Fruits that cause acid reflux can lead to heartburn and other types of acid reflux. While most people associate acid reflux only with the consumption of spicy or fatty foods, it is often overlooked that certain fruits can cause acid reflux as well. Here is an overview of fruits that may cause acid reflux and make it worse.
Fruits That Cause Acid Reflux
Everyone experiences acid reflux differently, while some meals and beverages are more likely to induce symptoms than others. We’ve put up a list of 10 foods to stay away from if you have this digestive health issue so you can feel your best.
Coffee
Caffeinated beverages such as coffee, some teas, and soda will trigger acid reflux symptoms. They are best avoided altogether. Try jogging or yoga for your morning jolt instead.
Broccoli
If your acid reflux is associated with gas and indigestion, foods like broccoli will add gas to your digestive system, triggering reflux symptoms.
Citrus fruits
The acid present in citrus fruits will trigger reflux symptoms because they relax the lower esophageal sphincter. Citrus fruits also contain more acid than other fruits, which will add to most people’s symptoms.
Alcohol
Liquor, beer, and wine can all trigger severe acid reflux symptoms in two different ways. Secondly, alcohol loosens the muscles that control the lower esophageal sphincter, allowing acid to enter the esophagus. Second, alcohol increases stomach acid production.
Spicy foods
Spicy foods (chili, curry, etc.) are among the most common causes of acid reflux symptoms in Americans. If you suffer from any kind of reflux, it is best to avoid the heat.
Chocolate
Don’t shoot the messenger, but chocolate (both milk and dark) is a known trigger of acid reflux symptoms. Chocolate contains a compound called theobromine that causes the esophageal sphincter muscles to relax, allowing acid to travel up the esophagus.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes and tomato-based foods contain high levels of acid and relax the lower esophageal sphincter muscles in the same way chocolate does. Avoid foods such as marinara sauce, ketchup, and tomato soup.
Large meals
Large meals can place more strain on the lower esophageal sphincter muscles, increasing the likelihood that the food will enter the esophagus, especially two or three hours before going to bed. As it takes some time for the brain to realize that the stomach is full, it is preferable to quit eating before you actually feel full.
High fat foods and beverages
Scientists’ findings on how nutrition affects acid reflux can be contradictory. However numerous studies have revealed that consumption of high-fat foods and beverages is connected to a worsening of GERD symptoms. Thus it could be better for you to stay away from fried foods, items with lots of sauce, and high-fat beverages (such as milkshakes or alcoholic beverages made with cream or liqueur).
Top 9 Heartburn Trigger Foods to Avoid
You can reduce the likelihood of experiencing heartburn by eating the correct foods. Avoid these typical heartburn-causing triggers.
Use These Food Clues to Find the Cause of Heartburn Symptoms
The burning sensation behind the breastbone is all too familiar if you’re one of the 60 million Americans who experience it at least once a month. If you’re lucky, the symptoms of heartburn only last a short while. Yet, heartburn might linger for hours in the majority of people. According to Steven Lamm, MD, an internist, preventive health expert, faculty member at the NYU School of Medicine in New York, and author of No Guts, No Glory, “What happens during heartburn is that stomach acid is backing up into your esophagus.”
Nevertheless, not everyone is impacted by food in the same way. You could find it helpful to keep a meal journal and search for signs of what might be triggering your heartburn symptoms. Learn these typical foods that cause heartburn to start.
Acidic Foods
Citrus fruits, including oranges, grapefruits, lemons, limes, and pineapples, are often shown to cause heartburn symptoms in many people. This is especially true if you consume citrus fruits first thing in the morning. Citrus fruits are quite acidic, and having too much acid in your stomach can cause heartburn symptoms. Think of these foods as fanning the fire. Avoid citrus fruit juice if you want to prevent heartburn.
Furthermore, tomatoes are a major cause of heartburn due to their high acid content. Not only do you consume tomatoes in salads and sandwiches, but you also consume tomato sauce on pizza and pasta.
Garlic
Although the aroma of foods loaded with garlic can make your mouth water, if you’re prone to heartburn you may want to skip it.
Coffee
Coffee is frequently a food that causes heartburn. In the morning, you might be able to get away with one or two cups of coffee, but it’s crucial to establish your personal tolerance level. Also keep in mind that tea and many soft drinks also contain caffeine, so you might want to think about limiting your intake of these drinks as well to prevent heartburn.
Alcohol
Alcohol typically causes heartburn, according to Lamm. That covers alcoholic beverages like hard liquor, red wine, and beer. He continues, “Some people may experience more difficulties with hard liquor than they may with wine or beer.” Yet, some people can get heartburn even from low-alcohol beer. Combining a large lunch or fatty meals with a cocktail or glass of wine can make the situation worse.
Chocolate
Heartburn symptoms may not be brought on by a small bit of chocolate every now and then, but they may be brought on by a large piece of chocolate candy or a rich chocolate mousse for dessert. If you think chocolate makes you get heartburn, try to only eat it on special occasions and in limited amounts.
Spicy Foods
Spicy foods are under the broad list of things that can trigger heartburn symptoms. The worst offenders include foods that are laden with spicy peppers and hot sauces. Lamm notes that this is because potent spices might irritate the lining of your stomach. Yet, this does not always imply that all foods with heat or spice are off-limits. Spices might not give you heartburn if you consume them in moderation. Try turning the heat down or choose “mild” food options.
Onions
Many people get heartburn symptoms when they eat onions, and raw onions, which are extremely acidic foods, frequently cause the worst symptoms. If you fully sauté the onions to lessen their power, you might be able to get away with using only a tiny amount. Using a sweeter onion variety, like Vidalia, is another choice that some people find effective because they are less potent.
Fried Foods
The longer food remains in your stomach, the more likely it is that digestive juices may back up into your esophagus and produce heartburn. Fatty foods take longer to digest. Along with the obvious high-fat items like fried chicken, French fries, and fish sticks, you should also avoid eating avocados, cheese, ice cream, and almonds.
Peppermint
Although peppermint is typically believed to calm an upset stomach, it is also one of the most unexpected heartburn triggers. The lower esophageal sphincter, the muscular ring that surrounds the lower portion of the esophagus and separates it from the stomach, may relax as a result of the menthol in peppermint, according to one theory. Heartburn might result from stomach acid flowing back up more easily when this ring relaxes.
8 FOODS THAT ARE MAKING YOUR GERD WORSE
Everyone must eat, but those with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) may have severe side effects if they eat the incorrect stuff. Here is a list of eight meals that are exacerbating your GERD symptoms if you are only now beginning to suffer symptoms and are unsure of what is to blame.
1. DAIRY
Dairy items, such as milk, tend to be heavy in fat and aggravate heartburn. When you have heartburn or other GERD symptoms frequently, eating high-fat dairy products like cheese can make them worse.
Ice cream and other cold dairy products can actually numb and impair the function of the lower esophageal sphincter. As a result, it is considerably simpler for stomach acid to backwash up into the esophagus.
2. CITRUS
Citrus fruits like lemons, oranges, and limes can exacerbate your GERD symptoms. Another meal that you might wish to avoid in order to control your symptoms is grapefruit.
WHY DOES CITRUS GIVE ME HEARTBURN?
Citrus fruits increase the production of gastric acid in your stomach since they have high citric acid content. Your stomach becomes more full as a result, increasing the likelihood of reflux. Although though you might not always get heartburn after eating citrus fruits, if you often drink orange juice, you may want to cut back on the citrus if you find a correlation between your symptoms.
3. TOMATOES
These swiftly growing crimson, juicy fruits are a common ingredient in many dishes. Many of our favorite foods are wonderful because of their umami or savory flavor. Tomatoes are used in many dishes, including lasagna, stew, pizza, and pasta with marinara sauce. They include potassium, vitamin C, and antioxidants, making them nutritious as well.
But tomatoes also contain a lot of acid. The acids in tomatoes will make your stomach more acidic, much like citrus does.
4. SPICY FOODS
Food tastes better when it contains chili peppers, hot sauce, paprika, salsa, wasabi, and other spicy ingredients. Yet, the flavor of spicy meals comes from a chemical compound called capsaicin. Moreover, capsaicin promotes the formation of stomach acid and generates a burning sensation on the mucous membranes in the digestive tract.
5. COFFEE
The caffeine in coffee is nearly a need for everyone’s day because it gives many individuals a boost in the morning and keeps them energized all day. Nevertheless, coffee’s caffeine also makes the LES’s contractions less effective. It might not be enough to drink one cup of coffee a day to trigger issues. Yet, the amount of caffeine you consume might hold the key.
Reduce your caffeine intake if you frequently have heartburn after drinking coffee with a high caffeine concentration.
6. SODA
Two aspects of soda and other soft beverages make acid reflux symptoms worse. One is that it contains caffeine, exactly like coffee. Carbonation is the following.
Caffeine can be found in cola, energy drinks, and even some citrus sodas. The more frequently you consume caffeinated, sugary drinks, the more likely it is that your LES won’t work properly.
The stomach’s internal pressure rises as a result of the carbonation in sodas. Reflux becomes more likely when the pressure buildup and caffeine’s LES-relaxing properties are combined.
7. FRIED FOODS
Certain meals naturally include a lot of saturated fats, which digest more slowly in the stomach. Fried, fatty foods slow down digestion as well. Your stomach will release extra acid to break down these complex lipids. Your stomach will consequently feel fuller and the probability of reflux will rise.
8. CHOCOLATE
Caffeine, which relaxes the LES, is present in chocolate in similar levels to coffee. Another acidic ingredient that might raise stomach acid is cocoa powder. Serotonin is also released by eating chocolate. Stress can be reduced by the hormone serotonin, which regulates mood. Serotonin, however, can also relax the LES, which raises the risk of acid reflux.
GERD Diet: The Best Foods for Controlling Reflux
An inadequate anti-reflux barrier at the gastroesophageal junction, which permits stomach acid to escape and travel back up the esophagus, is the hallmark of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). It can result in everything from heartburn and a recurrent cough to esophagitis, ulcers, and cancer since it affects the entire digestive tract. Depending on the severity of the condition, GERD can be treated with a wide variety of drugs. One of the easier things a person with GERD can do to help mitigate these effects is to make a few purposeful dietary changes.
Many meals have the potential to enhance stomach acid production, which in turn makes GERD symptoms worse. Fatty foods, spicy foods, citrus fruits, and caffeine are some common GERD trigger foods. Avoiding trigger foods, along with other lifestyle adjustments and medical therapies, can help GERD symptoms become less severe. The following are suitable choices for those who experience acid reflux.
Green Vegetables
Acid reflux is known to be prevented and relieved by eating green vegetables like broccoli, asparagus, leafy greens, peas, cucumbers, and Brussels sprouts. These veggies have a very low fat level and a high alkaline value. The stomach acid’s high pH is balanced by the low pH.
With the noteworthy exception of garlic and onions, which are known to exacerbate the symptoms, vegetables are typically a suitable choice for people with GERD. It’s also crucial to consider how preparing veggies may impact stomach acid. For instance, using butter and margarine to sauté vegetables may make acid reflux symptoms worse because they are often high in fat.
Fiber
The characteristics of fiber as a digestive aid play a significant role in the reduction of acid reflux in high-fiber diets such fruits, vegetables, and grains. Among other reasons, fiber absorbs fluids in the digestive system to stop stomach acid from being displaced. Because of this, foods high in soluble fiber, such as beans, oatmeal, and barley, are particularly advantageous (as opposed to sources of insoluble fiber, such as whole wheat, corn, and nuts).
Low-Acid Fruits
Acidic meals make stomach acid even more uncomfortable. Citrus fruits, which contain citric acid and include lemons, oranges, and pineapples, are among the foods with a high acid content. Another fruit with a high acid content is the tomato, whose high amounts of citric and malic acids can aggravate acid reflux. Melon, bananas, and coconuts are a few low-acid fruit options that don’t notably worsen acid reflux.
Lean Protein
A diet rich in protein is essential for good health. Yet, many common sources of protein are also high in fat, which makes acid reflux worse by slowing down digestion and leading to an increase in stomach acid. Red meats and other fatty meats are typical sources of fatty protein. Because some areas of the animal will naturally have more fat than others, the cut of the meat is also important. Fish and skinless poultry are two of the best sources of lean protein.
Healthy Fats
While certain types of fats, such as those in avocados, walnuts, and olive oil, can help with GERD symptoms, they can also worsen them. Healthy fats may lessen inflammation and hunger, yet it’s still advisable to consume them in moderation if you have GERD. Therefore, by reducing inflammation brought on by irritation to the gut lining, good fats may be beneficial.
Complex Carbohydrates
A diet strong in carbs might exacerbate acid reflux since they take longer to digest, but they are an essential component of a balanced diet and shouldn’t be completely avoided unless a doctor advises you to. Consuming reasonable amounts of nutritious complex carbs is the greatest alternative for those who experience acid reflux (as opposed to simple carbohydrates).
Complex carbs tend to have a higher fiber content and to better regulate appetite, despite the fact that they are actually processed more slowly than simple carbohydrates. As was already noted, fiber helps lessen symptoms of acid reflux, and hunger control stops stomach acid from being displaced and the impulse to eat continuously throughout the day (which would cause more acid to be produced over the course of the day). Oatmeal, beans, brown rice, sweet potatoes, and quinoa are a few typical examples of wholesome complex carbs.
Additional Dietary Modifications to Control Reflux
Beyond dietary choices, there are also many other simple lifestyle changes a GERD sufferer can make in their day-to-day life to reduce symptoms.
- Chew Gum: Chewing gum stimulates the salivary glands. More saliva can dilute acid in the esophagus and encourage more swallowing.
- Avoid Eating Immediately Before Bed: Your body produces more stomach acid every time you eat. Therefore, it is best to avoid eating before bed because being in a horizontal position causes stomach acid to settle closer to the esophagus. Additionally, it can be beneficial for many people with GERD to prop themselves up in bed for this same reason.
- Maintain Proper Posture Throughout and After Meals: As previously mentioned, your body’s position might cause stomach acid to be displaced. Those with GERD should sit or stand up straight after meals, even if they don’t intend to go to bed anytime soon. This makes it less likely that pressure on the stomach or an inclined posture may cause the extra acid produced by eating to be displaced.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF FRUITS
Fruits are an essential part of a healthy diet and offer numerous health benefits. Here are 10 health benefits of fruits:
- Provide essential nutrients: Fruits are an excellent source of essential vitamins, minerals, and dietary fiber, which are essential for optimal health.
- Boost immune function: Fruits are rich in antioxidants, which help to protect the body from harmful free radicals and boost immune function.
- Reduce the risk of chronic diseases: Eating fruits regularly has been linked to a lower risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, stroke, and certain types of cancer.
- Help maintain healthy blood pressure: The potassium in fruits helps to maintain healthy blood pressure levels and reduce the risk of hypertension.
- Aid digestion: Fruits are rich in fiber, which helps to promote healthy digestion and prevent constipation.
- Promote healthy skin: The vitamins and antioxidants in fruits help to promote healthy skin and reduce the signs of aging.
- Boost energy levels: Fruits are a great source of natural sugars, which provide energy and help to combat fatigue.
- Support healthy weight management: Fruits are low in calories and high in fiber, making them an excellent choice for maintaining a healthy weight.
- Improve heart health: The nutrients and antioxidants in fruits help to reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering cholesterol levels and improving blood flow.
- Enhance mental health: Eating fruits regularly has been linked to improved mood and cognitive function, as well as a reduced risk of depression and anxiety.
Overall, adding more fruits to your diet is an excellent way to support optimal health and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. It’s recommended to aim for at least 2 servings of fruits per day as part of a balanced diet.