid reflux symptoms.
Following an acid reflux diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can help control your symptoms, and yes, it is a very healthy way to eat.
According to research published in the November 2017 issue of the Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, people who had a higher intake of fiber in their diet had a lower risk of GERD. Additionally, an August 2019 research article published in the Journal of Thoracic Disease found that people who increased their fiber intake saw a reduction in acid reflux symptoms.
Should you try it?
If the symptoms bother you enough to find solutions to tame them, then you should try to modify your diet.
However, diet is not the only change you should make. There are many lifestyle factors that are also known to cause reflux, and diet alone may not be enough to completely get rid of heartburn.
- Stop smoking
- Eat smaller meals
- Don’t lie down right after eating; wait at least an hour
- Talk to a doctor to see if any medications you are taking could be causing reflux.
- Weight gain can cause acid reflux, so losing weight can help reduce symptoms.
What sweets can you eat with acid reflux?
Although you should mainly avoid desserts that are high in fat or that contain chocolate, mint, or peppermint, the following sweets are usually safe for people with heartburn:
- Angel cake
- Low-fat or fat-free ice cream, frozen yogurt, sherbet, pudding, and custard
- Low fat cookies
- Jelly
- Sugar, honey, jelly, jam, syrup, marshmallows