Heartburn Diet

If you are among the millions of Americans who experience heartburn every day, there is more to putting a halt to the discomfort of heartburn than simply avoiding certain foods and beverages.  In fact, most sufferers who are truly bothered by heartburn must follow a heartburn diet that involves not only watching what they eat, but also watching the size of the meals they eat and the timing that they consume their food.

Heartburn Causes

Heartburn is typically caused due to damages to the lower esophageal sphincter  muscle (also called LES) that may become weak or relax more often than it should, which allows stomach acid to back up into the esophagus.  When the delicate lining of the esophagus comes in contact with erosive stomach acid and enzymes, the reaction is a burning pain and related injury to the esophageal lining.  Medically, this is known as acid reflux disease, and a heartburn diet can help put an end to the suffering of heartburn, oftentimes without medication for heartburn.

Heartburn Diet – Meal Planning

Decreasing your incidence of heartburn involves appropriate meal planning.  These heartburn diet tips will reduce the likelihood of acid backing up into the esophagus and causing heartburn:

• Timing of meals.  A good heartburn diet plan will feature meals that are timed so as to avoid the need to lie down for at least two to three hours after eating.  The reason? Laying down makes it physically easier for the stomach acid that causes heartburn to splash up the esophagus.  The gravity of sitting or standing will help keep stomach acid and enzymes where they belong – in the stomach.
• Size of meals.  The greater the amount of food in the stomach, the higher the probability that the stomach contents and acid will back up into the esophagus, causing heartburn.  Your heartburn diet should consist of four to five small meals each day instead of three large ones.
• Avoiding foods that weaken the LES muscle.  An already irritated esophageal lining can be further irritated by foods like chocolate, peppermint, and fatty foods as well as drinks that contain alcohol or caffeine.  An appropriate heartburn diet is also devoice of foods that are acidic or spicy, like citrus fruit and juice, tomatoes and tomato juice, black pepper and chili peppers.  Also, pay attention to foods that seems to worsen your heartburn and avoid those foods altogether; many people are bothered by one food when others are not – so find out which individual foods make your heartburn worsen by keeping a food diary if needed.
• Chew gum after meals.  Choose a non-peppermint flavor gum to chew after meals. This helps to stimulate the production of saliva, which can help to neutralize acid and increase peristalsis – moving the contents of the stomach to the small intestine more rapidly and reducing the incidence of heartburn.  Who knew that gum could become an important part of a heartburn diet?
• Drink water at the end of each meal.  Drinking a small glass of water when a meal is finished is a good way to help “wash down” any stomach acid that backs up into the esophagus.  Always have drinks available during your meals that are heartburn-friendly like water, decaffeinated tea and coffee or low-fat milk.
• Get enough fiber in your diet. An effective heartburn diet will include foods that are high in fiber like whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds, and vegetables.

Heartburn Diet – Foods to Avoid

Certain foods will trigger heartburn symptoms.  Your heartburn diet should be void of the following foods and beverages:

• Tomatoes, including tomato juice and tomato sauce.
• Citrus fruits like oranges, grapefruits and the juice of these fruits.
• Garlic and onion.
• Mexican foods, pepper, chili and other foods that contain excess spices.
• Peppermint and after-dinner mints.
• Cheese.
• Avocados.
• Alcohol.
• Caffeinated beverages.

These simple guidelines and a well-thought-out heartburn diet can help alleviate the heartburn symptoms that you have, which will promote healing of the esophageal lining.