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Diet for GERD
By admin | January 5, 2009
If you are suffering from the symtoms of Gastroesphageal Reflux Disease (GERD) which can include: heartburn, chronic coughing, regurgitation/ bitter taste in the mouth and nausea, it’s really important that you take a good look at your diet. You need to be aware of the types of food that can trigger the symptoms of GERD in order to be able to develop a diet for GERD that suits you.
There is no set diet for GERD that works for everyone. Certain foods will trigger GERD symptoms in some GERD sufferers and will not affect others. It is important, however, to learn about the foods that commonly trigger GERD attacks and from there you can ascertain which foods you need to think about cutting out.
GERD occurs when the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) begins to open inappropriately permitting the acidic contents of the stomach to flow into the esophagus and cause damage to it’s lining. It is believed that certain food and drinks can be contributory factors in causing the LES to relax and thus, open. Other foods can increase the acidity of the stomach’s contents which means that if the LES relaxes allowing liquid from the stomach to reflux into the esophagus, this is likely to cause a painful, burning sensation.
Fatty foods should be avoided as much as possible. High fats foods take longer to digest. This means that the stomach is likely to produce increased amounts of acid to deal with such food. This slow down in the digestive process can also put the LES under pressure. Dairy products such as cream, cheese and whole milk (because of their high fat content) can cause similar difficulties.
Like fatty foods, spicy foods are also believed to increase acidity levels in the stomach and stimulate the LES.
Acidic fruits such as limes, oranges and lemons are thought to increase the amount of acid in the stomach. Vegetables which are acidic such as raw onions and peppers can also have this affect. Furthermore, peppermint and spearmint may too increase acid production.
The methylxanthine in chocolate (i.e. caffeine and theobromine) can cause the stomach muscles to relax which in turn can lead to the LES loosening. This can then prompt a GERD attack.
Drinks containing caffeine (such as tea and coffee) and alcholic drinks can aggrevate the LES and increase the production of acid in the stomach.
Carbonated drinks tend to be acidic and they create carbon dioxide in the stomach. Such drinks, therefore, can cause particular difficulties for GERD sufferers.
These are the majority of foods that are renouned for causing problems to people who suffer from GERD. However, they may not all have a negative affect on you. To establish which foods you need to eliminate from your diet, you should develop a GERD diary. Make a note of everything you eat during each day. Also write down any GERD symptoms that you experience. After a period of time you will probably start to see patterns in the types of food that you have eaten prior to a GERD attack. With this information, you can start to develop a diet for GERD that is taylored to your condition.
The key to developing a diet for GERD that should significantly reduce your GERD symptoms is to establish what foods have a tendency to trigger your GERD symptoms and eliminate these. In addition to this it is important to include wholesome, low fat food in your diet that will assist your digestive system to work effectively.
Topics: Acid Reflux, Diet for Heartburn, gerd | No Comments »
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