People respond to what they eat differently, and a food or drink that gives one person heartburn may not give you any problems at all. On the other hand, the acidity in cranberry juice might give you heartburn but not affect your spouse or best friend. This is a highly individual issue. If you do happen to be one of those people who has frequent heartburn, don't rush to blame the cranberry juice. It may be caused by one or more other foods or beverages.
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Acid Reflux
Acid reflux causes burning and pain in your upper chest and throat. You may also experience a sour or bitter taste in the back of your mouth. These sensations are caused by the contents of your stomach backing into your esophagus. Certain foods and drinks relax the esophageal sphincter, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse, allowing this to occur.
Heartburn Triggers
Cranberry juice, citrus fruit, citrus juices, tomatoes and tomato-based products are among the acidic foods often cited as heartburn triggers. Other culprits may include spicy foods, fried or fatty foods, onions, garlic, chocolate, caffeine, carbonated drinks and alcohol. These foods tend to relax the esophageal muscle. Heavy meals may also cause heartburn by slowing digestion and requiring the stomach to secrete excess acid.
Food Journal and Diet
To identify your particular triggers or rule out cranberry juice as a cause of heartburn, keep a food journal for a week, advises the McKinley Health Center at the University of Illinois. Write down the foods you eat, the time of your meals and the symptoms you experience. This helps you gradually eliminate suspected triggers in your diet. You may find that you can enjoy cranberry juice, because other foods and not the cranberry juice trigger the reflux.
But you may decide to follow an acid-reflux diet. Acid reflux diets often include noncitrus fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meat, fish, skinless poultry and low-fat or nonfat dairy foods. The diet may help you avoid taking antacids or using acid-reducing medication to prevent heartburn.
Protective Contents
Perhaps ironically, cranberry has properties that may improve health conditions related to digestive-system discomfort. Herbal remedies, such as teas or tinctures containing cranberry, have been used to strengthen the body's ability to prevent acid reflux. For example, research suggests that cranberry inhibits Helicobacter pylori, or H. pylori, bacteria, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. The bacteria cause ulcers, gastritis and stomach inflammation. Check with your doctor about using any herbal remedy for health conditions.
References
- National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse; Heartburn, Gastroesophageal Reflux (GER), and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD); May 2007
- McKinley Health Center: The GERD Diet
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease; September 2009
- LoveToKnow: Acid Reflux Diet
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