Learn about the common foods that cause acid reflux and what you can do to manage your acid reflux without medication.
Discloser: I am not a trained health professional. All articles are based on my own experience and opinions. Please consult with a health professional before making lifestyle changes.
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Having occasional acid reflux can be annoying, but having chronic acid reflux or GERD can impact your life in huge ways.
A variety of things can cause acid reflux and your diet is only one source. There’s most likely a larger underlying issue causing your acid reflux and certain foods are just making those symptoms a lot worse.
By re-evaluating your diet and making some changes you can allow your body to heal as you focus on that deeper issue.
In this article, we’ll be discussing common foods that make acid reflux worse and what you can do to manage your acid reflux moving forward.
Most Common Foods That Cause Acid Reflux
Different foods can affect people in different ways. If you’re experiencing a lot of acid reflux here is a list of the major trigger foods you may want to take a break from:
- Fried Foods
- Fatty Meats like beef and pork
- Dairy
- Coffee and other caffeinated drinks
- Alcohol
- Chocolate
- Peppermint
- Citrus fruits (oranges, grapefruit, lemons, pineapple etc)
- Tomatoes
- Tomato sauce
- Spicy foods
- Onions
- Garlic
- Carbonated drinks
- Artificial Sugar
- Creamy Sauces
Other Causes Of Acid Reflux
Foods are not the only cause of acid reflux. A lot of times trigger foods simply trigger or make the symptoms of acid reflux worse, but the issue can be much deeper.
Here are a few other things that can be making your acid reflux worse regardless of what your diet looks like.
Poor Gut Health
Acid reflux is often a sign that there’s an imbalance in your gut. An unhappy gut can cause a variety of symptoms like headaches, skin issues, and acid reflux. By adding a good probiotic and prebiotic to your routine as well as eating lots of fruits and vegetables you can work to balance the level of good and bad bacteria in your gut and allow it to function better. Here’s the probiotic I’ve found to be really helpful for me.
Stress
Personally, stress is a huge acid reflux trigger for me. Even if I’m avoiding all my trigger foods I can still experience acid reflux during times of high stress. Meditation, rest, therapy, and general self-care can help lower stress. I often know it’s time to take a break and focus on my mental health when my acid reflux appears out of nowhere.
Laying Down After Eating or Eating Too Quickly
If you only experience acid reflux occasionally it could be as a result of simply laying down right after eating or eating too quickly. Try eating dinner a little earlier and not snacking before bed. You can also try propping your head up on an extra pillow at night and sleeping on your left side. While eating, try to be mindful of your pace and intentionally slow down to see if that makes a difference.
How To Identify Your Trigger Foods
It’s really important to identify what foods or behaviors trigger your acid reflux so you can work to avoid them and let your body heal. This isn’t to say you can never have these foods again, just limit them and have a plan to handle your acid reflux if it does happen.
Here are some common acid reflux food trigger symptoms to look out for after eating according to healthine
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Bloating
- Burping
- Hiccups
- Difficulty swallowing
- Lump in throat
To help you identify your triggers, spend a week keeping a diary of what you eat, when you eat, and then how you feel during the day. Being mindful of how different foods affect you can help you figure out which foods are triggering your acid reflux. Take a break from your acid reflux trigger foods for a while and see if that helps reduce your acid reflux.
You can also read or listen to The inflammation spectrum book to learn about how different foods cause inflammation in the body which can result in acid reflux. It talks about how to identify which foods affect you negatively and how making small adjustments can help you feel better.
How to get rid of your acid reflux
Handling your acid reflux doesn’t have to only be about avoiding trigger foods and only eating acid reflux-friendly foods.
I was dependent on antacids for 5 years until I decided to get to the root cause of my acid reflux and allow my body to heal. You can read my story here.
If you’re currently taking antacids or want to learn how to manage your acid reflux without medication check out how to get rid of acid reflux naturally in 4 weeks.