The 9 Worst Foods to Eat When You Have GERD

You know the feeling all too well. It's that burning sensation in your throat or chest, otherwise known as your old friend, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). And your diet can aggravate the condition, which is why knowing the foods to avoid with GERD can help you ease symptoms.

And what are the symptoms of GERD, exactly? According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), signs of the condition include:

• A dry cough that won't stop
• Trouble swallowing
• Bad breath
• A sour taste in your mouth
• Excessive burping

GERD happens when the muscular part of your lower esophagus that should close (called the lower esophageal sphincter) doesn't, allowing food and acid to travel up from your stomach into your throat. This leads to burning and other problems from repeat acid exposure.

It's the more serious version of acid reflux, and besides being uncomfortable, it can damage your esophagus over time if left untreated, per the NIH.

If you have GERD, you probably know a thing or two about over-the-counter antacid treatments, and possibly other prescription medications, too. But one of the key treatments revolves around diet and lifestyle modifications, says David M. Poppers, MD, PhD, a board-certified gastroenterologist at NYU Langone Health in New York.

And while food doesn't cause the condition, it can make your symptoms worse. So here's a roundup of what not to eat when you have GERD.

First on the list of foods to avoid with acid reflux: fried and fast foods. These two often go hand-in-hand — think french fries, fried chicken, donuts, convenience foods that are cheap and tasty (and often get handed to you through a take-out window).

None of these are great for GERD: One October 2014 study in ​Przegląd Gastroenterologiczny​ found an association between the severity of GERD symptoms and diet, including fried foods.

More research is needed to understand why fried foods spark symptoms, according to a 2019 review in ​Current Medicinal Chemistry​, but it's clear they're among the foods to avoid if you have reflux, says Alicia A. Romano, RD, a registered dietitian at Tufts Medical Center and national media spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics.

Foods high in fiber are great for overall health and digestion, but they're especially good for heartburn relief, Romano says.

Indeed, fibrous fruits, vegetables, legumes and whole grains are among the best foods for GERD. "Research shows that high-fiber diets play an important role in managing GERD symptoms," Romano says. That's why "a balanced, plant-oriented, high-fiber diet is a great starting point for GERD management."

A June 2018 study in the ​World Journal of Gastroenterology​ found that adding 12.5 grams of soluble fiber a day to the diets of people with GERD decreased their weekly frequency of heartburn.

The reason might be that dietary fibers bind to the nitric oxide in food, which could "diminish its negative effect onto low esophageal sphincter pressure," according to study authors. More research is needed, but the hypothesis is a start.

And remember — you don't have to completely avoid food for acid reflux relief. There are many things you can still eat with the condition, so don't despair if certain pleasurable ingredients are on your foods-that-cause GERD list, Dr. Popper says.

Romano agrees: "I always like to suggest to my patients experiencing GERD, rather than thinking about everything you have to take away from your diet, think about what you can add to your diet and lifestyle to make your condition better. In many cases, adopting healthier dietary patterns — including high-fiber fruits, veggies, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains — and lifestyle patterns can play a significant role in managing or preventing symptoms."

Foods like bologna, bacon and sausage are big instigators of GERD symptoms, Romano says.

Saturated fat-rich foods are notorious GERD offenders because they likely decrease the tension in the part of our esophagus that fails to close as it should, allowing acid to flow up. Fatty foods also take longer to leave the stomach, unlike more easily digested foods, which can lead to food regurgitation, according to the 2014 study in ​Przegląd Gastroenterologiczny​.

While there's no one right GERD diet to completely eliminate your symptoms ("It's avoiding the triggers," Dr. Poppers says), research has shown that a Mediterranean diet and/or a very low-carbohydrate diet protect against GERD, according to the ​Current Medicinal Chemistry​ article.

Another study, published October 2016 in ​Diseases of the Esophagus​, looked at the association of a Mediterranean diet and GERD in 817 adults in Albania. It found a "beneficial effect" in the reduction of GERD from the diet type, which emphasizes fish (not fried!), unsaturated fats like olive oil and fresh fruits and vegetables. So if you're wondering what to eat for GERD, this eating style may be a good place to start.

Spicy foods might cause esophageal mucosal irritation, according to an August 2019 report in ​Thoracic Disease​, mimicking classic heartburn.

Spices like chili powder and pepper (white, black, cayenne) are common culprits, Romano says. Garlic can be an offender here too.

One bonus of blander foods is that they tend to be higher in fiber (think: grains, fruits, veggies), Romano says.

"Bland" sounds pretty unexciting, but it doesn't have to be. The list of bland foods good for GERD isn't short, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine:

• Steamed, baked or grilled lean meats (poultry, whitefish, shellfish)
• Eggs
• Tofu
• Low-fat or fat-free dairy
• White bread, pasta and crackers
• Vegetable and fruit juices (avoid tomato and citrus juice)
• Creamy peanut butter
• Desserts like custard, pudding, popsicles and gelatin

Tomato-based sauces and related products like tomato juice are another group of foods to avoid with GERD. They have been shown to cause GERD symptoms, Dr. Poppers says, and this could be related to the acidic nature of the fruit (yes, tomatoes are a fruit!).

Search the internet and you'll find a host of substitutes for tomato, including peaches, beets and basil. One way to adjust certain recipes is to skip the tomatoes and move on, or get creative with low-fat dairy white sauces.

Experimentation — and moderation — can help with all of these substitutes so you can instead focus on eating the foods that won't give you heartburn, Romano says.

"For some, eliminating some of the triggers and then slowly reintroducing them back may allow you to identify if one of the foods above worsens your GERD symptoms," she says.

Like tomatoes, acidic citrus fruits like grapefruit, oranges, lemons and limes can trigger GERD symptoms, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.

It may also be wise to add citrus products like juices and candies to your what-not-to-eat with acid reflux list to avoid discomfort from GERD.

Luckily, there are plenty of delicious lower-acid fruit options to eat instead. Per Johns Hopkins Medicine, good picks include:

• Bananas
• Melon
• Watermelon

So, is chocolate good for acid reflux? Unfortunately not — chocolate and GERD don't mix well, as the candy can trigger reflux and expose your esophagus to irritating acid, per the ​Current Medicinal Chemistry​ research.

If you're in the mood for candy but have GERD, satisfy your sweet tooth with the high-fiber, low-acid fruits recommended by Johns Hopkins Medicine, including bananas and melons.

And while there's no one best candy for acid reflux to substitute for chocolate, skipping candy that contains other acid reflux-inducing ingredients like citrus can also help prevent GERD flares.

While peppermints or mint products like tea may seem soothing for throat irritation associated with GERD, mint can actually trigger the condition, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. That's because it can cause your esophageal sphincter to relax, allowing acid to flow backwards.

If you're looking for something to relieve an irritated throat, try non-mint teas like ginger instead, per Johns Hopkins Medicine. Just remember to pick non-caffeinated brews, as caffeine can likewise aggravate GERD (more on that soon).

As tough as it may be to cut caffeine from your life, both the NIH and the American College of Gastroenterology recommend that people with GERD limit how much coffee and caffeinated tea they eat or drink. It's yet another suspected irritant that provokes GERD symptoms.

H2O is probably the best thing to drink for acid reflux.

Many of us are chronically dehydrated in our fast-paced lifestyles, Dr. Poppers says. Drinking enough water can help reduce GERD symptoms and benefit your overall wellbeing.

Alcohol is another major GERD offender. It can cause numerous issues, including tampering with the lower esophageal sphincter, increasing acid and impairing how the stomach empties, according to an August 2014 study in ​BMC Gastroenterology​.

It's better to avoid it if you can, or drink in moderation to see if it affects your symptoms, Dr. Poppers says.

There are plenty of ways to bring fun drinks into your life without booze. You'll want to skip orange juice, lime juice and lemon juice, too, as these are also possible triggers for GERD symptoms.