When the gastric juices that contain acid travel back into the esophagus from the stomach, the condition is known as acid reflux.
Symptoms of Acid Reflux: The symptoms include:
• Heartburn
• Chest pain
• Regurgitation
• Difficulty in swallowing
• Asthma, dental erosion, and hoarseness
Acid Reflux Diet: One of the first things that you should do is to reduce your intake of foods that might cause acid reflux. Since different foods cause acid reflux in different people, it might take some time to figure out which foods cause the condition. Here is a list of common foods that cause acid reflux:
• High fat food products like high fat meats, fried foods and high fat dairy products
• Sodas
• Acidic fruits like citrus fruits and juices extracted from such fruits
• Vegetables with high acid content, such as raw onions and tomatoes
• Garlic as it is believed that the herb can weaken the muscle of the lower esophageal sphincter
• Caffeinated beverages like tea and coffee
• Alcoholic beverages
• Peppermint
• Chocolate
• Pepper and chilli pepper
Tips:
• While you may have to keep a check on what you eat, there still are several food products that you can enjoy. These include baked potatoes, green beans, peas, carrots, bananas, apples, and lean meats.
• You must also keep track of the quantity of food that you eat. You might want to eat five to six smaller meals rather than eating three large meals. This helps the stomach digest the food properly.
• Avoid eating food before you go to bed as a heavy meal can trigger of the reflux problem. This happens because the stomach produces a lot of acid to digest the food. So try to eat a few hours before you go to bed.
• After eating a meal, try to remain upright for an hour or more.
• You might want to lose weight if you are on the heavier side. Overweight people are more vulnerable to acid reflux than people with normal weight.
• Keep away from fast foods as these are rich in fat and your stomach will produce more acid to digest it. You’ll also put on weight and this will aggravate the problem of acid reflux.
• It is advisable to eat foods rich in complex carbohydrates as this can prevent acid reflux.
• Limit the intake of alcohol as alcoholic beverages increase the secretion of acid and might also suppress the contraction of the esophageal sphincter.
• Another important thing that you must do is to keep away from food products that can increase the production of acid. Some of the foods that you must avoid include alcohol, chocolate, citrus fruits, tomatoes, spicy foods and coffee.