Treating GERD naturally and avoiding foods that cause acid reflux

Acid reflux is a commonly occurring disease that affects our stomach and the Esophagus. Also known as Gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD), this disease causes the acidic mixture of digestive juices and broken down food to back up into the lining of the Esophagus. Sometimes, only gases escape but both harm the esophagus and can cause scars and ulcerations.

Using natural remedies is beneficial for your stomach as well as your entire body. Leaving no harmful toxins and causing no side-effects, natural remedies are a godsend for people who don’t like relying on medications. Some dietary changes can also help a lot when it comes to GERD. Let’s take a detailed look at both of them.

Big NO-NOs in food

Food is one of the main triggers when it comes to acid reflux. Finding your trigger food group and avoiding them is the first change you need to make in your dietary habits.

There are exceptions and variations as to which foods cause acid reflux symptoms. Coffee might be ok for some people but in general, caffeine should be avoided. Keeping that in mind, let’s have a look at foods that need to be avoided:

·         Alcohol, in general, should be a big no-no. Certain alcohols such as Red wine tend to be more acidic in nature and large consumption can irritate the stomach wall.

·         Believe it or not, Chocolate is something you should avoid. Well, not completely but to a greater extent. Chocolate can relax the sphincter muscle (LES) and cause acid reflux.

·         Oily and fatty foods such as burgers, fries, etc. cause major problems to people suffering from GERD. Junk foods like these cause the stomach to bloat up and as a result, more acidic juices are secreted. That’s why these kinds of food items are a major trigger for heartburn related with GERD.

·         Juices derived from citric fruits and vegetables must be avoided as the acidic content can irritate the stomach.

·         Tomatoes, Onions, black pepper and other spicy food items should be avoided.

Suggested Natural Remedies

Natural remedies reduce the risk of side-effects and have a positive impact on your body. Natural remedies counteract the effects of GERD temporarily to bring you relief naturally and quickly.

Juices have been known to be very beneficial for people suffering from Acid Reflux. Aloe Vera juice cools down the stomach and helps in relieving the pressure. Papayas have an enzyme known as Papain which helps in breaking down protein in the stomach.

Eating certain fruits also helps in getting relief from acid reflux symptoms. Papaya is equally beneficial here. In addition, Bananas are considered to be the perfect snack as they lower the acidic content of the stomach and do not irritate the stomach lining.

Drinking Chamomile teas or peppermint teas is also beneficial to people suffering from GERD.

Despite all these remedies, there are certain changes that we need to make. We should not eat large meals, we should never skip meals and rather than being hungry, we should eat healthy instead.