7 Common Foods That Trigger Heartburn

Heartburn is most common after a heavy meal. Bloating extends the stomach, causing you to feel “stuffed.” Stomach stretching, also known as distention, increases pressure on the LES, the muscular ring that prevents stomach acids from flowing the wrong way. As a result, the juices from your last meal may come back to haunt you. This can happen when you eat a lot of anything, not only items are known to cause heartburn. Many different foods trigger your heartburn. And if you’ve often found yourself wondering what causes heartburn, below is a list of seven of the most common foods you may want to steer clear of, especially in large quantities.

Citrus Fruits                     

Citrus fruits, both whole and juiced, can cause heartburn because they stimulate acid production in your stomach. Lemons and limes have the highest levels of citric acid of any fruit, while grapefruit juice contains far more than orange juice. Pineapple is also included on the list. Also, many soft drinks include citric acid, which gives the drinks their sour flavor. Citrus juices, such as orange and grapefruit juice, can produce acid reflux and heartburn. However, how this occurs is not entirely apparent. It’s best to take these out of your diet as much as possible.

Tomatoes

Unfortunately for heartburn sufferers, tomatoes contain two types of acids that cause heartburn: malic and citrus. When you eat tomato-based goods, your stomach generates gastric acid to break down the meals in your stomach. Some people, however, produce an excessive amount of stomach acid when they consume tomato-based foods. This stomach acid overflow backs up into the esophagus, causing a burning sensation in the chest. The only entirely practical approach to breaking the cycle is to eliminate tomatoes from your diet. It generates a burning sensation in your chest and a bitter taste in your throat that appears to come on suddenly. Unfortunately, it can be challenging to resist. It’s best to try to find alternative ways to still indulge in favorite pizzas and pasta.

Coffee And Caffeinated Drinks

When you consume too much coffee and caffeinated drinks, the muscle that joins the stomach to the esophagus relaxes. When this occurs, an opening is created for stomach acid to enter your esophagus, resulting in acid reflux. There are no two cases of acid reflux that are alike. It turns out that the acidity of the stomach is determined over time by several things. Coffee drinkers who suffer from acid reflux have realized that certain elements are considered when brewing their morning cup. First, look for a coffee bean with low acidity. The darker the roast, the better, as it has less acidity.

Chocolate

Chocolate contains acidic cocoa powder, which may exacerbate your symptoms. Cocoa can trigger the intestinal cells that relax the esophageal sphincter to emit a rush of serotonin. When this muscle relaxes, gastric contents can rise. This generates a burning feeling in the esophagus. Caffeine and theobromine, both of which are found in chocolate, can aggravate symptoms. Chocolate also includes methylxanthine, a naturally occurring chemical that stimulates the heart and relaxes smooth muscle. However, in patients with frequent acid reflux, methylxanthine relaxes the LES, giving stomach acid more chance to irritate the esophagus.

Spicy Foods

Spicy foods are renowned for giving people heartburn. They frequently include capsaicin, a chemical that may impede digestion. This means that food will stay in the stomach for a more extended period, increasing the risk of heartburn. One study, for example, discovered that eating food with chili powder slowed digestion. Furthermore, spicy foods may irritate an already inflamed esophagus, aggravating heartburn symptoms.

Alcoholic Beverages

Alcohol-induced heartburn sensations in four ways: it prolongs the retention of acidic content in the stomach, stimulates the stomach to produce more acid, impairs the esophagus’ ability to keep food down, and makes it easier for acid in the stomach to rise up into the esophagus from the stomach. When it comes to alcohol, keep three factors in mind, how much you drink, carbonation, and alcohol content (how strong the drink is). Because white wine, beers, and darker liquor are more acidic than others, they may induce heartburn more quickly.

Raw Onions

Onions are another food that should be avoided because there is a strong link between them and acid reflux; when you consume onions, they stimulate gastric acid by increasing the amount of time food sits in the stomach, exacerbating heartburn burp. Cooking onions may help some people with acid reflux symptoms, but it may not be enough to prevent excessive acid formation, so try eating green onions and milder shallots instead.

Knowing your heartburn triggers and how to prevent them might help you avoid the agony of heartburn. A touch of heartburn now and then is usually nothing to be concerned about. However, consult your doctor if you have frequent heartburn or severe heartburn that interferes with your everyday activities. You can also consider cooking tips to avoid heartburn.