Acid reflux is an uncomfortable and sometimes painful condition that causes acid to rise up from the stomach, leading to a burning sensation or heartburn in the chest and throat. Antacids and medications can work for the time being, but certain foods have a tendency to cause the symptoms in the first place. Some people may be more prone to acid reflux from these particular foods than others.
Fatty Foods
Foods high in fat stay in the stomach longer and increase the chance of acid rising up to the esophagus. These culprits include fast food, fried foods, hamburgers and steaks.
Citrus Fruits
Oranges, grapefruit and lemons encourage acid production by requiring digestive enzymes to work overtime creating more acids.
Spicy Foods
Spicy foods weaken the lower esophageal sphincter causing stomach acids to rise back into the esophagus. Pepper, chili, garlic, onions and hot sauces may lead to heartburn. But spicy foods do not seem to bother some people. It depends on your body's reaction.
Tomatoes and Tomato-Based Products
These foods and their ingredients taste great and contain lycopene, which may fight certain cancers. But they tend to relax the esophageal sphincter that encourage acid reflux. Consume at your own risk or avoid them before sleep.
Carbonated Beverages
Have you ever been drinking your favorite soda, then burp and find it is followed with terrible heartburn? That's because carbonated beverages increase pressure on the esophageal sphincter that promote acid reflux.
Chocolate
Chocolate results in frequent heartburn attacks for many people. The substance methylxanthine in chocolate relaxes the esophageal sphincter muscles to encourage acid in the stomach to rise up and bring on that burning sensation, explains the Acid Reflux Foods website.
Milk
Milk may bring temporary relief to ease acid reflux, but don't drink it before going to sleep, as many people do. Milk eventually causes the stomach to secrete acid, and you are likely to wake up in the middle of the night with heartburn.
Alcohol
Alcohol numbs throat or heartburn problems momentarily. But it stimulates acid secretion. Beer can double acid production in the stomach within an hour, according to HealthCastle.com.
Coffee
Coffee has been known to cause heartburn, but it may depend on the individual. Stanford University researchers claim that coffee is not a culprit in causing acid reflux in a study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
