Is there a
diet that can permanently treat your heartburn? Millions
of heartburn sufferers have been disappointed by the
conventional approach of prescription medications (that
usually cause myriad of side effects and have
been found completely ineffective in the long-run). Is the
combination of lifestyle changes with a special
heartburn diet can serve as a safer and
healthier alternative? Recent
researches have clearly showed that following certain
dietary patterns could bring significant relief from
heartburn while considerably improving your
overall quality of life.
Prior to
revealing those dietary
patterns, it is important to note that severe persistent
heartburn cannot be permanently treatd without following
a complete holistic program aimed at tackling the
underlying cause of heartburn. The reason is that
heartburn is merely a symptom of a more complex health
condition called acid reflux or GERD
(Gastroesophageal reflux disease).
Gastroesophageal reflux disease occurs when the lower esophageal sphincter - a ring of muscle that acts as a gatekeeper between the esophagus and the stomach becomes weak and allows fluid of gastric acids to "reflux" into the esophagus. As the acidic contents touch the epithelial cells of the esophagus, they cause the burning painful sensation called acid indigestion or heartburn.
The dietary principles
designed to combat heartburn are aimed at coping with
two conditions that contribute to/aggravate acid reflux:
extra acidity in the stomach and the weakness of the
lower esophageal sphincter. The following are seven
simple dietary principles that can tackle those
conditions partially and thus should be adopted as a
first step of an all-natural holistic treatment of
GERD:
1.
Avoid
large meals. When our digestive system is forced to
digest large amounts of food, it produces more gastric
acid, which can aggravate your existing acid reflux
condition. In order to prevent this, eat 5-6 smaller
meals instead of 2-3 large meals every day.
2.
Don't go
to bed on a full stomach. It usually takes 3-5 hours for
a large meal to digest and 2
- 3 hours for a smaller meal to digest. When you
lay down while your stomach is digesting, it's easier
for stomach acid to splash back into your esophagus.
Therefore it is highly recommended to eat a light meal
followed by a short walk to enhance digestion.
3.
Chew
your food thoroughly. When you
gobble your food down, you swallow air, which adds extra
volume to the swallowed amount. A stuffed stomach can
cause the lower esophageal sphincter to relax, allowing
stomach acids to travel up the esophagus and cause
heartburn.
4. Avoid
foods and drinks that irritate the intestinal walls and
cause the lower esophageal sphincter to relax.
(i.e.
high-fat or spicy foods, chocolate, tomatoes and
tomato-based dishes, peppermints, coffee and caffeine
drinks, citrus juices, soda and alcohol). Opt for herbal
tea instead of coffee.
5. Maintain a
high-fiber diet that helps
sweep the toxins away from the body and thus improves
digestion. A new Swedish study has revealed that
high-fiber diet could
slash the risk of acid reflux in half.
6.
Reduce the
consumption of dairy products. Milk is an extremely acid
forming, allergy causing and mucus building food that
can encourage Candida overgrowth and case myriad of
digestion problems that contribute to GERD.
7.
Low
calorie intake. Excessive weight and obesity in
particular can contribute to the weakening of the lower
esophageal sphincter.
A proper
implementation of the above heartburn diet principles
will not only reduce the risk of GERD but also enhance
your health and well being as well.
But diet
is only part of the heartburn puzzle. Heartburn is a
symptom of acid reflux. In order to treat
acid reflux and eliminate heartburn permanently, you
must tackle all the underlying factors that trigger this
condition. Adhering to a well-balanced heartburn
diet is the first step you need to take as part
of a complete all natural holistic solution to acid
reflux.
This is the only way to permanently stop and
prevent this condition.