Will Eating This Give Me Heartburn
To answer this question, we first must understand what heartburn is. It is a burning discomfort usually in the center of the chest that continues up to the throat in some individuals. Stomach acid refluxes into the esophagus and irritates its tissue. Certain foods trigger heartburn and you need to identify the foods that trigger your heartburn. This slideshow may help you identify foods that may trigger heartburn and offers suggestions about how the risk for heartburn can be reduced.
Citrus Or Tomato Products
Because of the high acid content in both citrus fruit and tomatoes, the acid that your stomach produces to digest them may cause excess acid to back up. Acidic foods can also irritate the already-damaged lining of your esophagus. This category includes anything made with citrus fruits or tomatoes, including juices, condiments, and pasta sauce.
Foods Making Your Heartburn Worse
If you’ve ever experienced a painful burning feeling in your chest or throat after downing a giant burrito at Chipotle, you’re definitely not alone. About 60 million Americans experience heartburn, or acid reflux, at least once a month, according to the American College of Gastroenterology.
To fight back, most of us simply pop an antacid and go on with our day. But have you ever noticed that sometimes your symptoms come crawling back, even after you’ve had a TUMS? And then the meds work just fine at other times? If you’re nodding your head “yes,” it’s likely because of what you’ve eaten after self-medicating.
According to the National Institutes of Health, certain foods exacerbate heartburn and acid reflux symptoms by carrying additional acid into the stomach and up into the esophagus, making you feel even more miserable.
Not only is this super uncomfortable, over time reflux can damage the esophagus, so it’s important to know how to identify these sneaky culprits so you can nip your heartburn in the bud!
To help you out, we’ve identified some of the top offenders below.
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What Do Fried Foods Do To Your Body
Fried foods are usually very high in fat, calories, and salt. They have been known to affect the body negatively and are associated with severe health problems such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes. They are also known to cause obesity and lead to an increase in your blood pressure.
Additionally, the fried foods are high in cholesterol as frying the food alters their quality and increases their caloric content. Fried foods are typically cooked in hydrogenated oils, which are very high in trans fats.
Even though fried foods cause the food to have a good taste, they are not suitable for your health as they raise the levels of bad cholesterol in your body and reduce good cholesterol levels.
As this bad cholesterol builds up in your body, it starts to negatively affect you by altering various body functions, lowering your immunity, and making your blood pressure increase.
There is also a harmful chemical that is usually produced when food is being fried at high temperatures. Acrylamide forms when asparagine in the food reacts with sugars and has a cancer risk associated with it.
As you can see, regular consumption of fried foods can cause several serious health issues in the long term. This affects everybody, who eats fried foods, to a certain extent.
In the short term, fried foods seem to be fine, as they have a great taste and usually dont cause any problem. However, some people might have certain symptoms within a short time after eating fried foods.
What Foods Make Heartburn Worse
Food and drinks that commonly trigger heartburn include:
- alcohol, particularly red wine.
- black pepper, garlic, raw onions, and other spicy foods.
- chocolate.
- citrus fruits and products, such as lemons, oranges and orange juice.
- coffee and caffeinated drinks, including tea and soda.
- peppermint.
- tomatoes.
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Avoid Foods That Cause Acid Reflux: Simple Food Swaps To Get Rid Of Heartburn
Heartburn is an extremely uncomfortable experience that affects thousands of people across South Africa on a daily basis.5
Also known as acid reflux, heartburn is a burning sensation in the chest that occurs as a result of stomach acid rising up into the esophagus.
What does heartburn feel like? Heartburn symptoms can range from burning in the chest to a sour acidic taste in the back of throat and is often triggered by foods many of us eat on a daily basis.1
How to stop heartburn? Here are some of the most common foods that are reasons for heartburn, and the things you could try replacing them with if you think these might be a trigger for you.
Pass On Greasy Fatty Foods
Fried, greasy, and fatty foods can all cause heartburn and lead to reflux because they prevent the lower esophageal sphincter from fully tightening this creates an opening for stomach acids to flow upward. Greasy, heavier foods are also harder to digest so the stomach empties more slowly, which can trigger heartburn. And eating too much fried and high-fat foods increases your risk of obesity, which in turn increases the chances of experiencing uncomfortable acid reflux.
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Foods That Help Reduce Heartburn
While there is no specific diet that is recommended to prevent heartburn, research has shown that a high-fiber, low-fat diet heavy in lean meats, fruits and vegetables, and whole grains could ease your heartburn symptoms. The following foods may help manage your symptoms:
- Vegetables/non-citrus fruits
- Healthy fats
Opt Out Of Coffee And Soda
Any type of soda or carbonated beverage is an irritant and is likely to trigger heartburn. Coffee is also commonly responsible for heartburn even if it’s decaffeinated. Steer clear of these drinks and any other caffeinated beverages if you’re trying to avoid heartburn and acid reflux. If you just can’t resist a daily caffeine fix, try to drink it in the morning, or early in the day, since reflux tends to be worse at night or when you’re lying down.
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First Of All What Is Heartburn
Heartburn may affect your body when you excessively consume foods that are either too acidic or high in fat. Heartburn symptoms include discomforting pain in the chest and even around the throat. Other than that, an upset stomach also happens to be a common symptom of heartburn. It may also lead to acid production in the stomach and further lead to gastroesophageal reflux disease. Considering how severe the consequences are, consuming fatty, acidic, and spicy foods in moderation is always advisable. Lets move to our list of problematic foods in terms of heartburn and acid reflux.
How A Doctor Can Help
If you have heartburn two or more times a week and changes to your diet or eating pattern haven’t helped, consult a doctor. A gastroenterologist can perform tests to measure the acidity in your stomach and see if frequent acid reflux has damaged your esophagus.
GERD is often treatable through a combination of lifestyle changes and medication. But persistent symptoms of reflux need thorough evaluation by a gastroenterologist who can find the underlying cause and discuss available treatment options.
The Johns Hopkins Heartburn Center
GERD is an ongoing condition that often requires more attention than over-the-counter treatments can offer. The Heartburn Center at Johns Hopkins Medicine provides personalized care to help patients find relief.
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Heartburn Trigger: Garlic And Onions
Replacement: For many wannabe gourmet chefs the thought of cooking without garlic or onions is completely incomprehensible and thankfully you dont need to give them up at all.
Dehydrated versions of both garlic and onion are both widely available and provide a comparable taste to their fresh counterparts, without the acidity that can trigger a bout of heartburn.
How Can I Prevent My Symptoms Of Gerd
As you can see, there are many types of foods to avoid if you have GERD or acid reflux disease. However, you may or may not experience symptoms after eating one of these foods as each case is different. This list of foods is meant to give you general guidelines of foods to avoid.
With that being said, the most reliable way to know which foods you should avoid is to keep a food journal. Pay attention to what you eat, then record whether or not you experience symptoms after.
You should also pay attention to which situations lead to your symptoms. For instance, do you experience symptoms in the morning before youve eaten, or after a large lunch? Or, perhaps you notice symptoms at night after eating a late dinner or dessert.
If you have more questions about preventing GERD or acid reflux symptoms, talk with your doctor. Depending on the severity of your symptoms, your doctor may give you a prescription to help soothe your heartburn.
Prescriptions usually include histamine-2 blockers , proton pump inhibitors , and promotility agents. These are usually short-term prescriptions for acid reflux treatment while you make dietary adjustments.
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What Causes Acid Reflux
Acid reflux is caused by weakness or relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter . Normally this valve closes tightly after food enters your stomach. If it relaxes when it shouldnt, your stomach contents rise back up into the esophagus.
Stomach acids flow back up into the esophagus, causing reflux.
Factors that can lead to this include:
- Too much pressure on the abdomen. Some pregnant women experience heartburn almost daily because of this increased pressure.
- Particular types of food and eating habits.
- Medications that include medicines for asthma, high blood pressure and allergies as well as painkillers, sedatives and anti-depressants.
- A hiatal hernia. The upper part of the stomach bulges into the diaphragm, getting in the way of normal intake of food.
What Are The Main Symptoms Of Gerd
The main symptoms are persistent heartburn and acid regurgitation. Some people have GERD without heartburn. Instead, they experience pain in the chest, hoarseness in the morning or trouble swallowing. You may feel like you have food stuck in your throat, or like you are choking or your throat is tight. GERD can also cause a dry cough and bad breath.
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What Are The Symptoms Of Acid Reflux
A big symptom of acid reflux is a burning sensation, otherwise referred to as heartburn, which occurs when acid creeps back up the esophagus from the stomach. That’s why people grasp at their chestthe pain can literally take their breath away.
Since acid is flowing backward, aka up the esophagus, swallowing can be difficult and there could be the feeling that there’s a lump in the throat. But the symptoms don’t stop thereother parts of the body take the heat, too.
There are lots of factors that go into a good night’s sleep, and feeling like your chest is burning isn’t one. Nighttime acid reflux can disrupt sleep, make asthma worse, and may cause coughing, according to the Mayo Clinic. So consuming things that can help prevent these symptoms is key for making sure it doesn’t mess up slumber, which then leads to other adverse effects.
Mainstream Theory About Gerd And Reflux
Most doctors believe GERD is caused by high stomach acid and a loose or lazy LES . The LES is a muscle that tightly seals the stomach off from the esophagus and prevents acid from flowing up the pipe. With GERD and reflux, the LES does not properly seal.
Foods that encourage the LES to relax and loosen are:
Chocolate
Acid foods like citrus and tomatoes
Onions and garlic
Mint
Alcohol
Things that help tone the LES and keep it tightly shut are foods that are high in fiber like veggies and oatmeal as well as bananas, lean protein, white rice and ginger.
While this diet may help with symptoms, you are stuck in food jail. And that takes a toll.
If you want to be able to go out to eat or have an occasional cocktail without flaring symptoms I believe addressing the root cause of the problem.
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Resistant Starch Rice Pudding
My low sugar, egg-free, bone broth infused version of rice pudding makes a great breakfast option. It is also a great food for soothing ulcers.
It is full of easy to digest low-FODMAP carbs if you stick to a half-cup cup serving.
I cooked the rice in bone broth in my Instant Pot.
You cant taste the broth in the final dish, but it adds protein, amino acids and gut-healing gelatin. If you make the rice with water, you can add a scoop of collagen powder.
To make it creamier, blend half of the rice pudding and add it to the other half. This makes it thick and creamy without eggs to thicken.
The best kind of rice to use is basmati or jasmine rice as theyre the easiest to digest. If you tolerate brown rice you can use that too, but the extra fiber may be tougher to break down if you have weak digestion.
This can be customized with your favorite flavors or toppings, and eaten hot or cold. I prefer it hot.
Makes 4 half-cup portions.
2 cups of rice cooked in bone broth
1 cup of non-dairy milk
1 Tablespoon of honey
Vanilla, cinnamon and salt
Optional add ins:
1-2 Tablespoons of collagen, lemon or orange zest, goji berries, chia seeds, sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds, chai spices, sliced banana, nut butter, butter, spirulina
How to
Cook the rice in water or bone broth. I used an Instant Pot to cook my rice. The rule of thumb is 2 parts liquid to 1 part rice. One cup of uncooked rice should yield 3 cups of cooked rice.
Add honey.
What Causes Sharp Stomach Pain After Eating Fried Foods
Sharp stomach pain, especially if it lasts for several hours, should never be ignored, and you should consult about it with your doctor!
If fried chicken or french fries cause you a sharp stomach ache, it usually means a more serious problem than simple indigestion.
The most likely causes of such pain are gallbladder, pancreas, or liver problems. All these organs play an important role in the digestion process and the high fat content of fried foods makes them work super-hard.
In case you have diseases like gallstones or inflammations, digesting fried foods might result in sharp stomach pain.
Pain on the left side of your abdomen might indicate gallbladder problems, pain on the right is more likely caused by the liver. However, this is the point where you should stop guessing what the cause might be and see a doctor for a proper diagnosis.
Some other common symptoms of problems with your digestive system:
- vomiting
- diarrhea
- back pain or right shoulder pain
- nausea
- bloating
If you experience very intense pain, have a fever, or yellowish skin, call medical care right away.
You might have some unexpected symptoms after eating fried food, like chest pain and sore throat.
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Why Do Fried Foods Hurt Your Stomach
Since fried foods contain a lot of fat, they are hard and slow to digest.
Because of the slow digestion process, your brain might think you are still hungry when your stomach is already full of fried foods. This means it is very easy to eat too much fried food, which contributes significantly to stomach problems.
Too much fried food can easily upset the stomach and you might feel dull stomach pain for a few hours after eating. If this happens occasionally, it can be perfectly normal, just try to cut back on the amount of french fries and fried chicken.
However, if this happens regularly, or you feel a sharp stomach pain that lasts for several hours, you might have an underlying medical condition, that needs to be diagnosed.
Is Gerd Dangerous Or Life
GERD isnt life-threatening or dangerous in itself. But long-term GERD can lead to more serious health problems:
- Esophagitis: Esophagitis is the irritation and inflammation the stomach acid causes in the lining of the esophagus. Esophagitis can cause ulcers in your esophagus, heartburn, chest pain, bleeding and trouble swallowing.
- Barrett’s esophagus: Barrett’s esophagus is a condition that develops in some people who have long-term GERD. The damage acid reflux can cause over years can change the cells in the lining of the esophagus. Barretts esophagus is a risk factor for cancer of the esophagus.
- Esophageal cancer: Cancer that begins in the esophagus is divided into two major types. Adenocarcinoma usually develops in the lower part of the esophagus. This type can develop from Barretts esophagus. Squamous cell carcinoma begins in the cells that line the esophagus. This cancer usually affects the upper and middle part of the esophagus.
- Strictures: Sometimes the damaged lining of the esophagus becomes scarred, causing narrowing of the esophagus. These strictures can interfere with eating and drinking by preventing food and liquid from reaching the stomach.
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Foods That Cause Heartburn
Some foods and drinks can trigger heartburn symptoms or irritate the esophagus.
As everyone may react differently to foods, a person should try monitoring their symptoms after eating different foods to determine which may be causing heartburn.
The following foods and drinks are those that commonly cause heartburn.
Steer Clear Of Spicy Foods
Foods with a fiery, spicy flavor may add some kick to your diet, but you’ll feel that kick burning in your chest again when heartburn happens. Spicy dishes containing a variety of chile peppers and related ingredients like cayenne pepper are well-known heartburn triggers, though some people can tolerate them. Consider dialing down the level of spices in your home-cooked meals and, when eating out, always ask about any spices included in dishes youre ordering.
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