5 popular foods that cause severe heartburn
What foods cause heartburn (photo: Freepik)
Burning and discomfort in the stomach after eating indicate gastrointestinal tract disorders. These unpleasant sensations worsen if the diet is unbalanced, heavy, and aggressive for the stomach. Therefore, it's important to know which foods to avoid, according to the Best Life Online website.
Caffeine
Gastroenterologist Joseph Salhab explains that if you drink a lot of coffee or tea, it's important to know that caffeine increases acidity.
On an empty stomach, the drink stimulates the secretion of hydrochloric acid, which can lead to irritation of the mucous membrane. This may cause bile reflux into an empty stomach, resulting in heartburn, nausea, and the development of gastritis.
It's better to drink coffee after a substantial breakfast, and not immediately, but rather two to three hours later.
Spicy food
Consuming spicy food can increase the production of stomach acid and promote its backflow into the esophagus. Spicy seasonings such as pepper, chili, and curry can irritate the mucous membrane of the esophagus and contribute to heartburn.
Carbonated drinks
These contain carbon dioxide, which can increase pressure in the stomach and contribute to the reflux of stomach contents into the esophagus.
Additionally, many carbonated drinks also contain acid, which can irritate the mucous membrane of the esophagus.
Fried or fatty foods
If you suffer from acid reflux, you should minimize the consumption of highly processed, fried, and fatty foods.
Such foods can also slow down the digestion process and increase the production of stomach acid, leading to symptoms of heartburn.
Alcohol
Finally, alcohol is another common trigger of heartburn as it irritates the throat, esophagus, and gastric mucosa and can increase acidity.
How to relieve heartburn
There are several ways to manage heartburn:
- Avoid foods that trigger heartburn. Replace these foods and drinks with more beneficial and easily digestible options.
- Regular small meals can help reduce pressure in the stomach and prevent reflux.
- Avoid eating before bedtime. Try to eat 2-3 hours before sleeping to give your stomach time to digest the food before rest.
- Excess weight can increase pressure in the stomach and contribute to heartburn. A healthy lifestyle and regular physical activity can reduce the risk of heartburn.
- Drinking enough water can help dilute stomach acid and lower acidity
Earlier we reported what can cause serious liver disease.
This material is for informational purposes only and should not be used for medical diagnosis or self-treatment. Our goal is to provide readers with accurate information about symptoms, causes, and methods of detecting diseases. RBС-Ukraine is not responsible for any diagnoses that readers may make based on materials from the resource. We do not recommend self-treatment and advise consulting a doctor in case of any health concerns.
