What you eat can have a significant impact on the severity of any acid reflux, heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms or complications that you experience. When you indulge in certain "trigger" foods, you can aggravate reflux and make it more likely to flare up. Similarly, when you avoid those trigger foods and seek out alternatives, you lessen the likelihood of attacks.
Impact on LES Muscle
Some foods have a specific impact on the lower esophageal sphincter, known as the LES, which forms a barrier between the esophagus and the stomach. Specifically, foods that contain caffeine, such as coffee, tea or chocolate, cause the LES to relax. Fatty foods and alcohol can do the same thing. According to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, when the LES relaxes it allows digestive juices to flow back from the stomach to the esophagus, causing a burning sensation.
Reflux, Weight and Food
The Mayo Clinic notes that maintaining a healthy weight can ease the symptoms of acid reflux and gastroesophageal reflux disease, known as GERD. If you don't already eat low-calorie and low-fat foods that will help you lose and maintain weight, add them to your diet to lower your chance of reflux. With the exceptions of trigger foods, low-calorie fruits, vegetables, dairy products, lean proteins and whole grains are all likely to minimize reflux and help regulate your weight.
Trigger Foods
Foods that are especially acidic, spicy, fatty, greasy or creamy tend to exacerbate symptoms of GERD and lead to heartburn. If you regularly suffer from acid reflux, Jackson Siegelbaum Gastroenterology clinic of Pennsylvania recommends avoiding whole milk, creamed vegetables, tomatoes, citrus fruits, fatty cuts of meat, most oils, fatty desserts, mint and most fast foods. For some people, especially children and teens, the Pediatric/Adolescent Gastroesophageal Reflux Association, also called PAGER, notes that "gassy" foods such as broccoli, beans, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower may also cause or intensify reflux.
Substitute Foods
Not all trigger foods result in reflux symptoms. Each person's triggers are different. If you do find that you have a problem with many of the foods on the trigger list, you may be able to eat substitute foods that rarely aggravate GERD, such as low-fat or nonfat dairy products instead of full-fat dairy; low-fat desserts, yogurt instead of cream; vegetables that aren't creamed or fried; fruits that are not acidic and lean cuts of meat instead of fatty varieties.
The Way to Eat
The way in which you eat meals and snacks may be nearly as important as what you choose to eat in minimizing reflux. Along with eliminating trigger foods, eating a variety of small meals throughout the day rather than fewer large meals can help ease reflux. Chewing food thoroughly and eating slowly is also useful.
