11 Foods to Alleviate Heartburn and Acid Reflux

Do you feel that burning pain in the stomach or chest again? It could be heartburn, the primary symptom of one of the most common digestive conditions in the world - acid reflux. Unfortunately, every fifth adult in the US is suffering from this condition, and it comes and goes through the years, usually getting worse with age.

Since acid reflux has the annoying tendency to stick around, those who get it should know how to deal with it. Diet plays a huge role in preventing and speeding up recovery during an acid reflux episode. In this post, we review 11 foods and drinks that will help you keep heartburn and acid reflux at bay.

What is acid reflux?

Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), commonly known as acid reflux, is a health condition that occurs when stomach acids spill out upwards into the esophagus, which is the pipe that leads food from your throat to the stomach. Between the esophagus and the stomach, there is a “valve” called the lower esophageal sphincter, which tightens and relaxes to let food into the stomach but prevents stomach acid from splashing out. 

 

When this sphincter malfunctions, you get acid reflux. Unlike the stomach, the esophagus doesn’t have the membrane protecting it from stomach acid, and the lining of the esophagus becomes damaged, causing burning pain in the chest and throat known as heartburn.

 

Even though GERD isn’t considered a life-threatening condition, it could lead to complications and should be addressed by your doctor. Late snacks and meals, alcohol as well as excessively acidic, fatty, or spicy foods are known to aggravate GERD and should be avoided. Other foods can help reduce the symptoms of acid reflux and speed up recovery.  

 

What should you eat when you experience acid reflux?  

 

1. Chamomile tea

When you’re dealing with heartburn and acid reflux, it’s super important to stay hydrated because water can dilute the stomach acid and reduce your symptoms. Herbal teas like chamomile tea are an excellent option since they combine hydration with soothing and antimicrobial properties. 

 

Chamomile tea is made from dried chamomile flowers brewed in hot water, and it has a long history of alleviating digestive issues like indigestion, bloating, nausea, and ulcers in traditional medicine. This herb has a soothing effect, so it will be able to bring relief to that burning sensation you experience with acid reflux. 

 

Chamomile tea has a pleasant, slightly sweet aroma and taste, and it can be easily prepared by brewing 1 tablespoon of dried chamomile in 1 cup (240 ml) of hot water for 10 minutes. 

 

2. Oatmeal

Fried and fatty foods are a common trigger for acid reflux and heartburn. When your symptoms are worse, it’s advised to stay away from them, so fried eggs, melted cheese toast, and even peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are off the table. What should you have for breakfast, then? Oatmeal is definitely an option to consider, and here’s why. 

 

First and foremost, whole grains like oatmeal are easy to digest and don’t increase the acidity in your stomach. In fact, oatmeal can help absorb some of the stomach acids, so it may actually improve your symptoms. Oatmeal is also high in fiber and keeps you full for a long time, which will decrease your risk of heartburn by making you less likely to overeat. 

 

Just make sure to opt for less processed oatmeal varieties, such as oat groats, steel-cut oats, or rolled oats; quick oats are much lower in fiber and are a lot less beneficial for your health. Not a fan of oatmeal? Other whole grains, like brown rice, quinoa, and even whole-grain bread have similar properties and reduce your risk of acid reflux as well. 

 

3. Ginger tea

When it comes to an upset stomach, very few natural ingredients can beat ginger. Why is ginger beneficial for heartburn specifically? 

 

First and foremost, ginger is alkaline, so it will be able to lower stomach acidity. Second, ginger has ample anti-inflammatory benefits, so a few sips of ginger tea will help relieve irritation and inflammation in the stomach and esophagus. Last but not least, ginger has the proven benefit of reducing nausea, so if your stomach is feeling especially vulnerable, brew some strong ginger tea. 

 

If you’re using dried ginger, add ¼ - ½ teaspoon of the powder to prepare 1 cup of ginger tea. Steep the hot water and ginger mixture for 5 minutes. If you’re working with fresh ginger, 1 tablespoon of the finely-sliced root should be enough to make 1 cup of ginger tea, but keep in mind that fresh ginger takes longer to brew - around 10 minutes. 

 

Note that you shouldn’t add lemon to your tea if you’re experiencing heartburn; lemon is very acidic and will exacerbate your symptoms. 

 

4. Root vegetables 

Fibrous veggies as a side dish are also great for reducing and preventing heartburn and acid reflux. Root vegetables like potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes, beets, and parsnips are extra filling and full of flavor, which will make your meal more satisfying and keep you from overeating and adding too much fat to your foods. Other high-fiber veggies to consider are asparagus, green beans, and broccoli. One last note regarding the preparation: avoid using too much oil when cooking vegetables if you’re experiencing heartburn. Instead of french fries or mashed potatoes with tons of heavy cream or butter, for example, opt for oven-baked or boiled potatoes. Oven-baking a selection of vegetables from the list above makes a delicious and healthy side dish for practically any meal. 

 

5. Aloe vera Foods

We don’t typically think of aloe vera as something you could take internally. But chances are, you’ve applied an aloe leaf cut in half on a burn and observed its instant calming effect on the skin. Believe it or not, aloe vera juice has an identical soothing effect for heartburn when you drink it. 

 

Even though aloe vera juice is widely available in stores, you can also prepare your own to instantly soothe symptoms of acid reflux if you have an aloe vera plant at home. Here’s how: 

 

1. Start by cutting off a few of the outer leaves of the plant (they’re the oldest and have the highest concentration of antioxidants). 

 

2. Peel the leaf, leaving only the gelatinous part. 

 

3. Rinse the leaf to remove the bitterness. 

 

4. Blend with 1 tablespoon of water or strain through a sieve or clean cloth. 

 

5. Dilute in the following proportions before drinking: 1 teaspoon of aloe vera juice to 1 glass of water. You can also add 1 teaspoon of the aloe vera juice to smoothies. Keep the juice sealed and refrigerated for up to 3-4 days. 

 

6. Lean meat and fish

Do fatty foods like steak, meatballs, hamburgers, bacon, sausage, or ham exacerbate your heartburn? This is a common concern and one that can make it tough for people to consume enough proteins when their acid reflux is flaring up. If that speaks to you, consider switching to seafood and lean cuts of meat or poultry, such as chicken breast, turkey without the skin, fish, or eggs at least temporarily. 

 

Keep in mind, however, that the method of preparation also counts. Grilling, baking, and broiling are superior choices to frying or pan-frying because they use much less cooking oil. 

 

7. Salad greens

A fresh salad full of greens, celery, asparagus, cucumbers, nuts, and avocados is a great way to keep acid reflux symptoms at bay because it combines fiber, antioxidants, and healthy fats, all in a neat package. A 2017 study showed that participants who follow a plant-based diet loaded with such fresh produce experience acid reflux much less than the rest of the population. 

 

Just skip the tomatoes, onions, garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, or high-fat salad dressings, as all of these ingredients can make your heartburn worse.  

 

8. Fennel

Certain foods can neutralize stomach acids. All foods fall somewhere on the pH scale, which is a scale of how acidic or basic any substance is. The range comes from 0 (very acidic) to 14 (very alkaline), with pure water being in the middle of the pH scale at 7. On one hand, foods that are more on the acidic spectrum are more likely to cause reflux. Alkaline foods, on the other hand, make the stomach acidity go down, balancing the pH level in your stomach. 

 

A great alkaline food you can throw in pretty much any savory dish is fennel. If you’ve never tried fennel, it’s an aromatic and flavorful vegetable that tastes a little like anise. You can just chop it up quite finely and add it to salads, soups, or even meat dishes.

9. Bananas

Speaking of alkaline foods, bananas are also capable of neutralizing that stomach acidity. But that’s only part of the reason why bananas are so good for acid reflux. These yummy fruits are also very rich in pectic, a type of soluble fiber that coats foods in your digestive system and makes it easier for them to move through. Last but not least, bananas are quite filling, so they make a great midday snack for those of you who suffer from heartburn. 

 

Not a fan of bananas or fennel? Other options of alkaline foods are almonds, cauliflower, and melons. 

 

10. Low-fat dairy

Dairy can be a bit of a double-edged sword for people suffering from heartburn. But if you know what to look out for, dairy can be tremendously beneficial for alleviating symptoms of acid reflux. As long as you eat low-fat dairy products only, milk, ice cream, or even plain yogurt, you'll enjoy the wonders they can do for your digestive system. 

 

Dairy products coat the esophagus and protect it from the acid that irritates it and causes heartburn. It’s important to go low-fat because fatty products actually have the opposite effect, making it easier for stomach acids to move up to the esophagus and cause that painful burning sensation in your chest.

 

11. Watermelon

Water, herbal tea, and other beverages aren’t the only way to increase your hydration and dilute the stomach acid. Munching on foods that have a lot of water in them will also help reduce stomach acidity. Watermelon is 91.45% water, for example. 

 

Eating a few slices of watermelon is a great way to reduce heartburn, especially if you chill it in the fridge beforehand, as this adds an extra cooling effect. If you’re not a big fan of watermelons, know that celery, cucumbers, or even some soup or broth are all great hydrating alternatives.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   

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The Effects of Aging on Your Digestion

As we age, our gastrointestinal tract does too. That means that it is important to monitor the foods you eat not only to maintain a healthy weight, but also to ensure that you are taking the best care of your digestive system. Here are five ways that your digestion can change as you age and tips for taking the best care of yourself and your health.

1. Chewing  

As you age, chewing food can become more difficult, especially if you have dentures or poor dentition. You may not think of chewing as part of the digestive process, but it is in fact the first and most important step in taking care of your digestive system. When you chew, you are breaking down the food so that the stomach acid and intestinal enzymes can later break it apart into nutrients to be absorbed into your intestines. 

 

In order to avoid choking on your food or slowing down your digestion, make sure to chew your food as thoroughly as possible or to cut up your food into smaller pieces. Also, it is important to continue visiting the dentist on a regular basis, about twice a year to make sure that your mouth is healthy and ready to chew. Taking calcium and vitamin D supplements or getting them through your diet can also help to your digestion and other aspects of your internal health. Women ages 50-70 should get about 1,200 mg of calcium and 600 IUs of vitamin D and men of the same age should get 1,000 mg of calcium and 600 IUs of vitamin D daily. 

 

2. Swallowing

After chewing, the next most important aspect of your digestion is swallowing your food properly. As you age, your esophagus, or the pipe that connects your mouth with your stomach, does not contract like it used to, making it more difficult to swallow larger pieces of food. Indeed, when individuals over 50 need to swallow large pieces of food, it can take 50 to 100 percent longer for the food to make its way to you stomach because your esophagus muscles are out of shape. 

 

One of the most common conditions among aging individuals is called gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which can cause pain or a burning sensation in your chest when you digest and even the narrowing of your esophagus. Although there is not cure for a narrowing esophagus, one way to prevent this condition and to maximize your digestion with age is to chew your food slowly and in small pieces and to exercise and maintain a healthy weight. Avoid foods high in fat or sodium, which can worsen the feeling of heart burn or reflux, and if the symptoms still do not subside, it is recommended to visit your doctor for medical treatment.

3. Your Stomach 

At the end of your esophagus lies the entry into your stomach called the lower esophageal sphincter. As you age, this ring-like muscle at the opening of the stomach gets weaker, once again contributing to heartburn and acid reflux. The muscle fails to relax properly, which allows acid and sometimes other stomach contents to make their way back up the esophagus pipe. 

 

It is important that if you have suffered from heartburn or indigestion in the past to take note of the foods that may make you feel that way. Spicy and highly acidic foods are some of the major triggers for this condition, along with citrus fruits and high-fat foods. It helps to eat smaller meals that are low in acid and sodium because this can dramatically decrease your chances for heartburn. 

 

Another common condition to watch out for in your stomach is called H. Pylori, or a bacteria on your stomach lining that can cause ulcers or sores in the morning or when your stomach is empty. The infection can be detected through blood tests and endoscopy, a small tube inserted in your mouth that extends down to your stomach. If you discover that you have H. Pylori there is no need to worry because the condition can be treated with a combination of antibiotics and acid-suppressing medications. 

 

4. Intestines

With age, your intestines start to get lazy when it comes to absorbing key nutrients like calcium, vitamins A, B-12, K and D. This is because the muscle movements get slower and the colon function also changes. As a result, adults from ages 50 and up may experience more constipation and have a greater risk of developing colon cancer or diverticulitis, a condition in which small pouches in the colon become infected. 

 

As mentioned above, it is recommended to make up for these missing vitamins either in your diet or with supplements. You can relieve your constipation by increasing your daily fiber intake and decreasing your intake of fatty and high-cholesterol foods. In order to naturally increase your fiber intake, eat more whole grains and try to have a fruit or vegetable with every meal. Here are some great ways to naturally increase your daily fiber intake. 

 

 5. Your Liver

You may not know that people ages 60 and over have a greater risk of developing gallstones, or hard crystals that form in the gallbladder when your liver is unable to process the cholesterol and other parts of its bile. Bile is a substance you need to digest fat, which is made by the liver, but is stored in the gallbladder. Your risk for gallstones increases with age because the because the bile duct at the opening of your intestine narrows, forcing the bile to stay in the gallbladder for longer periods of time, which causes it to harden. 

 

In order to help prevent the formation of gallstones, which can be painful and often require removal surgeries, it is recommended to strictly control your fat intake so as not to overwhelm your gallbladder. Unfortunately, if you have gallstones you most likely won't experience symptoms, and if you do it is usually a mild pain in the pit of your stomach or the upper right part of your belly. The pain can even spread to your right upper back and shoulder blade. If you experience or have experienced any of these symptoms, it is important to immediately contact your doctor. 

 

Lastly, make sure that you remain in constant consultation with your doctor about your digestive health, and ask for extra blood or breath tests the next time you have a check-up.

This is only for your information, kindly take the advice of your doctor for medicines, exercises and so on.   

https://gscrochetdesigns.blogspot.com. one can see my crochet creations  
https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com. feel free to view for easy, simple and healthy recipes    
https://kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com. for info on knee replacement