Acid Reflux Defeated

“What exact foods and food groups to attack or avoid”, is obviously a quite common question for those wishing to gain control of their acid reflux. What specific food plan might there be that can alleviate the symptoms?  What acid reflux diet is available to me and makes sense?

Let’s again take just a moment to discuss what exactly food does to create your acid reflux problem.

There is a muscle between the esophagus and stomach that momentarily relaxes to allow food to travel into the stomach. This is the lower esophageal sphincter, which is a muscle that is much like a valve. Once the food passes through, the muscle tightens back up to keep the food, juices, and acid contained in the stomach where they belong. If this muscle does not shut the right way for whatever reason or cause, acid from the stomach can slide, splash, or be belched back into the esophagus which can cause irritation, discomfort, and even corrosion of the lining of the esophagus. That discomfort or pain is what we all refer to as heartburn.

The long term risk of heartburn and acid reflux is that if it goes untreated you will will develop scars and erosions that can eventually lead to or cause cancer. This cancer is referred to as Barrett’s esophagus.  Another risk, of a more short-term nature could be the development of ulcers and bleeding ulcers.

For an acid reflux diet, you should consider combining nutritional changes with lifestyle changes which can have a truly helpful influence for your acid reflux symptoms and even on your overall health. These following thing can help this combination and assist you in taking charge of your acid reflux:

~ High-fiber foods (vegetables, whole grains, fruits) greatly enhance your body’s digestive system, stop ulcers and eliminate toxins which reduces drastically your availability to acid reflux.  This is highly crucial to any acid reflux diet.

~ Fish oil and eating fish, which contain many anti-inflammatory agents in their omega-3 fatty acids, may be highly beneficial and be a great adversary for your acid reflux diet.  Take note however, that if belching is one of your symptoms that expel the acid upwards you MUST make sure that if you take a fish oil pill that you do so with plenty of water or liquid to get the pill  as far into your stomach as possible.  Not doing so will ensure you have fish on your breath for several hours.  You are welcome in advance for this extra tidbit.

~  Eat smaller meals and eat nutritional snacks.  The more food you pack into your stomach, the harder the stomach has to work to digest the food thus increasing the necessity for more………. acid.

~  Now to get somewhat gross for a moment. Foods with higher fat content take much longer to digest through your intestinal system.  They also tend to leave behind much more “residue” in their wake.  Follow me for a second here.  If there is less room in the intestinal tract for food to pass through and be digested what happens to the food you eat?  It spends a little bit more time in your stomach.  Spending more time in the stomach increases the necessity for more……… acid. Avoid fatty foods.

~  Four items that tremendously increase your acid problems are chocolate, alcohol, coffee, and worst of all, tomatoes.

An acid reflux diet that takes and incorporates these items will greatly assist you in controlling your symptoms.  As mentioned in previous posts, acid reflux is primarily hereditary so if it is a part of your existence then you have to find ways to control it.  Hopefully I am continuing to help you with this pursuit.

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