Foods That Help Acid Reflux Go Away: Things to Add to the Diet

When you are suffering from gastroesophageal reflux disorder, just a simple lifestyle change and a healthy diet can do wonders. It is not something unnatural to experience a sense of burn in your chest region whenever you finish a meal. One of the major problems of such a phenomenon is acid reflux. The acid in your stomach is finding a way to backwash into your food pipe (esophagus). This forceful push of undigested food back to the esophagus from the gastrointestinal system is gastroesophageal reflux disorder or GERD. Certain foods that help acid reflux go away are the lightest balanced diet of healthy fruits and veggies.

Acid reflux gives you a feel of gassy ballooning in your stomach, accompanied by a bitter palate down your throat. Whatever you eat throughout the day decides a lot on your digestive capability. Therefore, do not take acid reflux too lightly. It can have significant impacts on your overall health once it starts getting frequent.

The possible symptoms of acid reflux are quite similar to that of common cold or flu in the preliminary stages. You come across a hoarse voice, itchiness near the throat, difficulty in swallowing, and a sharp pain near the chest. Typically, such symptoms are reflective of catching a cold. The problem arises when the symptoms keep showing for a more extended period and aggravate every time you take a meal. Therefore, the culprit of the condition instantly shifts from an infectious virus to a dysfunctional valve.

What usually augments acid reflux?

To understand the actual reason behind acid reflux, you need to brush up your biological knowledge a little quickly. GERD is a long-term disease that can land up in several health complications like esophageal stricture, Barrett’s esophagus, and esophagitis. Some of the possible signs of GERD include regurgitation, bad breath, heartburn, chest pain, and breathing issues. During GERD, you get a taste of stomach acid in your mouth that often leads to wearing of teeth and gums. Concentrate on foods that help acid reflux go away to avoid experiencing any of the serious signs of GERD.

The primary cause behind gastroesophageal reflux disease is the poor functioning of the lower esophageal sphincter muscle or LES. The opening and closing of the LES decide a lot on the backwash of stomach acid in your mouth. The lower esophageal sphincter is a circular band of muscle tissues lining the bottom part of your food pipe. Once you swallow food, the LES opens, allowing the food to liquify and pass smoothly through the esophagus into the stomach. After the food passes down the esophagus, the LES closes to prevent any reversal of food from your digestive system. Under normal conditions, this is how the lower esophageal sphincter works.

What happens when the functioning of LES is poor? When the closing of LES is abnormal, the undigested or partially digested food can easily travel back up your esophagus. To avoid the setback of gastric acid, add foods that help acid reflux go away to your daily diet.

Which factors contribute to GERD?

Some of the factors that can contribute to the chances of acid reflux in your system are as follows:

• Hiatal hernia: a condition where your abdominal organs (mostly stomach) slips right up your diaphragm towards the chest. This causes LPR (laryngopharyngeal reflux) or GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease).
• Obesity: the BMI or body mass index of your system decides on the increasing possibility of GERD. If your BMI is high due to obesity, it can lead to severe risks of GERD. A study of 2,000 patients having symptomatic reflux disorder showed 13 percent due to esophageal acid exposure on increased BMI.

Two other reasons are a bit vaguely related to the cause of acid reflux but are considerable.

1. Sleep apnea- a sleeping cycle disruptive condition where you pause on breathing while in sleep or take shallow breaths throughout. The reason behind GERD is mostly the obstructive form of sleep apnea.
2. Formation of stones in gall bladder- gallstones can be a possible cause of acid reflux, as it can inhibit bile flow into the small intestine (duodenum). Due to such hindrance, the duodenum fails to neutralize the stomach acid properly that can travel backward into your mouth.

What should you eat to avoid GERD?

A properly balanced diet packed with healthy phytochemicals and nutrients is the key solution to acid reflux and GERD problems. Some of the foods that help acid reflux go away are given below for your reference to altering your diet.

Chicken breast

When you are opting for nonveg foods, chicken breast is one of the safest choices to make. Remember to remove the fatty layers of skin from the breast piece before you cook. Skip the option of deep frying or spicing it up with chili flakes or Cajun. Try eating chicken breast, either baked, grilled, or boiled.

Lettuce, sweet peppers, and celery

Veggies belonging to the legume family are quite mild and easy to digest. Legumes do not cause any form of gas or acidity in your stomach and so it is a safe option to avoid GERD.

Melons

Instead of going for citrus fruits with a high acid content, go for low citrus fruits that promotes hydration. Under melons, you can eat watermelons, honeydew, or cantaloupe to help you beat acid reflux.

Ginger

If you search online about ginger, you will come across various benefits related to different health disorders. The enzyme zingibain present in ginger is a cysteine protease that helps the incomplete digestion of complex proteins in food. If you are in the habit of taking caffeine beverages before going to bed, switch to caffeine-free tea with ginger. You may also take dried ginger in boiled water to promote tummy trimming naturally at home.

Oatmeal

For a comforting filling and healthy breakfast, oatmeal is an excellent choice to start your day with easy digestion.

Final thoughts

After a meal, you can promote healthy digestion by crunching on fennel seeds that give you a natural stomach pacifying effect.