Have you ever felt food stuck up in throat that never seems to go? Do you even have the same feeling after drinking gallons of water? Well, then it might be symptoms of GERD. Wondering what GERD is? It is a chronic gastroesophageal reflux disease, where it brings up the foods and other stomach acids to the esophagus right up to your throat, leaving you with an uneasy feeling. So, once you get such symptoms, address the problem immediately to cure yourself. And to do that, we’re here to help you with foods to avoid with GERD and more! So, let’s not wait any longer in knowing the acidic foods to avoid and more!
Table of Contents
What are the causes of GERD?
When you feel uncomfortable in your throat and feel a burning sensation in your heart, those are alarming GERD signs. You will notice that when you consume acid reflux foods, the digestive juices, and the food rather than going down to your stomach flows back. When the undigested food flows back, it goes into your esophagus, which is the tube that connects your stomach and mouth.
The LES or lower esophageal sphincter is the valve that doesn’t allow the consumed foods to go up the esophagus. But when your LES doesn’t work well or is faulty, the foods flow back, causing acid reflux and heartburn.
Having heartburn is quite common and can occur for people once in a while. But you can call it severe depending on the LES condition, how much your saliva can neutralize the acid reflux, and the amount of food flowing back to your mouth.
It would be best if you keep in mind that when you get a hiatal hernia, there are chances of you getting GERD. That’s because the hiatus leaves a tiny outlet in your diaphragm, which is the muscle that separates the chest from the abdomen area that lets the acid juice flow back to your throat. You’ll find the hiatus to run all along the esophagus. When you cough, vomit or exert yourself physically, tiny parts of the stomach move up towards your chest, causing hiatal hernia. However, there are many more reasons that cause GERD.
But here are a few alarming signs of GERD that you must address as soon as you see them. So, the symptoms of GERD are:
Symptoms of GERD
- Bad breath
- Chronic cough, especially when you get a dry cough
- Laryngitis
- Earache
- Discomfort
- Chest pain
- Getting a feel of a lump inside the throat
- A sudden increase in saliva
- Hoarseness
- Asthma
It would help if you kept in mind that whenever you see any symptoms mentioned above, consult a medical expert at the earliest. And when you are under proper medical treatment, there are foods to avoid with GERD, which needs to be followed with dedication.
So, here we have got the acid reflux foods to avoid chart, which tells you the foods to avoid with GERD and the foods that will benefit and minimize acid reflux. Please scroll down to know them all!
Foods to Avoid with GERD
If you see GERD symptoms to persist, you must visit the doctor at the earliest. And when you visit the doctor, you’ll be put on a diet chart that’ll have a mention of numerous foods you need to avoid consuming. Here we have made a list of all the foods to avoid with GERD, which will keep away heartburn and other GERD symptoms.
So, the foods to avoid with GERD are:
- All caffeinated beverages such as coffee, energy drinks, tea, and many more are primary reasons for acid reflux. So, you need to keep away from all caffeinated drinks to avoid any GERD symptoms.
- Numerous citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, grapefruit, Buddha’s hand, and more are foods that cause acid reflux or GERD.
- When you consume deep-fried foods, be sure to trigger acid reflux. Some of the deep-fried foods like French fries, deep-fried chicken, nuggets, and more are the ones you must avoid.
- Whole milk products like cheese, sauces, mayonnaise, full-fat butter, chocolates, full-fat yogurt, and cream can cause acid reflux. So, you must keep away from whole milk products if you’re prone to acid reflux or have GERD symptoms.
- Consuming high spice foods like oily and spicy curries or dishes that are incredibly spicy can lead to acid reflux.
- Tomatoes or tomato-based sauces are also the ones that can cause acute symptoms of GERD. So, it’s best to avoid them if you see any mild acid reflux in yourself.
- Mints like spearmint and peppermint can aggravate acid reflux problems.
- Packaged foods like bacon, sausages, salami, frozen foods like cold meat, ready-to-eat pasta, pizza, veggie-meat bowl, etc. all cause acid reflux. More so, they are harmful to your health too.
- Alcoholic beverages also count among the top 5 acidic foods to avoid. It can cause severe acidic problems that can lead to vomiting too.
- High saturated fats present in beef, chicken, lamb, and more are harmful to you. It can increase your acid reflux symptoms tremendously.
As we finish all the foods that must be mentioned in the GERD foods to avoid chart, we have also thought of giving you a glimpse of the foods that help acid reflux go away! Hang in there, and you’ll know them all!
Foods That Help Acid Reflux Go Away
Now that you know the top 5 acid reflux foods to avoid, it would be best to know the foods that fight GERD.
The list below will tell you all the extraordinary foods to keep acid reflux at bay. Here are the following:
Vegetables
Veggies are foods rich in fiber content and can help in neutralizing acidity caused due to an alkaline metabolic residue. So, add lots of broccoli, carrot, spinach, green beans, cucumber, kale, and many more greens to keep all the acidic problems away.
Fruits
When you consume food with fiber content present in it, you can be sure to stay away from acid reflux or GERD. More so, fruits have huge contents of minerals, vitamins, and fruit sugar that keep you healthy. Some of the fruits that are good for you are honeydew melon, watermelon, muskmelon, and banana, of course!
Lean Meat/Fish Proteins
When you consume meats that contain a lot of fat in it your acid reflux amplifies. So, you must always consume meats or fishes in their lean form. You can consume the skinless turkey, chicken, or fishes excluding its fat. Also, try eating the whites of the egg and not the yolk. That’s because the yolk contains most of the fat content. Again, try having mushrooms and shrimps. All these are foods that help acid reflux go away in no time.
Dietary Fiber Foods
Ditch consuming white bread and start your day with high fiber cereals to avoid GERD. You can try consuming foods like barley, whole grain bread, muesli, and oats to absorb any acid that may be formed in your body. If you’re a rice lover, consume the whole grain rice rather than the refined, polished white rice.
Probiotics
One of the best foods to fight GERD is yogurt. It is the highest probiotics source that can cure you of GERD or prevent any acid reflux symptoms. All you need to do is try sprinkling some salt on your bowl and plain yogurt and eat it. But remember not to go overboard with it as foods consumed in adequate amounts can only benefit you.
Prebiotics
Some prebiotic sources like leeks, apples, bananas, and artichokes are beneficial for people who suffer from GERD. There are proven studies that support the consumption of these foods.
Dairy
When you have GERD, whole milk products are the best to avoid. That’s because it aggravates the problems of acid reflux. But if you want to consume milk, try your hands-on the lactose-free milk or low-fat milk.
Soups
Soups are always a good option for dinner. But only when it is freshly made at home using all the veggies and some lean meat. Consuming a lot of whole-fat cream and butter is harmful to you.
Dessert
If you love dessert and suffers from GERD at the same time, the desserts you must try out are popsicles, frozen yogurt, and low-fat cookies.
Beverages
If you’re searching for what to drink for acid reflux, well then, they are water, herbal teas, freshly made juices, excepting citrus ones.
Now that you know what the foods to avoid with GERD are and the best food inclusions you must make. Let us now tell you some lifestyle changes that’ll help you overcome GERD in no time.
Lifestyle Changes to Curb GERD Symptoms
It would be best you keep in mind that, apart from consuming the right foods that fight GERD, you need to make specific lifestyle changes. A few unhealthy lifestyle mannerisms can aggravate your acid reflux problems and cause a severe health hazard.
So, apart from telling you the foods to avoid in acid reflux, we have got you some changes you need to make in your lifestyle.
Following lifestyle changes to reduce GERD symptoms
- You need to take a significant step towards stopping the intake of nicotine. That’s because nicotine can make your LES weak, which will aggravate your acid reflux problems.
- Try consuming your last meal at least three to four hours before you go to sleep. That’s because food takes time to digest and can increase acid reflux problems.
- You must and try to consume foods at regular intervals. That’s because eating a lot in one go can lead to acid reflux.
- It’s best you kept in mind that gaining weight and acid reflux are directly linked. So, try losing excess weight if you face acid reflux issues.
- Try to avoid chewing gums that contain artificial sweeteners and other synthetic substances.
- Remember to stay in the right posture after you eat. That is because sleeping over your stomach or any other unusual posture after you eat may cause the foods and stomach acids to flow back into your esophagus, causing acidic problems.
- Chew your food properly and slowly. When you chew your food well, it becomes easier for it to get digested.
- Drink as much water as you can. Dehydration can make you tired, which can also cause acid reflux.
- Practice mindfulness and yoga to avoid any symptoms of acid reflux.
- Do you often pop in over-the-counter medicines? Well, you must avoid doing that. A doctor is the best person to advise you if your body requires medications or not.
- Have a good night’s sleep. Sleeping heals your body system and requires rest to work properly. So, you need to ensure you sleep well if you want to alleviate all acidic problems.
What is the Best Acidic Food Diet Chart?
Above are the best foods that can trigger acid reflux in you. But you must keep in mind a particular kind of food reacts differently in different people. So, you need to make sure you assess yourself well and then avoid consuming the foods.
Deep-fried, packaged, and frozen foods are harmful to your body and cause other health problems. Since there is no specific GERD diet, you need to make the changes in your diet according to how your body reacts to the food. The foods to avoid with GERD mentioned above are generally acidic and causes acid reflux problems. So, it’s always best to consult your doctor to get the best diet chart that suits your health.
Final Thoughts
As we come to the end of our blog today, you know all the foods to avoid with GERD and some foods that can help you alleviate acid reflux. But it would help if you addressed GERD as soon as you see the symptoms, or else it might lead to other health complications. Also, remember to make the necessary dietary and lifestyle changes to cure GERD completely.