More than 50 million Americans regularly suffer from heartburn and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Many lifestyle habits can worsen the symptoms of GERD, such as eating large, heavy meals, eating soon before bed, and eating too quickly. There are also some common "trigger foods" that people with GERD problems should try to avoid or eat only sparingly.
Spicy Foods
MedHelp notes that spicy foods, such as curries, stir fries, chili and hot salsa, can bring on GERD symptoms. These foods can have the potential to cause stomach discomfort and heartburn.
Chocolate
Though dark chocolate contains helpful antioxidants, it also contains a substance called theobromine, which works to relax the muscle flap around the lower esophagus, meaning that stomach acid can more easily escape from the flap and irritate the esophagus.
Coffee and Tea
Theobromine is also present in coffee (both decaf and caffeinated) and tea, so those beverages also act as triggers for acid-reflux patients. According to Jackson Siegelbaum Gastroenterology, a clinic based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, bitter fluid can flow up to the mouth or breathing tubes and cause chest discomfort or shortness of breath if the muscle surrounding the esophagus is too weakened.
Tomatoes & Other Acidic Foods
Information from Nexium, a pill that treats acid reflux, says that tomatoes are an acidic food that will trigger heartburn in many GERD patients. Other acidic foods that could have a similar effect include onions and citrus fruits.
Milk
Milk and other dairy foods are well-known triggers of acid reflux, but do not seem to aggravate every GERD patient. Dr. Marcelle Pick of the health organization Women to Women writes that everyone's triggers are slightly different, so beverages that give one person heartburn may not affect another. She suggests keeping a food diary and logging symptoms of acid reflux along with what you eat.
Alcohol
Alcohol acts as a muscle relaxant, so it can loosen the power of the muscle flap near the esophagus and make it easier for stomach acids to escape and damage the surrounding areas. If you have GERD, consider choosing nonalcoholic beverages or drinking only seldomly.
