You may experience heartburn, bitter taste in back of your throat, sore throat, and cough, sour taste in mouth and burning sensation in breastbone. Yes, these all are the symptoms of Acid Reflux, a common medical condition that occurs when the stomach acid – helps in food digestion – flows back into the esophagus. This backflow of stomach acid happens because the Lower Esophagus Sphincter (LES) becomes weaken or damaged, as it is a circular muscle that joins your stomach and esophagus and it is responsible for tightening the esophagus after the food passes to stomach. If it becomes weak and isn’t tightens properly then the acidic contents from the stomach move backward to the esophagus. Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is a chronic and severe form of Acid Reflux. The medical condition of GERD occurs when you experience Acid Reflux more often than twice a week which causes inflammation in the lining of esophagus.
The foods which you eat affect the amount of acid which your stomach produces. Apart from medications, there are certain foods which you can incorporate in your diet to reduce the symptoms of Acid Reflux and help to reduce the risk of developing the condition of GERD. So, here, we give you top 7 foods that definitely help you in reducing the symptoms of Acid Reflux:
Vegetables are low in fat and sugar and they help in reducing stomach acid. Some best vegetables that you can add in your diet are broccoli, green beans, leafy greens, cauliflower, cucumbers and asparagus.
Ginger is known for its natural anti-inflammatory properties and a best treatment option for heartburn and various other gastrointestinal problems. Add sliced or grated ginger root in your recipes or smoothies or you can also drink ginger tea to ease the symptoms.
There are some non-citrus fruits that don’t trigger Acid Reflux symptoms than citrus fruits which contain acidic contents. Non-citrus fruits to eat include apples, bananas, melons and pears.
Egg whites are also good option to eat that reduces the symptoms, while on the other hand avoid egg yolks as they are high in fat and may trigger your symptoms.
Oatmeal has become the breakfast favorite item that most of the people are adding in their diet because it is whole grain and the best source of fiber. Oatmeal absorbs the stomach acid and give you relieve from Acid Reflux symptoms. Some other sources of fiber that you can also add in your diet are whole-grain rice and whole-grain breads.
Lean meats are the meats that are relatively low in fat contents and they help in reducing symptoms of Acid Reflux. Some of the lean meats options to add in your diet are chicken, turkey, fish and seafood. You can try them with different cooking techniques such as grilling, broiling (cook food by using direct dry heat from oven broiler), baking and poaching (cook food just below boiling point in small amount of liquid).
Healthier unsaturated fats that come from plant sources are good in reducing Acid Reflux than saturated fats and trans fats that come from animal sources. Some good sources of healthy fats are avocados, flaxseed, walnuts, sesame oil, olive oil and sunflower oil.
Some lifestyle changes to ease the symptoms of Acid Reflux:
In addition to control reflux symptoms through diet and nutrition, you can also adopt certain lifestyle changes that help you to manage the symptoms. Some of these lifestyle changes include:
People experiencing Acid Reflux can easily manage their symptoms with diet, nutrition and lifestyle changes. But, if dietary changes and lifestyle modifications don’t improve your symptoms or if you have heartburn happens more than twice a week or if you have difficulty while breathing or swallowing or have forceful vomiting with blood or coffee color contents then you should seek emergency medical treatment and immediately consult the gastroenterologist. The physician performs tests for diagnosing the condition and then devises the treatment.
