Heartburn is a condition where a person feels a burning sensation usually after heavy meals. Despite the name, heartburn is not related to the heart but is rather a digestive problem. Excessive build-up of stomach acids used for digestion refluxes back to the esophagus, hence, causing the burning discomfort. One of the main reasons why heartburn occurs is because of poor diet and sleeping shortly after meals. Persons with heartburn are usually given a restricting diet and told to eat small frequent meals instead of heavy meals thrice a day. However, this will not entirely solve your diet and heartburn problems. Knowledge on the foods that help rid of heartburn and foods that trigger it is still a must.
Foods to avoid during heartburn are those that are usually fatty and greasy. Here is a list of the top ten pro-heartburn foods that you need to avoid if you want to rid yourself of that uneasy burning feeling:
• Citric fruits and juices are known to be very acidic foods and may cause heartburn especially if taken on an empty stomach. Examples of these foods are oranges, grapefruits and lemons.
• Tomatoes
• The use of garlic and onion in cooking
• Spicy foods like pepper, chili and Mexican foods
• Peppermint, although, freshens up your breath after meals, triggers heartburn to occur by relaxing the sphincter that protects the esophagus from acidic juices.
• Dairy products and those foods high in fat
• Alcohol and liquor
• Caffeine like coffee or tea
• Chocolate products
• Carbonated beverages and sodas
Foods safe to eat during heartburn are those fresh and are non-fat. Fresh non-citric fruits like apples and bananas are not acidic and are, therefore, safe to eat during a heartburn attack. Fresh leafy vegetables are also recommended rather than eating oily and greasy foods. It is also advised to broil your meat instead of cooking it in oil. Choose dairy products that are non-fat and instead of drinking juices, opt to use mineral water for the meantime.
