Heartburn-Foods to Eat, Foods to Avoid
Drinks That May Trigger Heartburn
Preventing heartburn isn't just about food choices. Certain drinks can make heartburn more likely. Those beverages include coffee (regular or decaffeinated), caffeinated tea, colas, other carbonated drinks, and excess alcoholic beverages. Caffeinated beverages boost acid in the stomach and alcoholic beverages can relax the lower esophageal sphincter, leading to heartburn. And sodas, regardless of caffeine, can bloat the stomach, which may lead to heartburn. To make heartburn less likely, choose drinks that aren't fizzy and don't contain caffeine. Options include herbal teas, milk, and plain water. Having water with meals would also dilute stomach acid, making heartburn less likely. You may also want to limit tomato or citrus juices because of their acidity. And if you must have your coffee or other drinks that could promote heartburn, try to cut back -- maybe a smaller mug would help.
Chocolate: Chocolate contains stimulants similar
to caffeine, and caffeine can be a heartburn trigger. But if you can't bear the
thought of giving up chocolate, see if cutting back helps you avoid heartburn.
Watch your portion size, too; maybe you can handle a nibble. And keep the big
picture in mind -- is that chocolate coming at the end of a fatty feast? Are
you eating it by itself on an empty stomach? In short, what other heartburn
triggers may be at play?
Spicy Foods: Got a taste for spicy foods -- the hotter, the better? All that heat may provoke heartburn. Peppery foods and hot sauces can be heartburn triggers. But it's not just scorching hot items that are in question. Peppermint is cool, not fiery, but it may relax the lower esophageal sphincter, leading to heartburn. And although garlic and onions aren't spices, they are flavorful foods that may spur heartburn.Just because you have heartburn, you aren't necessarily headed for a lifetime of bland foods. Try turning down the heat. You don't have to drown your wings in hot sauce, for instance. And maybe you could dial your chili down to two alarms instead of four. Easing up a bit on the spiciness could make a difference. "There are other ways to flavor foods that don't really require something that burns one's tongue.
Write It Down: Everyone's different. Your heartburn triggers might be different from someone else's. For instance, you might tolerate spicy foods better than someone else with heartburn, and you might find you can handle a small cup of coffee as long as you don't gulp it down by itself. You'll want to learn what you can handle and what leads to heartburn, and jotting that down can help you pinpoint what eating habits you need to change.
Try Chewing Gum: Studies suggests chewing gum after a meal to stimulate saliva production, since saliva neutralizes acid and spurs the stomach to move its contents into the small intestine faster -- basically, moving it down the line before heartburn sets in. Hence I recommend picking a flavor that isn't peppermint or mint, in order to avoid relaxing the lower esophageal sphincter.
Don't lie down right after a meal -- allow three hours between dinner and bedtime. Since smoking and being overweight may also make heartburn more likely, take steps toward a healthier lifestyle, if warranted. And although occasional heartburn is common, you may want to ask your doctor about frequent heartburn, which could be a symptom of GERD.
By…Belinda Yeboah
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