GERD Diet – What it Can Do For You and Your Heartburn
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a very common disease and millions of people worldwide suffer from this condition, which is caused by the stomach contents along with the digestive acids in the stomach backing up into the esophagus. In addition to drug therapy and lifestyle modification, doctors also recommend a proper diet to alleviate heartburn symptoms. This is because there is a very strong relationship between acid reflux and diet. Such a diet that includes foods that help relieve heartburn symptoms is known as a GERD diet. In fact, apples have been used to prevent acid reflux since historical times. Doctors mention many other foods to eat with acid reflux. A GERD diet includes a list of foods to eat with acid reflux. Such a list of foods is given below – Fruit: In addition to apples to prevent acid reflux, several other fresh fruits such as apples (either raw or cooked), bananas, berries, melons, peaches, pears and almost all other fruits except for a few varieties such as oranges, grapes, pineapples are considered extremely safe as they do not trigger any heartburn or GERD symptoms in the body. Vegetables: Fresh vegetables such as beans, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, green peas, potatoes (in baked form) and almost all other fruits except for a few varieties such as tomatoes are also considered relatively safe and unlikely. cause GERD symptoms at all. Rice and Bread Section: In the rice and bread section, foods that help stop heartburn, brown or white rice, brown bread or white bread, oatmeal, corn flakes, and bread made from corn flour are considered extremely safe and have no potential to cause acid reflux. your body Dairy products: There is a great example that explains the relationship between acid reflux and diet – when GERD patients drink whole milk or chocolate milk with extra cream, they immediately start experiencing symptoms of heartburn and acid reflux. Therefore, people with GERD must strictly avoid drinking whole milk or chocolate milk, as these drinks can worsen acid reflux symptoms. Instead, they can safely use items like skim milk, low-fat yogurt, low-fat cheese, low-fat creams, which are considered extremely safe because they do not cause any heartburn or GERD symptoms in the body at all. Non-Vegetarian Foods: Non-vegetarian foods such as lean meat, skinless chicken breast, fish (with no added fat), turkey, egg white, etc. are also considered relatively safe and unlikely to cause GERD symptoms. However, GERD sufferers should avoid items like meat full of fat, chicken (with skin), bacon, etc. to stop the heartburn problem. Soups and desserts: The rule of thumb is to avoid fatty and spicy foods to relieve GERD symptoms. One must also avoid chocolate and sweets that are loaded with excessive amounts of oil and sugar. However, if you can’t go without dessert or sweets, you can choose low-fat and sugar-free or low-carb alternatives that contain natural sweeteners that won’t worsen your reflux symptoms. Even soups full of cream are strongly discouraged. If you suffer from acid reflux, you need to stick to pure soups that do not contain any chicken or beef fat. Drinks and juices: There is another great example that explains the relationship between acid reflux and diet – people who drink tea, coffee, alcohol or lemon fruit juices commonly suffer from acid reflux. When they stop using the foods that make the symptoms worse, the symptoms are seen to subside temporarily. Therefore, people suffering from acid reflux problem must avoid citrus fruits and fruit juices to stop heartburn. However, they can drink juices made from non-citrus fruits. Apple juice for preventing acid reflux is very popular. GERD patients must also avoid heavily caffeinated beverages, herbal teas containing mint, cloves, or other spices, or even carbonated soft drinks, as all of these items are grossly responsible for worsening acid reflux symptoms in the body. Millions of people have seen improvement in their condition using the GERD diet. So if you suffer from GERD, why not stick to this type of diet and include different acid reflux foods and see if you notice any positive change yourself.
