Acid reflux happens when stomach acid rushes back into the esophagus. It happens frequently but can lead to complications or bothersome symptoms like heartburn. One cause of this is a weakened or damaged lower esophageal sphincter (LES). Generally, the LES closes to prevent food from passing into the esophagus from the stomach.
The foods you eat influence the amount of acid produced by your stomach. Controlling acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a severe, chronic form of acid reflux, requires avoiding some food. Although doctors disagree on which foods cause reflux symptoms, certain foods have caused problems for many people. To begin controlling your symptoms, you could eliminate the following foods from your diet:
High-fat foods
Fried and fatty foods can relax the LES, allowing more stomach acid to enter the esophagus. These foods also cause a delay in stomach emptying. Eating high-fat foods increases your risk of reflux symptoms, so lowering your total daily fat intake can help.
The following foods are high in fat. Avoid or consume in moderation:
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French fries and onion rings
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full-fat dairy products, like butter, whole milk, regular cheese, and rotten cream
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fatty or fried amounts of beef, pork, or lamb
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bacon fat, ham fat, and lard
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desserts or snacks, like ice cream and potato chips
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cream sauces, gravies, and creamy salad dressings
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oily and greasy foods
Tomatoes and citrus fruit
Fruits and vegetables are vital elements of a nutritious diet. However, certain highly acidic fruits can cause or worsen GERD symptoms. If you suffer from acid reflux, you should limit or eliminate your consumption of foods like grapefruit, oranges, lemons, limes, pineapple, tomatoes, pizza, chili, and salsa.
Chocolate
Methylxanthine is an ingredient found in chocolate. It has been demonstrated that it relaxes the smooth muscle in the LES and increases reflux.
Garlic, onions, and spicy foods
Many people experience heartburn after eating spicy or tangy foods like onions and garlic. These edibles will not induce reflux in everyone. However, if you eat a lot of onions or garlic, keep a detailed food diary. Some of these foods, particularly spicy foods, may bother you more than others.
Mint
Mint and mint-flavored products, such as chewing gum and breath mints, can also cause acid reflux symptoms.
