Diet Tips For Acid Reflux Sufferers

By Author: Thomas Strickland
Total Articles: 102
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The disease known as acid reflux effects millions of Americans today, and some people don't even know they are suffering. If you are struggling with chronic heartburn that leads to serious discomfort and pain, you may be dealing with something more serious known as acid reflux disease, or GERD, gastroesophageal reflux disease. Because this disease depends on a high quantity of acid in your gastrointestinal tract, beginning with your stomach, you may be surprised at the role that diet plays in the control of this condition. Many myths today suggest that diet causes acid reflux, but this is not the case. While you can take comfort in the fact that you are not causing this problem yourself, you will need to know that making some diet changes will go a long way towards being proactive and taking control of your discomfort. Read here to find out what diet changes you can start today, to start noticing a difference in your discomfort level with acid reflux. With these diet changes in mind, you can enjoy healthy foods that keep you comfortable, and avoid the ones that trigger your nasty problem.
The reason that food will ...
... play a role in your comfort is that food is responsible for acid production. Our stomach actually needs a little bit of acid in order to digest properly, but too much is a bad thing as you have already noticed. When too much acid appears in your stomach, the excess leaks into your esophagus making you very uncomfortable. Controlling acid production in your stomach will ensure a more comfortable lifestyle for you.
A diet for GERD is very simple, and you will find it much less regimented than you think. You will simply want to avoid food that is fatty or spicy, and fried foods are a known trigger as well. Limiting these food choices are eliminating them all together will not only improve your GERD discomfort, but your overall health as well. Other things you want to avoid as well are chocolate, drinks containing caffeine, peppermint, soda, anything containing citrus, onions, garlic, and tomato based food products.
You should know that alcohol is another contributor of acid reflux. Alcohol works to relax the sphincter in the esophagus, which means that the sphincter that controls regurgitation will not work effectively when relaxed. Alcohol will not only increase your acid production, but will also limit your ability to control the pain and burn of regurgitation. If you are taking medication such as Aciphex for acid reflux, you may also find that alcohol will decrease its effects.
Controlling your acid reflux through diet tweaks alone may be all you need to take care of your condition. How well your diet changes will work for you will depend on your willingness to stick to the diet, the severity and frequency of your symptoms, and what your known individual food triggers are. If you have a mild case of GERD, this may be all you need. If however you are finding that your GERD is severe, and the diet is only helping moderately, you will need the help of acid reflux medication such as Aciphex.