Eight Foods that Cause Heartburn
Did you know that there are some foods that cause heartburn? Heartburn is an uncomfortable symptom that’s caused by an improper function of the inferior esophagus sphincter. This part of your body serves to keep food residues and gastric juices in your stomach.
This is a condition characterized by a burning sensation under your sternum. It’s almost always accompanied by a dry throat and heartburn.
In fact, sometimes it’s so strong that many people confuse the pain with a heart attack. This causes hundreds of visits to the doctor.
Its appearance can be caused by some kind of stomach anomaly. It could also be due to digestive problems that increase your acid production.
However, most of the cases have to do with your dietary habits. This is because meals with too many condiments change our digestive pH and increase your acidity.
This is a sporadic disease that’s not serious. However, it’s good to know which foods cause it so that you can prevent it from coming back constantly.
Take a look at them!
1. Chocolate could cause heartburn
Chocolate has become very popular because of its high content of antioxidants. However, eating excessive amounts can be a trigger for acid reflux.
This is due to its high fat and stimulant content. These stimulants include caffeine and theobromine. Both of these are related to an increase in the acidity of the digestive system.
2. Spicy condiments
Spicy condiments give a special touch to dishes. Plus, some even have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
The problem is that they can be aggressive to your immune system. This is especially true when they’re combined with irritating foods.
These spices can be harmful if you suffer from constant episodes of heartburn. Among the foods and condiments that do this, we find:
- Spicy sauces
- Curry
- Spicy peppers
- Cumin
3. Coffee
For a large number of people, coffee is an invaluable part of their daily lives. Its energetic power together with its antioxidants make it a great option for starting a long work day.
However, since this is one of the main sources of caffeine, people who suffer from heartburn should avoid it.
This stimulating substance weakens the valves that keep the stomach acids in your stomach. This makes it easier for them to get into your esophagus and mouth. In other words, substances like this, cause heartburn.
4. French fries: one of the top foods that cause heartburn
French fries and other fried foods sold in stores are an enemy to a number of digestive and metabolic processes.
These foods have high levels of trans fats. They also add chemicals that not only affect your digestive function, but also increase the production of acids and the presence of toxins.
Eating them in excess plays a role in a lack of control in the inflammatory processes in your body. As a result, it increases the recurrence of stomach pressure and heartburn.
5. Sausages and canned foods
Both sausages and canned meats are full of artificial substances. They allow us to keep the meat fresh. However, they cause an excess of acid in your blood and stomach.
This kind of food is characterized by its high fat and flour content. These affect your stomach health and metabolism.
Adding them to your regular diet can cause the appearance of diseases like obesity and high levels of cholesterol and blood sugar.
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6. Baked goods
Products from the bakery are bad, especially cookies and sweets that are full of artificial additives. They are triggers for an acidic environment in your stomach and esophagus.
Besides containing sugars and refined sugars, these substances cause irritation in your stomach lining. They also increase the presence of acidic juices.
As a result, it weakens the esophageal sphincter. At the same time, it increases your susceptibility to suffer from ulcers and gastritis.
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7. Carbonated beverages
Drinking carbonated beverages can cause a series of negative reactions in your body. These are reflected in several health aspects.
Carbonated drinks, especially cola, have high levels of caffeine. Because of this, they have similar effects to those of coffee.
Also, the carbonation increases the pressure in your stomach, which causes an acidic response to this environment.
8. Red meats: an important cause for heartburn
Eating excessive amounts of red meat increases the inflammation levels in your body. This is because they have too many purines and acidic substances that get in the way of digestion.
This, added to their high content of fat, explains why this is one of the foods responsible for the constant appearance of this annoying condition.
Do you suffer from acid reflux or heartburn? Take a look at your diet and limit how much you eat the foods we mentioned to make it easier to control this problem.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Jarosz, M., & Taraszewska, A. (2014). Risk factors for gastroesophageal reflux disease: The role of diet. Przeglad Gastroenterologiczny. https://doi.org/10.5114/pg.2014.46166
- Austin, G. L., Thiny, M. T., Westman, E. C., Yancy, W. S., & Shaheen, N. J. (2006). A very low-carbohydrate diet improves gastroesophageal reflux and its symptoms. Digestive Diseases and Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10620-005-9027-7
- Kubo, A., Block, G., Quesenberry, C. P., Buffler, P., & Corley, D. A. (2014). Dietary guideline adherence for gastroesophageal reflux disease. BMC Gastroenterology. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-230X-14-144
- Surdea-Blaga, T., E. Negrutiu, D., Palage, M., & L. Dumitrascu, D. (2017). Food and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease. Current Medicinal Chemistry. https://doi.org/10.2174/0929867324666170515123807