Frequent acid reflux, also called GERD or gastroesophageal reflux disease, is the result of a backup of acid from your stomach into your esophagus. In addition to the discomfort and burning sensation acid reflux causes, it can eventually lead to serious health problems, such as a change in the structure of your esophagus or even cancer. Maintaining a healthy weight, eating small, frequent meals, not lying down after a meal and restricting your carbohydrate intake can help prevent acid reflux.
Low-Carb Diets and Acid Reflux
The effects of a very low-carb diet, defined as containing less than 20 g of carbohydrates per day, were studied in obese adults diagnosed with frequent acid reflux. The results from researchers at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, published in the August 2006 issue of "Digestive Diseases and Sciences," showed that a carb-restricted diet helped reduce the amount of time acid was present in the esophagus of the participants in addition to improving most of the pain and other symptoms related to their acid reflux. The diet used in this study was not completely carb-free because it included 20 g of carbs from nonstarchy vegetables daily, but eliminated grains, starchy vegetables, fruits and sugar.
Mechanism
The exact mechanism for the effectiveness of low-carb or carb-free diets in the management of acid reflux has yet to be determined. If your low-carb diet helps you to lose weight, if you are overweight or obese, it could help you reduce the pressure on your stomach and prevent acid reflux from occurring. However, the positive results found in the UNC study with a very low-carb diet appeared within less than a week, indicating that a carbohydrate-restricted diet may alleviate acid reflux in more than one way. More studies are still needed to replicate these findings and better understand the mechanism.
Carbohydrate Counting
If you want to see whether low-carb eating could help you better manage your symptoms of acid reflux, start counting your carbohydrates. The typical American diet is a high-carb diet, containing at least 200 to 300 g of carbs a day. The study that showed promising results of a restricted carbohydrate intake to control acid reflux used a diet providing 20 g of carbohydrates a day. Whether you decide to go completely carb-free, consume the same amount of carbohydrates used in the study or opt for a less restrictive approach with 50, 75 or 100 g of carbs a day is up to you, but you should first discuss your plan with your doctor to ensure it is safe for you.
Carb-Restricted Eating
Most Americans center their meals and snacks around high-carb foods that you will need to restrict or eliminate from your diet to adopt a low-carb or carb-free diet and decrease the severity of your acid reflux. Swap your breakfast cereals, toasts and orange juice for eggs, cheese, tomatoes and mushrooms cooked in olive oil. Serve a salad with chicken, almonds, avocado and a ranch dressing for lunch and pork chops with green beans and butter for dinner. Snack on nuts, slices of smoked salmon, canned tuna, cheese or deviled eggs to keep your daily carb intake low and possibly get rid of your acid reflux.
