You’ve heard of foods that can make your heartburn worse, from coffee to chocolate to tomatoes. But what about foods that can improve your heartburn? Check out some key foods you should add to your diet.
Eat more low-acid foods
When acid and other stomach fluids return to the esophagus, you have heartburn. However, the acid that is already in the stomach is not the only problem.
Natural acids in the foods you eat – such as many fruits, vegetables and beverages – also play a role, says Bani Roland, MD. He is a gastroenterologist and an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University. To reduce heartburn, build your meals around low-acid foods, such as:
Melons and bananas. Although most fruits have a high acid content, they do not. Bananas are always handy as a snack. All kinds of melons are good, such as watermelon, melon and pink.
Oat. It’s a great way to start your day. Oatmeal does not cause reflux, is satiating and has a lot of healthy fiber.
Bread. Choose whole grains – it will be the first ingredient on the label – that are made with unprocessed grains. Other healthy-sounding breads – such as wheat, whole wheat, or 7 grains – can be made with refined grains that are free of natural fiber, vitamins, and other nutrients.
Rice and couscous. These healthy complex carbohydrates are great if you have reflux. When choosing rice, choose brown rice, which has more fiber.
Green vegetables. Broccoli, asparagus, green beans, celery and cauliflower are all low in acid.
Poultry and lean meat. Grill chicken and turkey, grill, bake or steam. Just remove the skin – and don’t fry it, says Roland. Even beef and ground steak can be good as long as they are lean.
Potatoes. Other roots are also good – just not onions.
Over. Grilled, poached and baked fish are all good choices. Just don’t fry it and don’t use fatty sauces.
Egg whites. They are a good source of protein and have a low acid content. Just skip the yolk, which is more likely to cause symptoms.
You can’t tell how sour a food is by looking at it. It’s not on the nutrition label either. But you can research the pH of a food, which is a score of its acid content. The lower the pH, the higher the acid – the lemon juice has a pH of 2.0. If you follow foods with a pH of 5 or above, you may experience fewer symptoms. You can find the pH level of food on some government websites and in low acid diet cookbooks.