The Best Acid Reflux Treatment: Ditch the Usual Suspects
January 23, 2010 by admin
Filed under Acid Reflux Information
Despite the fact it is not always public knowledge; acid reflux experts know that there are quite a few usual suspects when it comes to what is causing heartburn and acid reflux. Some you may be aware of. Others might surprise you.
Chances are, if you are reading this article then your heartburn pain has interfered with your life enough to start researching the problem.
Getting rid of heartburn and acid reflux for good is complicated. However, you should know you are not going to make any progress until you learn which of the usual suspects you must avoid and why.
The 4 “You Should Know Better” Vices
Coffee, tobacco, alcohol, and chocolate. The four biggies. You know they are bad for you and heartburn is not the only reason.
You probably assume that there is an immediate cause and effect with your condition. You think that if you do not get heartburn when you smoke a cigarette or munch on a chocolate bar, it means these are safe.
Many people fall into this trap and, therefore, miss one of the most critical aspects to acid reflux treatment.
Each of these vices damages your entire body. They are difficult to digest, keeping other foods in your digestive track longer and risking backward flow.
Being difficult to digest, they consume more of your body’s natural water, making your esophageal tissue less flexible and slowing the healing process.
This is not an immediate response. In fact, the heartburn may not show up for 12 or 24 hours later, but it is still caused by the vice.
As your liver and kidneys work to digest these vices, it throws off your body’s natural hormonal balance. This can increase your overall toxicity.
This causes your stomach to produce higher concentrations of acid. It even makes your saliva more acidic. This surplus of acid has only one conclusion, heartburn.
Unfortunately, toxicity can remain for days or weeks after consuming one of these vices.
Although it can be difficult, treatment for acid reflux must include not using these items. If your brain has begun to rely on these vices to feel comfort and be at ease, it is time to retrain your mind.
Diversion, such as finding a new hobby or participating in a fun activity, is always a good option. Unfortunately, it will also take pure dedication.
The reward will be worth it. Not only will you be heartburn free, you will feel better in general.
The Usual Food Suspects
Essentially, when it comes to food, the usual suspects can be broken down into two categories. The first is those which cause excess stomach churning acid. The second is those which cause the stomach contents to reflux into the esophagus.
The first category is simpler to understand. You eat something. It increases your stomach acid. The surplus of acid lingers in your stomach, agitating your esophagus and giving you that burning sensation.
When treating acid reflux, it is essential that you eliminate these “usual suspects.”
Tomatoes and Tomato Based Foods
Naturally, tomatoes have a high acid content. Some versions, like the yellow tomatoes, have a slightly lower acid content but the difference is not enough to really change the outcome. If your heartburn is significant enough, even the mildest tomato will leave you in pain.
You should also know that a tomato’s acidity increases when it is cooked. The water within the tomato is evaporated, leaving a concentrate. The heat also chemically alters the tomato tissue, leaving more acid.
When you eat a tomato sauce or soup, you are eating the acidic equivalent of dozens of tomatoes.
Similar Foods Causing Similar Reactions
You know which foods have a naturally high acid content. Citrus fruits, the source of citric acid, can quickly cause your stomach acids to increase to irritating levels.
Fortunately, citrus fruits have a high water content and can be digested quickly if they are the only food in your stomach.
Onions and garlic have the same effect. They burn your stomach as much as they burn your eyes if you accidentally touch your hands to your eyes while cutting them up for dinner.
However, there are things you can do to reduce their acidity. First, the sweeter versions of these vegetables are often lower in acid.
Also, produce that has been refrigerated has a distinctly lower acid content than produce stored on the shelf.
Finally, cooking onions and garlic has the opposite effect than in tomatoes. Cooking them thoroughly will eliminate most of the acid in the food.
It is important that you learn which foods have higher and unusually high acid content. Avoiding these foods may become the key to stopping your heartburn. Keep in mind, everyone has a unique digestive system.
For example, most people may be sensitive to spicy foods but they do not seem to bother you. On the other hand, you may be the only person you know who gets immediate heartburn after ingesting anything spearmint or peppermint.
While it may be a lengthy process, trial and error should help you identify these difficult foods.
The Other Suspicious Foods
As you read earlier, there is yet another kind of heartburn trigger. This the kind that weakens the esophagus and allows stomach contents to reflux. These foods are the suspects that might surprise you the most.
When you first became concerned about your heartburn and acid reflux, you probably made an effort to eat better. You ditched the bleached white rolls for a healthy rice cake.
Instead of tomatoes, you may have started munching on carrots and celery. When you felt the need for a sweet treat, perhaps you ditched the ice cream in favor of a low cal graham cracker.
It is very good you are trying to improve your diet. However, here is an interesting fact about how to treat acid reflux. Those crunchy, albeit healthy, foods are damaging your esophagus on the way down.
Each time you swallow, they are scratching and tearing at your already sensitive tissue.
This damage causes esophageal swelling. The swelling then further weakens the esophagus. Eventually, the lower esophageal sphincter is too weak to stay closed.
Your stomach contents can easily flow upward causing your acid reflux. The more crunchy food you eat, the worse the damage will be and the more severe your reflux.
If you are suffering from chronic and severe heartburn, it may be time to switch to softer, less acidic foods.
Learn To Make Healthier Choices
There are countless other “usual suspects” that are probably adding to your heartburn. However, it is also very likely that you are not making healthy choices regarding your diet.
Furthermore, you probably do not understand the true implications of making the wrong choices.
In Heartburn No More¸ you will learn more about the true risks and benefits of your food choices. You will be taught how to avoid all of the usual suspects.
Additionally, you will learn how a acid reflux treatment diet will help your body lower acidity and heal your esophagus so you can stop your heartburn in its tracks.
The usual suspects are not the only things causing your chronic acid reflux. As you will learn, there are many other influences. However, if you can learn to ditch the usual suspects you will be amazed at how much better you feel and how quickly.
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