Diet for acid reflux that gets results

Who can suffer from acid reflux?

Anybodycan. Acid reflux disease is usually associated with the obese people, or people with bad eating habits and people who eat the wrong kind of foods. Until some years ago, risk group were mainly adults, but in recent years even the adolescents and kids may suffer from GERD. In other words no one is safe. Actually, it is more than likely that everybody will suffer from an occasional acid reflux.

Whatcauses acid reflux

Ingeneral, acid reflux is caused by the poor functioning of the lower esophageal sphincter muscle. This muscle acts like a valve that shuts the end of the esophagus. The esophagus is a tube that connects the stomach and the mouth, and its lower end is attached to the stomach. Main part of food digestion begins in the stomach, where food receives an acid bath that will turn it into a pulp and prepare it for chemical breakdown in the intestines. This acid comes from the stomach, its cells secrete it. Of course, the stomach lining is not sensitive to acid.

If the lower esophageal muscle is weak or opened at a wrong time, some acidic content from the stomach will manage to reflux in the esophagus. Acid then burns its lining, causing pain and discomfort, and eventually leading to other problems.

What is to be done about it?

None of it would have happened if that sphincter worked as it should. The bad news is, we can't just make it behave. It also seems likely that the sphincter weakens as we grow older. Basically, we cannot do anything about the sphincter. But it is known that certain types of food, some eating habits and some everyday actions cause the stomach content to reflux in the esophagus more readily.

General advice is to avoid foods that are known to cause GERD, but we might add that you should avoid food that causes GERD in you. In example, some foods that break all hell loose in someone you know might not affect you at all. Also, staying clear of citrus fruits can affect your intake of vitamin C. The point is that you should not generalize. A good idea would be to make your own “this makes me reflux” list, where you will note what foods bother you, how much, and under what circumstances.

You can adjust your diet and eating habits accordingly. We will assist you further by mentioning some foods that are safe to eat. These include apples, melons, berries, bananas, pears and peaches, low-fat breads and grains, protein from meat, green vegetables and legumes, low-fat sweets and desserts and natural, unprocessed beverages.