7 Foods to Avoid If You Have Reflux!

There are many foods to avoid if you have reflux , as heartburn can occur when you eat certain irritating foods for someone with reflux. To prevent heartburn , you will need to make some changes to your diet. While it might be a shame to avoid some foods you love, it’s easier to adapt what you eat than to spend your life on medication.

Today, we are going to share a list with you of foods that you should definitely avoid.

Why does acid reflux occur?

Before we explain what foods to avoid if you have  acid reflux, you need to understand why it occurs in the first place. As soon as you eat something, the body’s digestive acids start working.

Enzymes are produced that improve your digestion and absorption of nutrients. This is an essential step for the nutrients in what you eat to actually reach the organs that need to use them.

Digestive acids normally stay in your stomach and don’t reach other parts of the body. Certain foods cause them to travel up the esophagus, causing burning and pain.

Foods to avoid if you have reflux:

1. Spicy foods:

The first category of foods to avoid if you have reflux  are spicy foods. They stimulate acid production and reflux. If you are not careful and let this situation continue, you could develop chronic gastritis . If you are used to consuming large amounts of spicy foods on a regular basis, try making some gradual changes to your diet.
Remember that you can use other spices and herbs to flavor your food.

2. Café:

A bit of bad news for coffee lovers is that this is one of the foods you should avoid if you suffer from acid reflux . While it provides several nice benefits, it can also cause problems if you drink too much of it.

The problem is caffeine, a compound that stimulates reflux and increases stomach acid production. We suggest making a change to Green Tea or other teas.

3. Alcoholic beverages:

Alcoholic beverages relax the upper and lower esophageal sphincters, allowing stomach acids to escape and lead to reflux. Try not to mix alcoholic beverages, especially beer and red wine, with your meals, as they greatly increase your risk of acid reflux. You should ideally reduce your alcohol consumption to one beer or glass of wine a day at the most.

4. Chocolate:

Chocolate is one of the foods to avoid if you have reflux . Plus, a small amount of chocolate a day can provide your body with the antioxidants, vitamins and minerals to improve your health and mood if you don’t already suffer from acid reflux. Unfortunately, however, chocolate is another food you should avoid if you have acid reflux because it relaxes the lower esophageal sphincter.

High concentrations of fats, caffeine and theobromine stimulate the production of stomach acids.

5. Fatty foods:

Your body needs fats because they cause hormone synthesis and provide energy. Products like butter, mayonnaise, and more are foods you should avoid if you suffer from acid reflux, however. They irritate the gastric mucosa and affect the proper functioning of the esophagus.

All of this leads to higher acid levels that are exacerbated by the added pressure on the stomach when digestion slows. This causes food to stay in the body longer than it should.

Remember that the best fats you can choose are vegetable oils (coconut, olive, sunflower seed, etc.).
If you want mayonnaise, try making it at home to control the quality and quantity of the ingredients.
Try different oils to replace butter. You’ll find that you can still taste great when using less common oils like coconut or sesame oil.

6. Citrus Foods:

Citrus foods are also foods to avoid if you have reflux , as they lower the pH of your stomach, which encourages acid reflux. Instead, try more alkaline fruits like Apples and Pears . If you want to consume orange juice for the nutritional benefits, try to do so after a good meal to reduce the effects of the acid.

You can also combine citrus fruits with vegetables to reduce their effects.

7. Dairy products:

Milk and dairy products contain a lot of fat and calcium. This results in more complex digestive processes than plant-based alternatives.
This doesn’t mean you have to stop eating them completely, but you should identify the best time to do so. This is usually early in the morning, to give your body time to break down nutrients and absorb them. If you consume dairy at night, on the other hand, you may experience acid reflux while you sleep.