Do you frequently complain of heartburn, bloating, or a feeling that the food is stuck in your throat? Needless to say, it's time to pay attention to your body. These may be signs of acidity or acid reflux. While there are antacid medications used quite commonly to remedy issues like acidity, simply modifying your diet can help bring relief and address the issue too! In simple words, eating less acidic and more alkaline food can help reduce the backflow of acid into your esophagus. Certain foods tend to encourage symptoms of acidity, and it's better to eat these foods less often or to cut them out of your diet completely. Besides, changing the size and timing of your meals can also significantly reduce heartburn, regurgitation, and other symptoms of acidity.
Foods To Avoid For Acid Reflux
There are certain foods you need to avoid if you have acid reflux.
1. Chocolate
While chocolate might be your favorite treat, it comes with a dark side. Chocolate contains caffeine, cocoa, and plant chemicals that can all elevate heartburn.
2. Fatty Foods
While fatty foods like onion rings, oil-based dressings, or whole-milk dairy products often tend to make you sluggish, they are slower to digest than most other foods. And when food sits in your stomach for long, your body responds by producing more acid.
3. Spicy Foods
Spicy foods can make acid reflux worse. The capsaicin present in many spicy foods can slow digestion, and can also irritate an already irritated esophagus on its way down.
4. Garlic
Garlic, especially when eaten in its raw form, is known to cause heartburn and upset stomach in otherwise healthy people. It stimulates acid production, and that extra acid puts you at risk for heartburn.
5. Alcoholic Drinks
Drinks that contain alcohol, caffeine, or carbonation, allow the acid to leak up your esophagus, and expand your stomach, pushing its contents up against the esophagus. This also includes soda, coffee and tea, and other alcoholic beverages.
If acid reflux is hindering your quality of life, or if you complain of acid reflux or acidity more than twice a week, it's time to plan your menu around an acid reflux diet by avoiding these natural acidity triggers. Try incorporating more acid-reducing foods into your diet, bring colourful, nutritious green salads, and keep a small jar of seeds at your work desk to eat in small doses.
