Foods for Acid Reflux Relief and Recovery

What are some useful foods for acid reflux relief?

The list of foods that are found to be useful for alleviating acid reflux symptoms below might be of interest to you.

Benefits of dietary changes over antacids

It is estimated that more than 15 million Americans suffer from acid reflux disease (gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD), in which acidic contents from the stomach flow up into the esophagus, cause discomfort (cannot tolerate it), inflammation, and even scarring.

Acid reflux symptoms experienced include a burning pain in your chest (heartburn), an irritation in your throat and / or acid taste in your mouth, a chronic cough, bad breath, belching, difficulty swallowing, nausea, as well as laryngitis.

In coping with acid reflux symptoms or GERD, many people may resort to antacids. However, antacids can create problems of their own -- they interfere with digestion and the absorption of nutrients from your food, and hence should not be taken on the long term basis. [1]

On the contrary, natural remedies can be very effective when it comes to treating acid reflux. And one form of natural remedy for acid reflux is food therapy -- dealing with acid reflux naturally by incorporating more foods that help relief the condition in your diet.

Foods beneficial for acid reflux sufferers

High fiber foods

It seems that foods high in fiber can also be helpful to protect against acid reflux, as found in a study published in the journal Gut [2]. As such, factor in plenty of high fiber vegetables and fruits to your menu. Include more raw vegetables in your meals if you can. These high-fiber foods, along with whole grains (e.g. rice, oats and cornmeal)as well as nuts and seeds, will also help to keep your intestinal flora balanced and your bowels moving smoothly.

Beverages

By consuming more fluids (especially water) on a daily basis, you can actually help to dilute your stomach acids and reduce acid reflux symptoms brought about by excessive stomach acid. Nonetheless, since you do need your stomach acids for proper digestion, your extra intake of fluids should not be immediately before or after or during meals. Instead, a better time to consume your fluids (with the exception of the raw apple cider vinegar described below) would be in between meals.

A tablespoon of raw apple cider vinegar mixed with a glass a water, consumed during a meal, can be one of the wonderful foods for acid reflux relief. If you are unconvinced that this acidic remedy can provide relief for an already acidic stomach, then you must read more about the effects of apple cider vinegar on acid reflux.

Also, try raw potato juice (do NOT remove the peel from the potato during juicing). Mix the juice with equal portions of water, and consume the juice immediately after juicing, 3 times a day. [3].

You can also try fresh cabbage or celery juices as foods for acid reflux relief [3].

Chamomile tea is also found to be soothing on the stomach and can help to relieve esophageal irritation. However, if you are allergic to ragweed, or are pregnant or nursing, you should not take chamomile. If you are also concurrently taking warfarin or cyclosporine, you will also need to avoid chamomile. [3].

Fruits

Eating fresh papaya can help with your acid reflux. This is because acid reflux could be a result of poor digestion, and fresh papaya actually aids in digestion [3].

A food that can help combat excessive stomach acid and therefore work as a natural acid reflux relief is the fig. Figs are particularly alkaline and can help rebalance the pH in the stomach and body [4]. Nonetheless, figs contain more calories than other fresh fruits (they are afterall often used as a good source of energy), so if you are trying to lose weight, you will have to keep a check on how much figs you consume on a daily basis.

Another fruit you can consider is the apple. Apples (especially the peel) are not only rich in antioxidants, they also have natural anti-inflammatory properties and promote digestive regularity [4]. By eating an apple after each meal, many have found relief - a simple acid reflux natural remedy indeed.

Yogurt

Yogurts are not only useful for keeping your bones in top shape, they also contain healthy bacteria that help to keep your gut healthy and prevent the formation of excessive stomach acid. In your search for natural acid reflux cures, you may thus wish to try yogurt.

When purchasing your yogurt, try to get those that are as natural as possible, and preferably those that are lower in fats and sugars. High fat dairy products may actually trigger acid reflux symptoms, so by choosing a lower fat variety, you're making the best move.

Food-herbs

You can also consider taking aloe vera, as it helps soothe and heal your intestinal tract. You can take the fruit in its original form by cutting up the fruit (peeling off its thick skin) and dropping it in some raw honey water (for taste), or mixing the fruit with water in a blender. Or you could juice the aloe vera fruit. Alternatively, you could take supplementation of aloe vera, in the form of capsule (suggested 600mg), liquid (suggested 2 tablespoons) or powder (suggested 2 teaspoons) before each meal three times a day. [5]

Widely used in traditional chinese medicine to deal with digestive problems, ginger is a food-herb that you can use to relieve your acid reflux symptoms. It is also useful if you are feeling nausea. Simply include this food-herb in your dishes as a condiment. Or if your symptoms are bad, cut a small strip of ginger and suck it like a sweet.

Read about other types of herbs that you can use for relieveing acid reflux.

Foods that are gentle on your digestive system

Since spicy, acidic, heavy and fatty foods prolong the digestive process and can trigger or aggravate acid reflux symptoms, it is best to go for simpler, lighter and relatively bland foods. Try stuff like toast, plain whole wheat pasta or noodles, baked or broiled potatoes, clear liquids, and an occasional banana until all symptoms have gone.

Beyond the foods for acid reflux

In addition to adding foods for acid reflux relief in your diet, avoiding foods that trigger or aggravate acid reflux symptoms also forms an important part of reflux-free diets. It is certainly helpful to avoid anything that irritates the stomach, such as acidic foods, spicy foods, fatty foods, alcohol, coffee or tea, just to name a few. Read more about the foods you should try to avoid if you are suffering from acid reflux problems.

You can also complement your anti-reflux diet with important healthy eating habits for easy instant relief.

For example, it is important to chew your food carefully. In addition, it is also important to relax while you are eating. Read more about the healthy eating habits that you should adopt, especially if you are suffering from acid reflux issues.

But if these dietary changes do not help, you can consider other lifestyle changes to deal with your condition. You can also consider taking herbs or natural supplements to deal with your acid reflux.

Usually such gastroesophageal reflux problems respond well to the self-help remedies mentioned above. This means that your symptoms should clear up relatively quickly. However, if they don't, your condition might be rather serious and you might need to seek the help of a qualified practitioner in the holistic and natural healing fields to deal with your problem.

If your heartburn symptoms are accompanied by chest pain (especially pain that radiates to the jaw, neck or arm) as well as symptoms like cold sweat, dizziness, nausea, or shortness of breath, you should see your doctor immediately, to eliminate the possibility that you might just had or are going to have a heart attack. [1, 3]

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Need relief from acid reflux? Read the Reflux Remedy Report, where you can learn to overcome reflux using 3 common grocery items, or get a free acid reflux analysis by a medical doctor. You could also learn about a holistic system for helping you overcome acid reflux, heartburn, chest pain and discomfort, as well as other digestive disorders. You could also use natural, herbal and homeopathic remedies for acid reflux.

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References

[1] Gottlieb, Bill. Alternative Cures: The Most Effective Natural Home Remedies for 160 Health Problems. Rodale, 2000. Print.

[2] "Acid Reflux Diet And Nutrition Guide", extracted from http://www.healthline.com/health/gerd/diet-nutrition#3,on 28 Sep 2013

[3] Balch, Phyllis A., CNC. Prescription for Nutritional Healing: A Practical A-to-Z Reference to Drug-Free Remedies Using Vitamins, Minerals, Herbs & Food Supplements. 5th ed. New York, NY: Avery, 2010. Print.

[4] Collins, Elise Marie. An A-Z Guide to Healing Foods: A Shopper's Companion. San Francisco, California: Conari Press, 2009. Print.

[5] Balch, James F., MD, Stengler, Mark, ND, and Balch, Robin Young, ND. Prescription for Drug Alternatives: All-Natural Options for Better Health without the Side Effects. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc, 2008. Print.

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