Although not exactly considered a cause of acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), food choices can either worsen or relieve the symptoms of acid reflux in a person. Depending on how severe symptoms are, the right diet can go a long way in treating the disorder or at the very least, relieve you of symptoms.

Foods to Avoid in a Diet for Acid Reflux Relief

If planning your diet for acid reflux, avoiding foods that trigger the condition should be a primary consideration. These foods include those that either relaxes the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) and those that irritate the esophagus.

The LES is a high-pressure muscular valve separating the esophagus and the stomach. Its high pressure prevents reflux, but allows food and liquids to pass through. However, when the pressure drops the LES relaxes, causing the reflux. Thus, patients must remember that acid reflux occurs when the LES is weakened and its pressure decreases, allowing hydrochloric acid, pepsin and bile to splash up damaging the esophagus and throat. A diet for acid reflux therefore requires avoiding foods that relax the LES. These includes fried and fatty foods, pepper, peppermint and high-fat desserts like chocolates, brownies, and butter cookies.

Apart from avoiding foods that relax the LES, patients suffering from acid reflux must also avoid foods that can irritate or damage the esophageal lining. This includes tomato-based dishes; extremely hot or cold beverages like coffee; alcoholic beverages; spices; and acidic food products like citrus fruits, drinks and vinegar to decrease the acids in the stomach. However, in cases where the acid reflux is caused by having too little acid (as opposed to too much) consuming apple cider vinegar in your diet for acid reflux can be helpful.

Healthy Foods to Include in a Diet for Acid Reflux

Aside from avoiding the foods that trigger acid reflux, a good diet for acid reflux also involves eating easy to digest foods to prevent irritation in the patient's esophagus. These include foods that are soft and easy to digest like complex carbohydrates such as rice, soft breads, and pasta, which are not only easy on the stomach, but also help tie-up excess acids to prevent high acidity levels.

Foods that are high in alkaline should also be included in a diet for acid reflux because of its ability to correct the body's ph level and balance the high acidity levels of people with GERD. This includes vegetables like broccoli sprouts, alfalfa spouts, wheat grass, barley grass, cucumber, kale, and parsley; fruits like apples, bananas, and grapefruit; and beans and legumes like lima beans, soy beans, white beans, and tofu. Drinking mangosteen juice, which effectively dilutes acids can also reduce inflammation and lower the stomach's acidity levels.

Lifestyle Changes to Aid Diet for Acid Reflux

While it is important to plan your diet for acid reflux by avoiding foods that trigger GERD and eating those that can help improve your health, it is also important to accompany your diet for acid reflux with lifestyle changes to improve your condition. This includes:

1. Restricting your diet to small, frequent feedings of about 4 to 6 per day to decrease the amount of food in the stomach and lessen the workload for your digestive system.

2. Drinking adequate fluids before, after, and during every meal to assist in food passage and dilute the acids in your stomach.

3. Eat slowly and chew your food thoroughly to add saliva to your food, making it easier to digest, and soften the food that passes through your esophagus, preventing irritation.

4. Avoid eating and drinking 3 hours before bedtime to prevent incidents of nocturnal acid reflux.

5. Lose weight (if overweight) to reduce the probability of reflux incidents.

6. Avoid smoking and drinking alcohol because it relaxes your LES and stimulates your body's production of acids.

7. Elevate your head by 6 to 8 inches when lying down to prevent nocturnal reflux.

An effective diet for acid reflux therefore requires two things: the discipline to follow your diet plan and the commitment to put lifestyle changes into practice.