8 Foods To Avoid With Acid Reflux You May Not Know In 2024

Thanksgiving apple pie, Christmas turkey, Easter chocolate treats, etc. Who doesn’t love an occasional wonderful feast or a naughty treat? And why not? You deserve it! Sadly, however, some of us have come to dread such indulgences because we know that an awful uninvited postprandial visitor will likely turn up and spoil the party soon enough.

Who — what are we talking about? The specter of acid reflux^[1] and heartburn, of course! Chronic acid reflux — GERD — can ruin a great meal completely and turn a celebration into a dreaded event. The great news? A healthy diet can help as we’ll reveal what foods to avoid with acid reflux. That’s why we’ll explain what acid reflux is, identify the eight key foods you need to avoid, and explore great foods for healthy gut health. You’ll find out more about breastfeeding a baby while experiencing reflux, how to follow a great acid reflux diet, and how to adapt your diet to enjoy indulging again.

Foods To Avoid With Acid Reflux

Many people turn to medications^[2] like proton pump inhibitors to manage uncomfortable frequent acid reflux symptoms. However, increased awareness of pharmaceutical side effects has led many people to look for alternatives. 

The great news is that dietary adaptations can offer a major non-pharmaceutical means of treating the condition successfully. In a recent study, for example, half of all participants agreed to continue treating their GERD with dietary changes alone,^[3] following successful nutritional adaptations over a 2-week period that involved recognizing certain foods as triggers. 

When it comes to diet, you should avoid eight key foods: spicy foods, chocolate, fatty and fried foods, coffee, caffeinated beverages and alcohol, large carbohydrate-dense meals, peppermint, and tea. Let’s look at the science behind why these foods should be struck off any acid reflux or GERD-friendly shopping list.

Spicy Food

A 2017 Korean study of GERD symptoms reported spicy soups^[4] at the top of the list for causing acid reflux. Fried foods and high-carbohydrate foods were high on the list, too. It is thought that these kinds of trigger foods can act as a direct irritant^[5] to the esophageal mucosa, resulting in acid reflux symptoms. The takeaway? A GERD diet should never include spicy foods as they represent the number one symptom trigger for acid reflux and GERD. If eliminating that isn’t helpful, serially eliminating one other trigger at a time is a common strategy.

Chocolate, Sorry To Say

Another bothersome food? Chocolate. And who doesn’t love a little chocolate indulgence? We’re sorry to add it to this list, but sadly, acid reflux often occurs after eating^[6] chocolate. There is good news, however. Carob, a popular cocoa substitute, not only offers a more healthful alternative for GERD but also tastes great!

Fatty Foods

Consumption of high-fat foods is also associated with a higher risk^[7] of reflux. We recommend swapping out the burger joint for a tasty homemade flat-crust pizza this Friday night. You won’t skimp on taste, but you’ll feel much healthier afterward. 

Fried Foods

Did you know that acid reflux and GERD sufferers are twice as likely to regularly consume fried foods^[8] like french fries? In our book, that’s yet another reason to swap out fast food for healthier, slower-digesting, and tastier alternatives — and it’ll be kinder to your heart and your waistline, too.

Alcohol & Carbonated Soft Drinks

Did you know that people with GERD are twice as likely^[8] to regularly consume soft, i.e., carbonated drinks? And the picture doesn’t look any better for alcohol drinkers, either. A 2021 meta-analysis^[9] found a linear association between alcohol consumption and the onset of GERD symptoms, while a Taiwanese study of 1,256 males reported that frequent alcohol consumption increased the risk^[10] of esophagitis, i.e., damage to the esophagus. That’s because alcohol lowers esophageal sphincter pressure, increasing acid secretion. 

High-Carbohydrate-Based Meals

The size and macronutrient quotient of your meals also play a major role in the onset of acid reflux, with carbohydrate-rich meals reported to cause a higher frequency^[11] of acid reflux symptoms. Substituting some healthy fats, fiber, and protein, e.g., fish, nuts, and vegetables, for carbohydrates can offer a great nutritional alternative and still leave you satiated and satisfied. In the studies cited above, donuts were big GERD offenders.

Peppermint

Peppermint is thought to be an acid-inducing food for many people and is often recommended to be avoided^[12] by people who suffer from acid reflux as it can exacerbate symptoms. It also has biochemical effects that can contribute to gallbladder disease. 

Tea

Finally, while coffee has often been blamed for causing acid reflux, it is tea, e.g., green tea, strong black tea, and peppermint tea, that emerges^[13] in studies as potential acid reflux and GERD triggers. Many people might miss this potential culprit when tracking down their acid reflux triggers. If it affects you, opt for water instead of tea, as this may aid digestion and lower your exposure to uncomfortable digestion issues. However, it must be noted that other studies exonerate both tea and coffee.^[14] Hopefully, subsequent research will settle this controversy. 

What about if you’re breastfeeding a baby who experiences acid reflux? Great question. In this case, it is recommended that you completely avoid cow’s milk and eggs and continue with breast milk when breastfeeding a baby with acid reflux.

Acid Reflux Symptoms

So what is acid reflux? The condition refers to the backward flow^[15] of stomach acid into the tube connecting your mouth to your stomach, the esophagus. Around half of all adults^[1] will experience reflux at some point in their lives, so it’s relatively common. If you’ve ever experienced a burning sensation in your mouth or throat, or felt like your food has partly regurgitated, i.e., come back up, into your throat or mouth after eating, then you’ve already experienced it.

Those with hiatal hernias^[16] are at increased risk due to the compromise of the esophageal sphincter. Also, lying or sleeping on one’s back offers a path of least resistance for the reflux of stomach contents up the esophagus. Smoking is a major lifestyle contributor,^[17] although this article concentrates on dietary influencers to acid reflux.

Since the progression of acid reflux to gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, is a continuum based on frequency and severity, GERD^[18] is common and currently affects around 18%-28%^[19] of the population. You’ll often hear acid reflux, and GERD mentioned interchangeably. GERD can also cause heartburn, leading to longer-term esophageal damage if left untreated. That’s why acid reflux-friendly diets offer a crucial means of stopping and reversing damage and optimizing your digestion once again. 

Let’s take a look at just how powerful nutrition can make a difference in cooling things down.

Foods That Help Reduce Acid Reflux

Scientists now confirm that nutrition plays a key role^[20] in the management or onset of acid reflux and GERD. A 2020 study reported that GERD symptoms disappeared in 45% of subjects following the elimination of dietary triggers over 2 weeks. 

Amongst this group, acid reflux symptoms were greatly mitigated,^[3] with the incidence of heartburn symptoms decreasing from 93% to 44%. Regurgitation also fell, from a notable 72% to only 28%. 

But while we now know what not to eat, is there anything we should add to our shopping list? 

The answer is yes! A Mediterranean-style diet has been shown to reduce acid reflux and GERD symptoms. That means swapping out red meat, fried and junk food, and sweets for fish, nuts, olive oil, fresh non citrus fruits, and items of vegetable-based diets. There are also great digestive health and probiotic vegan supplements that you can take, which can help to restore gut health.

High-fiber foods^[21] like whole grains, e.g., couscous, wheat, rye, oat bran, buckwheat, root, and green fibrous vegetables, e.g., broccoli, have also been found to make a notable difference in symptoms. Fiber helps strengthen the esophageal sphincter against the reflux of stomach contents. Alkaline water^[22] and highly alkaline foods, e.g., cucumber, also demonstrate positive effects, but these benefits are mainly to the pharynx damaged by reflux. Ultimately, low-fat, low glycemic index, high protein diets that are also highly alkaline and plant-based are reported to be a cost-effective therapeutic approach^[23] to managing acid reflux and GERD.

When You Need To See A Doctor

We’ve all suffered occasional heartburn. In fact, in a study of over 70,000 people, over 30%^[24] had experienced GERD symptoms in the last week! But when does it get serious enough to call a doctor? 

Well, left untreated, ongoing acid reflux can cause damage to your esophagus, larynx, and pharynx, so you should not ignore it. It can even lead to hospitalization for abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea, the most common reasons for ambulance call-outs^[25] because of acid reflux and GERD in America in recent years.

According to Penn Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, you should contact your doctor if nutritional, lifestyle, or medication-based treatments aren’t working. Also, if you experience bleeding, choking, or trouble swallowing, you should contact your doctor immediately.

Final Thought

The treatment of GERD carries a significant economic burden of more than $10 billion^[26] per year in the U.S. alone. It can also seriously damage our health, ruin great meals, and make us feel uncomfortable and miserable.

But the great news is that we can take back control by identifying certain foods to avoid with acid reflux and by embracing a high-alkaline, high-fiber, healthy diet, and prebiotic supplements if needed. The bottom line? Make the right nutritional choices, and you can begin to enjoy your favorite meals again.

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