Diets For Acid Reflux

The best diets for acid reflux will vary from person to person.  Therefore, there are no hard and fast rules about what to eat or not eat.  However, there are some general guidelines which can be followed to help improve your diet for your acid reflux.   

Foods That Cause Acid Reflux  

For starters, we will look at what foods should be avoided or reduced to help improve your acid reflux diet.  Any foods that can irritate the esophagus should be avoided.  These would include foods like citrus juices, tomato products, wines, coffee, and vinegar-based products.  Spicy foods like chili peppers and ethnic foods should also be avoided for these same reasons.   

In addition, you should try to avoid foods that will weaken or cause the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) valve to relax.  This is problematic because when the LES valve is relaxed, acid and other digestive juices can reflux back into the esophagus.  Foods that do this include caffeinated foods, chocolate, alcohol, mint, garlic, and onions. 

Finally, foods that are high in fat should be avoided as well.  Some research suggests that high fat foods may lead to a decrease in the muscle tone of the LES.  This can translate into the flair up of acid reflux symptoms.   

Foods To Eat With Acid Reflux 

One of the best ways to improve diets for acid reflux is to pick foods that are unlikely to a problem from the very start.  With this thought in mind, we have listed some common foods in basic food categories which are good for acid reflux or are at least tolerable for many people. 

For Grains and cereals, we suggest multigrain cold cereals, cream of wheat, whole wheat pasta, brown rice, pita bread, wraps, wheat crackers, granola bars, pretzels and oatcakes. 

For vegetables, we suggest foods like asparagus, carrots, beets, green beans, mushrooms, peas, potatoes, salad greens, and squash. 

For fruits, we suggest foods like applesauce, apricots, berries, watermelon, cantaloupe, nectarines, peaches, and pears. 

For Milk and its by-products, we suggest using 1% or 2% milk, low fat cheese, low fat sour cream, and low fat yogurt. 

For Meat or meat substitutes, we suggest poultry, turkey, Fish, whole eggs, beans, and lean red meat. 

For Desserts, we suggest low fat puddings, low fat ice cream and sherbets. 

For Drinks, we suggest water, herbal teas, unsweetened fruit juices, fresh vegetable juices, bottled water, and decaffeinated beverages.

By keeping these foods in mind, all diets for acid reflux can be improved.  Although you should not expect to commit to all whole food lifestyle change immediately, gradual improvements in your diet can result in a serious reduction in your acid reflux symptoms.