Foods Good for Acid Reflux Disease

Acid reflux disease, also known as heartburn, is a condition in which acid from the stomach enters the esophagus causing pain and discomfort. While there are many medications available for the treatment of acid reflux, many times a change in diet can help alleviate symptoms.

Foods to Avoid

To relieve acid reflux symptoms through your diet, there are several foods you should avoid. Foods high in acid like tomatoes or citrus fruits may exacerbate acid reflux. Caffeine, chocolate, peppermint and alcohol may weaken the sphincter separating the stomach and the esophagus and lead to more reflux. Spicy foods may irritate your esophagus and make reflux more painful. Carbonated beverages can fill your stomach with air and push the contents of the stomach into the esophagus. Overly fatty foods have a long residence time in the stomach and can therefore become very acidic and cause more severe heartburn. While avoiding these foods may not help everyone with acid reflux disease, it is worth eliminating them from your diet to see if it helps your symptoms.

Healthy Diet

If you avoid the foods that can trigger acid reflux, you should be able to consume any other foods without a problem. Your diet should consist of healthful whole grains, brightly colored fruits and vegetables, low fat dairy and lean protein such as fish and poultry. Because acid reflux occurs often in overweight people, adopting a healthy eating style can help with weight loss and alleviate acid reflux symptoms.

Beneficial Foods

Certain foods have been correlated with an improvement in acid reflux symptoms. Whole grains are recommended for an acid reflux diet. Bananas and apples are fruits that can help acid reflux. Carrots, cabbage, green beans, baked potatoes and broccoli are good vegetable options. Caution should be taken with vegetables that have a tendency to cause gas because of the propensity these have, like carbonated beverages, to distend the stomach and make acid reflux worse.

Personalized Diet

Although there are foods that are recommended for acid reflux sufferers, there is no single diet that is recommended for all people with acid reflux because foods are tolerated differently. For instance, some people find that milk or bananas may trigger acid reflux but may not be troublesome to others. If you suffer from acid reflux it is important to record times when your acid reflux is worst and try to correlate your symptoms with a food you can avoid.

Other Factors

Whatever makes up your diet, it is important not to overeat. Overfilling the stomach will push against the sphincter in your esophagus which may weaken and allow reflux to occur. It is also important not to eat right before laying down. Staying upright after a meal can prevent many bouts of acid reflux.