Acid reflux is a health condition where
the Lower Oesophageal Sphincter tends to become
weak, which lets the acid from the stomach to move
upwards into the oesophagus, sometimes causing a
burning sensation called heartburn. Meat products,
dairy products and few other products are not only
high in fat-content but are also high in acidic
content. Thus, meat and dairy products tend to be
very acidic in nature. This may trigger acid
reflux.
There are many ways in which acid
reflux can be cured. To rely on alkaline diet is
said to be very beneficial for those suffering
from acid reflux. However, it is a solution to
only a small part of the problem and one must
adopt a holistic approach to solve the problem
completely.
What is
Alkaline Diet?
Any kind of food that is rich in
alkalinity possesses a pH level of more than 7.0.
In the same way, any food which is acidic
possesses a pH level that is always below 7.0. Not
only, foods differ in the values of nutrition, but
they also differ in the levels in pH. We need to
eat both acidic and alkaline foods so as to
maintain a healthy balance. However, when too much
acidic food is eaten, it could trigger acid
reflux. Acid reflux can be dealt with by eating
more alkaline foods; however, acid reflux can be
completely cured only through the holistic
approach, wherein the root cause of acid reflux is
cured.
What is the need for more Alkaline
Food?
As excessive levels of acidity in the
human body can be harmful, many people sometimes
require something or the other to neutralize these
extra acids. However, for those people who suffer
from acid reflux, this situation can be even
worse. This mainly happens because of the fact
that there is too much acid for the stomach to
digest.
As acid reflux generally includes acid
travelling to the oesophagus from the stomach,
people need to keep these levels of acid low. This
can be done by consuming non acidic or less acid
forming foods.
Are any acid reflux alkaline diets
available?
There are many acid reflux alkaline
diets available online and they mainly feature
well planed meals which include alkaline foods.
Usually, alkaline diets you would need you to
consume green vegetables, fresh fruits, legumes,
nuts and vegetable roots. Drinking distilled water
rich in alkaline minerals has also been found to
be highly effective, as water enters the blood
stream very quickly. You should however visit a
nutritionist or dietician in order to discuss the
preferences on the special alkaline diet.
What are the different types of
alkaline foods one can consume?
Some of the alkaline foods which can be
consumed for acid reflux normally include
different vegetables and fruits which are
alkaline. Apples, blackberries, bananas, grapes,
strawberries, celery, melon, radish, spinach,
eggplant, beets and cauliflower are some foods
which can be consumed in your special alkaline
diet. There are some other foods which contain
alkalizing protein such as almonds, fermented
tofu, chestnuts and tempeh. Care should be taken
so that too much alkalinity is not induced in the
body as it may lead to a reverse mechanism known
as ‘alkaline reflux’.
There is no need to stick to a
particular acid reflux alkaline diet forever as
these only cure the symptoms. Note that while
alkaline diet can bring your acid reflux symptoms
under control, it is only a small part of the
puzzle. The only way to cure acid reflux
comprehensively is the holistic approach that
fixes ALL the internal causes of acid reflux
disease permanently without any potential
complications or
side-effects.