Will eating this give me heartburn?
To answer this question,
we first must understand what heartburn is. It is a burning discomfort usually
in the center of the chest that continues up to the throat in some individuals.
Stomach acid refluxes (flows upwards through a valve called the lower esophageal
sphincter) into the esophagus and irritates its tissue. Certain foods trigger
heartburn and you need to identify the foods that trigger your heartburn. This
slideshow may help you identify foods that may trigger heartburn and offers
suggestions about how the risk for heartburn can be reduced.
Heartburn Trigger: Too Much Food
In
general, if a person eats a large volume of food - and it does not matter what
type of food it is or how often you’ve eaten it in the past - this large volume
of almost any food can trigger heartburn. Consequently, eating smaller portions
can avoid volume–related heartburn.
Heartburn Trigger: Eating on the
Go
Volume
of food intake is not the only problem that can increase the risk of developing
heartburn. Nutritionists suggest that eating on the run (grabbing fast food,
eating it quickly, then going on to work or other activities) increases the
risk for heartburn. To decrease the risk, slow down casually eat foods.
Heartburn Trigger: Fatty Foods
High-fat
foods take longer to digest in the stomach and the longer foods remain in
stomach, the higher the risk for heartburn symptoms to develop. The risk is
much greater if you combine foods that are high in fat with a high volume of
these fatty foods.
Heartburn Tip: Cut Back on Fat
Some
people may have to give up their favorite foods to avoid heartburn. However, if
some of your favorite foods such as shrimp are prepared broiled and not fried,
wrapped in fatty bacon, or consumed in large quantities, they may be enjoyed
without causing heartburn. Trimming the fat off meat, baking, grilling,
broiling, or roasting some foods instead of frying them can help reduce the
risk of heartburn.
Heartburn Trigger: Acidic Foods
Foods
that contain a normally low pH (acidic foods such as tomatoes, citrus fruits
such as oranges, grapefruits, and lemons, or vinegar found in salad dressings)
have a risk of causing heartburn when eaten by themselves, or on an empty
stomach
Heartburn Tip: Limit Acidic Foods
There
other options for fresh fruits besides acidic tomatoes and citrus fruits, but
you may still enjoy small portions of acidic foods if you eat them in
combination with non-acidic foods such as with pasta or with vegetables. The
acidity will be reduced when acidic foods are eaten in small amounts combined
with other non-acidic foods. If you find some foods you like are acidic, try
eating them in small amounts with other foods to see if heartburn symptoms do
not develop.
Drinks That May Trigger Heartburn
Food
is not the only trigger for heartburn; liquids can easily be a heartburn
trigger. Heartburn risk can be increased by drinking coffee, caffeinated tea,
carbonated drinks, and alcoholic beverages. Caffeine can boost acid in the
stomach, alcoholic beverages can cause the lower esophageal sphincter to relax
and thereby allow gastric contents to enter the esophagus. Carbonated drinks
may also contain caffeine; however even without caffeine carbonated drinks can
bloat the stomach which increases the risk for heartburn.
Heartburn Tip: Try Other Drinks
Drinks
that don't contain caffeine or carbonation are far less likely to cause
heartburn. Herbal teas without caffeine, milk, and water are good choices to
reduce the risk of heartburn.
Heartburn Trigger: Chocolate
Because
chocolate can contain caffeine and fat, chocolate can be a trigger for
heartburn. If you just can’t get along without chocolate, try to decrease the
amount of chocolate you eat. Also, avoid eating chocolate after a heavy meal
and on an empty stomach. Using these techniques may allow you to eat some foods
that would otherwise cause heartburn
Heartburn Trigger: Spicy Foods
Spicy
foods such as jalapeno peppers sometimes trigger heartburn in individuals. In
addition, other foods such as garlic and onions may cause the same problems.
Even peppermint may cause heartburn in some individuals because mint relaxes
the lower esophageal sphincter.
Heartburn Tip: Hold the Heat
For
individuals who get heartburn from certain foods, it's not always all or
nothing for these food types. For example, you can add some spices to foods,
but do it in moderation. For example, instead of four-alarm chili, you could
back off to two-alarm chili and see if that prevents heartburn.
Heartburn Tip: Write It Down
What
may cause heartburn one individual may not cause it in another. Everyone is
different so you may find a small cup of coffee with food doesn’t cause you
heartburn anymore but could still cause heartburn in someone else. If you begin
to make a list of food and drink items that cause you to experience heartburn,
you will know which ones to avoid, which ones to reduce the serving size, and
ones that will require eating with other non-heartburn causing foods.
Heartburn Tip: Try Chewing Gum
Chewing
gum produces saliva and saliva neutralizes acid and signals the stomach to move
its contents into the small intestine. Peppermint or mint gum should be avoided
since they may relax the lower esophageal sphincter and increase the risk for
heartburn.
More Heartburn Tips
There
are other ways to reduce heartburn. Allow about three hours between dinner and
bedtime, elevate the head of your bed by about 8 inches, don't lie down flat
after a meal, stop smoking, and lead a healthy lifestyle. Occasional heartburn
is common but frequent heartburn is not; it could be a symptom of other
problems such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
Reviewed by Avrom Simon, MD on Wednesday,
May 11, 2016
Heartburn: Causes,
Symptoms, Remedies, Treatments
This tool does not provide medical advice
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