Acid Reflux Diet

By whatever name you call it, acid reflux disease is a miserable condition to find yourself with. The heartburn can be severe and the pain can last for hours, even costing you sleep at night. In that sense it can also affect your daytime activities as well. It is important to monitor your acid reflux diet to alleviate the condition.

GERD is simply an overabundance of stomach acid that has nowhere to go but upwards toward the throat. This can cause severe burning sensations in the chest, throat and back of the mouth. Some people even think they are having a heart attack due to chest pain associated with GERD.

There are many remedies for acid reflux, also called gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD, but a close watch on the diet for acid reflux can be very effective in lessening the occurrences of attacks.

Some acid reflux diet food misconceptions:

Myth #1: Drinking milk can lessen the effects of acid reflux. Drinking a glass of milk can be a quick fix for symptoms of GERD, but it actually has a rebound effect. This causes an over-creation of stomach acid, which in turn causes the symptoms to occur. So a drink of milk can actually increase the possibility of a GERD attack, especially before sleeping. Always go for the low fat variety, however.

Myth #2: Spicy foods, citrus fruit and coffee are off limits? This has been mainstream advice for quite some time. A medical study published recently in the Archives of Internal Medicine disputes this. According to the study, the only behavioral activities that lessen the occurrences of attacks are elevation of the head during sleep and eating less. NOTE: Sufferers should maintain an upright position during and up to 45 minutes after meals. Gravity works in your favor.

All that being said, some foods should be avoided as part of an acid reflux diet. Foods with a high fat content, such as fast food items, are not good for GERD patients. Fatty foods stay longer in the stomach and promote the production of more acid for digestion. A good rule of thumb is to maintain a diary between cause and effect. Trigger foods for acid reflux can vary between individuals.

Alcohol needs to be limited or avoided altogether. Beer is the main culprit when it comes to stomach acid production.

Contrary to common belief, hot or spicy foods do NOT cause GERD attacks. That is unless you have ulcers associated with your condition. If you do find individual cause and effect, exercise acid reflux diet control of the offending foods.

On the other hand, GERD patients should include some breads, rice or pasta in each meal. These foods pick up excess acid and reduce the amount left in the stomach. This lessens the intensity and frequency of attacks of acid reflux disease.

With the exception of the fatty foods mentioned above, the type of food is not the main factor with acid reflux disease. It's how much of it that gets eaten that determines the acid production. So don't overeat and you should be fine. Limit your intake of food at every juncture.

For instance, instead of eating three medium to large meals a day, try eating smaller amounts of food more often. Six small meals are better than 3 large ones when it comes to GERD.

Some safe foods for GERD sufferers include fresh fruits, lean meats, chicken, fish, baked potatoes, steamed vegetables and any kinds of grains. Cheeses like feta cheese or low fat choices are wise.

Typically, you want to look for foods with a low acidic content. These will require the stomach to produce less acid to digest the food you eat.

Low fat choices are on the acid reflux diet plan for patients, folks!

Contact Us | Resources | Privacy Policy |