How to stop acid reflux – Food to eat and avoid

While there is a myriad of drugs on the market to treat reflux – spending in the United States for drugs such as proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) total $ 7 billion a year – many patients do not want to depend on drugs or are worried about potential side effects.

It is important to deal with reflux, also called GERD or gastroesophageal reflux disease. Symptoms include heartburn, regurgitation, acid taste in the mouth and / or chest discomfort. The pain and discomfort of GERD can adversely affect many aspects of your life, including your sleep and your productivity at work. Chronic GERD is also a risk factor for the development of serious diseases such as Barrett's esophagus (precancerous changes in the lining of the esophagus) and even esophageal cancer. But you may be surprised to discover what you are doing and not need to do to treat it.

A classic case of reflux

For example, Spencer, a 27 year old man who came to see me with daily reflux symptoms, remembers some episodes of heartburn when he was in college. mainly after long nights with friends eating pizza and drinking beer. This has not happened to him for years, but now he is caught by TUMS and over the counter medications for heartburn in the morning. He was sometimes awakened from sleep with burns in his chest and throat. He has a very busy job in the financial sector and can work late at night. He finds himself at least two nights a week in business dinners that can be heavy and contain alcohol. On other nights, he tries to go to the gym after work and eats often late, sometimes just before going to bed. He has heard about GERD and has read a lot about how to reduce his symptoms.

Most books and articles feature impressive lists of changes in diet and lifestyle. He loves his Starbucks in the morning and can not imagine refraining from red sauce and wine. Dietary changes make a normal life impossible. He has intermittently taken control of PPIs such as Prilosec, but he hates to feel like an "old man" dependent on drugs. Spencer wants to know, like many other patients, what does he really should you avoid to help with reflux? And what can he continue to eat?

What you could do not Need to give up to avoid reflux

Several drinks and foods have been implicated in the exacerbation of GERD symptoms, including coffee, soft drinks, alcohol, citrus fruits, tomato products and fried or acidic foods. How strong is the evidence on these dietary changes? In fact, the data are scarce and, at best, contradictory. These foods and drinks may not be a problem:

• Coffee, soft drinks and alcohol. A recent meta-analysis examining the effect of coffee on heartburn episodes and lesions of the esophageal lining revealed no correlation between coffee consumption and disease activity. This is true for both low and high coffee drinkers (> 5 cups / day). The consumption of soft drinks has not been shown to correlate with the clinical symptoms of GERD. Mixed results were also observed with alcohol. Some studies show an increase in acid reflux with the ingestion of wine or beer compared to tap water, but others even report a reduction in the symptoms of reflux with the consumption of alcohol.
• Acidic and fried foods. Data on these foods and GERD are also low. Acidic foods such as citrus fruits, tomato products and fried foods are generally mentioned, but there is a lack of convincing data to support.

Given the lack of convincing evidence that the avoidance of specific triggers for food and drinks will reduce the symptoms of reflux, it may not be necessary to undergo a restrictive diet. As always, it's best to be in touch with your body. If, in your opinion, specific foods cause reflux, avoid them. But if you have not identified triggers, it may not be necessary to feel guilty or obligated to follow a restricted diet.

What you should Give up to avoid reflux

If abandoning certain foods is not the solution, is there anything definitive that you should give up to prevent GERD? Yes, regarding:

• Smoking. Beyond the multitude of obvious reasons for quitting smoking, smoking is involved in exacerbating reflux and quitting smoking is associated with a reduction in reflux symptoms. The word is not out yet, but stay tuned.
• Eat near bedtime. You should also avoid eating at bedtimespecially in people who suffer from nocturnal reflux. Try not to eat at least 2 hours before going to bed. Raising the head of the bed from 6 to 10 inches with blocks under the bed rails or placing a foam corner under the mattress is certainly helpful. Pillows are not effective, and sleeping on the left can make things worse.
• Additional books. In overweight people, even modest weight loss has also been associated with a significant decrease in reflux.

As for Spencer, he realized that eating late at night was the real culprit for his ebb. Making a concerted effort to avoid getting belly up has made all the difference.