Certain foods can trigger acid reflux and heartburn, while others soothe and calm painful digestive tissues. The Pew Research Center states that if you're anything like the average American, you most likely eat too much junk food, which contributes to acid reflux. Eliminating foods that contribute to stomach upset and adding foods that control digestive acids may promote healing and help you avoid ongoing complications from chronic acid reflux.
Licorice Root Tea
Licorice root tea stimulates the body to create excess mucus secretions called mucilage, which act to coat and protect delicate tissues in the stomach, throat and esophagus, according to the Life Extension website. Licorice root tea is available in health food stores in dried herbal form or in pre-measured teabags. It's naturally sweet, so most people drink it plain. Don't add any dairy products to the tea, as they may be responsible for aggravating your acid reflux, HealthCastle.com warns. Licorice root may cause side effects. If you develop unfamiliar symptoms, stop using it and call your health practitioner.
Honey
Natural, raw honey is predigested in the stomachs of bees, making it an easy food for humans to digest and one that can soothe away acid reflux, Dr. Theodore Baroody states in "Alkalize or Die." Honey is high in potassium, a mineral that helps balance the body's pH. By eating honey either by itself or with meals, your stomach acids are less likely to overreact because your body in the proper amounts supplies the various digestive juices secreted. Honey helps alkalize the stomach and maintains a balance between the various digestive juices, Baroody states. If you suffer from bouts of acid reflux during the night, take a teaspoonful of honey before going to bed.
Berries
Most berries, especially blueberries, strawberries and raspberries, are high in potassium, the mineral responsible for helping to keep your body's pH neutral or just slightly alkaline, Baroody asserts. Eating berries frequently is a great way to keep your body in an alkaline state and avoid heartburn. Ideally, choose organic berries to avoid added pesticides and chemicals that are often difficult to remove even with washing.
Sweet Potatoes
Another high-potassium food, sweet potatoes may also help you keep your body in balance and avoid attacks of painful heartburn, Robert O. Young, Ph.D. and Shelley R. Young recommend in "The pH Miracle." Starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes, plantains and taro root help create alkalinity in the body and a balanced pH in the stomach, controlling the release of stomach acids, which are responsible for the burning sensations you may experience with acid reflux. In addition, sweet potatoes are high in natural fiber and a variety of minerals, making them an excellent all-round food for most people.
References
- "The pH Miracle"; Robert O. Young, Ph.D. and Shelley Redford Young; 2003
- "Alkalinize or Die"; Dr. Theodore A. Baroody, 1991: Alkalinize to neutralize acids
- HealthCastle.com: Acid Reflux Diet: Myth about Milk
- LifeExtension: Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
