Heartburn usually results from excess acidity in the stomach, or from improper functioning of your digestive system. At the point where the esophagus and stomach join, a special muscle opens and closes the esophagus. When we swallow food this muscle relaxes to let the food pass into the stomach after which it closes again.
But it can happen that the muscle malfunctions. The contents of the stomach then rise back up the esophagus, irritating the area. And this results in the infamous feeling of heartburn.
How to cure heartburn with food
If you suffer from heartburn you are not alone. It can turn a relaxing meal into a four-alarm fire inside your body. For those who are suffering from heartburn, here are fifteen foods that may be safe for you to eat. What is heartburn? Another name for heartburn is acid reflux.
Heartburn takes place when the acid from within the stomach moves in reverse from the stomach, up the esophagus. When stomach acid comes in contact with such delicate tissue it can cause pain and discomfort. Left untreated, heartburn can cause problems such as esophageal strictures due to the erosion of the lining there.
No one wants that to happen. You may take medicine to control your heartburn, but the smartest and healthiest thing you can do is learn what foods you can and cannot eat. While most of the foods we will discuss here are on the heartburn-free side, each person is different. Some foods that may really irritate your stomach and lead to heartburn may not affect someone else.
Know your heartburn triggers
The way to know more about your heartburn is to find out your triggers. These are foods, time of day and other situations that trigger heartburn. Keep a journal of daily meal times and ingredients in foods to chart when heartburn occurs.
In the meantime, here are some foods that you can start with. The good news is you can learn how to cure heartburn by choosing the foods that you can’t eat, through the process of elimination.
- Apples and bananas – these fruits do not contain a lot of citric acids.
- Broccoli – roughage cleans out your digestive system and contains lots of fiber.
- Bread – you can eat white, multigrain or whole wheat. Multigrain and whole wheat is better for your health.
- Extra-lean red meat – cutting away the fat can keep that food from causing heartburn.
- Graham crackers – they make a nice healthy snack.
- Chicken breasts without skin – lean meat can be cooked with the skin if it is removed prior to eating.
- Fat-free cheese choices like low-fat cream cheese – too much fat can get the heartburn going again.
- Water – it hydrates the body. If you don’t like water, add a flavoring packet.
- Low-fat salad dressing – they do not contain the same fat content but will have the same taste yet with fewer calories.
- Cookies – many sweets have to be avoided but you can have a few, like cookies, licorice and jelly beans.
- Oatmeal and bran cereals.
- Pretzels – The salted kinds are okay but avoid flavored ones.
- Fish – bake your fish to avoid adding fat.
- Egg whites – boil the eggs and discard the yolk.
- Baked Potato chips or baked potato – stay away from the greasier form of chips or fried French fries.
Did you notice a theme here? Limit high fat, trans fat, processed, packaged foods. Use the above fifteen foods as a start for your diet. Continue to monitor what you eat and when to keep heartburn at bay.