Heartburn, or acid reflux, is characterized by a considerable burning sensation in the stomach and esophagus region. The good news is that heartburn is largely avoidable if you steer clear of the top foods that cause acid reflux, heartburn, indigestion, gas, and bloating in adults. From coffee and liquor to tomatoes and grapefruits, here is what you need to know about heartburn triggers.
I. Foods That Cause Acid Reflux, Heartburn, Indigestion, Gas And Bloating In Adults
1. Citrus FruitsIt is said that citrus fruits, such as oranges, grapefruits, orange juice, and tangerines are big heartburn culprits. Especially, your breakfast orange juice can be giving you heartburn later in the day. Citrus foods are high in acidic qualities, which make them likely to cause symptoms of heartburn, particularly in an entire empty stomach.
If you still love drinking orange juice, try to get them in as early in the day as possible like in the morning, then you can take advantage of a low-acid orange juice. This will reduce the risk of acid reflux because a lot of people experience it in bed or while lounging.
2. Tomatoes
The second one in the list of foods that cause acid reflux, heartburn, indigestion, gas and bloating in adults is tomato. Yes, tomatoes are great for the human health as they are packed with healthy nutrients such as vitamin C and lycopene. However, these tasty red fruits are as acidic as their citrus cousins and might lead to the condition of chest pain afterward. Tomatoes, both fresh and canned, can upset your stomach when you digest them. Thus, be careful of tomatoes used in cooking. Consuming a tasty pasta sauce can haunt you later in the night. Besides, you should also consider such condiments which are high in tomatoes and acid, like salsa and ketchup.
3. Garlic And Onions
Obviously, garlic and onion are used in most dishes in order to make them taste better. A large number of people consider garlic as a healthy food and eat it when their stomach upset. Yet, according to some studies, these foods also trigger the risk of heartburn. Thus, try eliminating garlic as well as onion from your current diet and replace them with different herbs to flavor your dishes.
4. Pepper And Salt
A lot of people see the symptoms of heartburn after consuming spicy foods. They may react with chili, yet they may forget that pepper can also be a trigger. Pepper could be rather spicy but people tend to ignore it as a simple spice. In other words, salt could also be a big trigger for acid flux or heartburn. Many studies pointed out that those people who eat such diets which are high in salt tend to have the higher risk of developing heartburn than those who do not. Therefore, it is better for your stomach to cut down the sodium intake in your diet and watch your spice amounts.
5. Butter
The majority of us know that fatty foods could be culprits of heartburn, how you process your foods could also play an important role in this problem. Frying in oil and butter may add unwanted calories as well as fat to your daily meals. Instead, you should choose a nonstick pan and make use of a touch of cooking spray. Steaming or grilling should be considered if you do want to develop heartburn. Abolish butter and sprinkle some herbs for flavor.
6. Peppermint
This is another trigger of heartburn, especially if you have just eaten garlic, then reaching an after-dinner mint in the purse just makes your risk of heartburn increased.
In fact, many people believe that peppermint can soothe the upset stomach, but actually, peppermint might cause heartburn symptoms as it relaxes the sphincter, which is the muscle between the esophagus and the stomach. This will let those stomach acids flow freely back into the esophagus.
If you want to find the replacement for mint, then you should consider ginger as it is an all-natural nausea decreasing foods. Drinking ginger tea before going to bed will lessen the chance of overnight heartburn effectively.
7. Candies
Sugar included in candies can be the worst culprit of acid reflux, particularly in those who had heartburn. So, you had better avoid the foods included sugar. Though natural sugar could be good, you still need to listen carefully to your body’s voice. Candy includes vitamin C for flavor and the preservative qualities. That could make the candy so acidic, leading to heartburn risk.
8. Spicy Foods
As mentioned above, spicy foods containing chili could be trigger of heartburn. And foods flavored with salsa are also likely to trigger this problem in those individuals who are prone to it.
However, the impact of spicy food on acid reflux is interesting. A few people complain that they get heartburn after consuming spicy dish while others might find spicy foods assist them in calming their chronic heartburn. Spicy food can impact the levels of acid in your own stomach, producing more hostile environment that could enhance acid reflux. If you find spicy food could trigger your heartburn, you should cut back the heat in your meal plans.
9. Caffeine & Soda
Those drinks with caffeine such as tea, coffee, and soda are likely to trigger the symptoms of heartburn in those people who are easily prone. Any beverage high in caffeine may also cause the condition of heartburn.
In case that you are one of those individuals who could not function without a cup of coffee in the morning, fortunately, you do not have to stop drinking it entirely. . Moderation is key here. Just cut down and pay attention to the portion sizes. For example, drinking a 3- or 4-ounce cup of coffee per day can help you enjoy your favorite beverage while still keeping heartburn at bay.
Likewise, soda could also be very damaging to those who are suffering from acid reflux. Colas and fruits flavored drinks consist of carbon dioxide which is a danger. The bubble might force your esophagus, letting acid creep up. If you feel that carbonation of soda result in heartburn, then replace it with water. Water is always a better option!
10. Alcohol
Beer, wine and such tasty pomegranate martinis can cause heartburn attacks as alcohol can open and relax your sphincter muscle between your throat and your stomach, allowing stomach acid to travel, likewise as the way mint does.
A large intake of alcohol can be a disaster for your stomach. In case that you enjoy a drink it, reduce the portion so that you can minimize the risk of heartburn.
II. Solutions For Alleviating Acid Reflux And Related Conditions
1. Check Out Trigger FoodsTo prevent heartburn, bloating or gas, you should eat smaller meals and change the foods you consume as I listed out above including chocolate, tomatoes, spicy foods, garlic, tea, coffee, carbonated beverages, mints, fatty and fried foods.
2. Relax And Eat Slowly
Beside avoid eating foods that cause acid reflux, heartburn, indigestion, gas and bloating in adults; you also should not eat over full as it can make your acid-reflux symptoms worse. Just eat until you are comfortably full. Make sure that you sit down to eat and enjoy your meal.
3. Chew Gum After Meals
Chewing gum encourages the saliva production to neutralize the stomach acid, especially cinnamon gum. Chewing gum also stimulates the frequent swallowing to clear irritating acid from your esophagus quickly. Be sure that you won’t choose mint gum, pick up fruit or cinnamon gum instead.
4. Cut Fatty Foods & High-Fat Meals
Lay off fried foods, fatty steak, deep-dish pizza and chicken wings. Actually, these high-fat meals and fatty foods can delay your stomach emptying and make you suffer from gas, indigestion, bloating and heartburn. Instead, you can consume foods with lean proteins such as seafood, skinless poultry, beans, whole grains, fiber-rich vegetables and fruits.
5. Limit Drinking Carbonated Beverages During Your Meals
Water can add to volumes of foods in the stomach and increase the stomach distension. A fat belly puts pressure on the LES and the muscle so that it prevents foods from moving back into the esophagus, and adds to the high risk of your bloating, gas and acid reflux. To minimize your stomach volume, drink small sips of beverages, especially sodas while eating foods.
6. Do Not Lie Down Immediately After Meals
To alleviate acid reflux, don’t lie down for the first 2 hours after you have finished your meal. In fact, standing up or walking around can help gastric juices flow in its right direction. Similarly, while sleeping, you should keep the upper body elevated by putting a book underneath the mattress.
7. Quit Smoking
This is another reason to quit cigarettes. Exactly, smoking can lead to the high risk of GERD, slowing your digestion and increasing acid reflux in your stomach, while limiting the salvia production as a natural defense against that acid! Besides harming the esophagus, cigarette also damages your digestive system as well as weakens stomach’s LES muscle that causes your gas, bloating and acid reflux.
8. Wear Looser Clothing
Wearing clothes tight can put more pressure on your belly and cause discomfort and pain of your GERD. By wearing clothes more comfortably, you can get rid of gas, heartburn or even indigestion naturally.
9. Shed Pounds
Being obese may be a contributor to your heartburn. According to a study, fat people are twice of having some symptoms of GERD and high pressure on stomach. Thus, the body fat can release more chemicals, which interfere with your digestive functioning. Fortunately, losing weight can aid in relieving and control acid reflux.
In order to avoid heartburn or acid reflux naturally, it is essential for you to pay attention to your diet. Check out the whole list of foods that cause heartburn above can help you keep heartburn at bay.
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