Acid reflux also called indigestion or heartburn, is a common digestive discomfit experienced by children and adults. The stomach is full of digestive juices that break down what one consumes daily. However, certain foods and beverages can trigger an imbalance in the delicate pH levels causing digestive juices splash up the esophagus. This action causes a burning and irritating sensation in the throat. It’s better to avoid the following foods and prevent indigestion by monitoring intake daily.

Spicy foods
Chilies, peppers, and spices contain capsaicin, a compound that can worsen the symptoms of acid reflux. Spicy foods take time to digest and irritate the esophagus during consumption due to their high potency. It is better to avoid any spicy foods when the stomach acids are already being thrown back into the esophageal cavity triggering unwanted episodes of heartburn.

Citrus rich fruits
Limes, lemons, oranges, and even tomatoes (yes, it is a fruit) are foods to avoid if one is already suffering from heartburn. All these fruits contain natural acids that can rumble up the stomach fluids and trigger a pH imbalance. However, this will only worsen the existing symptoms of acid reflux.

Processed foods
Fatty foods, fried foods, and ready-to-eat foods bought off the shelves in the supermarket are all loaded with additives, preservatives, and unhealthy trans or saturated fats. Consuming these foods only forces the digestive system to work overtime. This action triggers a release of excess stomach acids needed to process the foods, and the excess gets thrown back into the esophageal cavity.

Chocolate and peppermint
Sweets can worsen the symptoms of acid reflux in just a few bites. Chocolate is one of the richest sources of cocoa, caffeine, and natural plant compounds that irritate stomach acid. And peppermint is suggested as a remedy to manage irritable bowel syndrome. However, the sweet contains compounds that weaken the lower esophageal sphincter and prevent stomach acid from splashing into the esophagus. This triggers heartburn.

Allium vegetables
Onion and garlic add flavor and spice to daily foods when appropriately used in recipes. However, consuming raw garlic cloves or slices of onion can stir up stomach acids causing immediate reflux. The upset stomach also triggers excess production of digestive juices that force an acidic imbalance, thus causing heartburn.

Refined sugar
Refined sugar is mainly found in baked goods, confectioneries, and store-bought sweets. In addition to triggering an imbalance in blood glucose levels, sugar may also worsen the symptoms of acid reflux. This applies to high glycemic foods, including fruits that contain natural sugars. Any sugar in excess quantity can trigger several health-related discomforts.

Carbonated and caffeinated beverages
Flavored sodas, carbonated fizzy drinks, and heavy concentrates used to make chilled beverages all contain acidic compounds that can worsen the symptoms of acid reflux. Moreover, these beverages also contain a heavy concentration of artificial sugars added only to improve the taste of the beverages. Sugars add no additional nutritional value. Therefore, nutritionists advise avoiding coffee and caffeinated beverages in addition to flavored drinks.

Note that it is okay to consume many of these foods and beverages in moderation. But it’s best to avoid and choose less reflux-triggering substitutes like high-fiber foods, alkaline foods, and watery foods, including whole grains, root vegetables, green vegetables, bananas, melon, celery, cucumber, lettuce, and watermelon.