Acid Reflux Diet Plan

Acid Reflux Diet & Lifestyle Solution | Is there anyone who has not heard countless commercials to pop a pill to relieve acid reflux? Acid reflux is the flow of stomach acid back into the esophagus. A common symptom is heartburn - a burning discomfort felt anywhere from the stomach up into the chest and throat. Instead of pills, many health experts now recommend an acid reflux diet and other lifestyle solutions. In this app, learn what they are.

That’s because acid reflux can become a serious, chronic condition called gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD. GERD can have several unpleasant symptoms that include difficulty swallowing, hoarseness, dry sore throat, and coughing, as well as heartburn. Depending on their severity, these symptoms can significantly impair daily quality of life. Worse yet, GERD can lead to life-threatening conditions, including esophageal ulcers and cancer.

So why not just take the medications that neutralize stomach acid or restrict its production? The problem is, except for the most serious cases of GERD, these drugs are not meant for long-term or continual use. Over time, they can have negative side effects. Antacids can eventually upset the digestive tract and lead to diarrhea or constipation. Proton pump inhibitors like Prevacid and Prilosec, which are used to reduce the production of stomach acid, have been linked to increased risk of osteoporosis (brittle bone disease), pneumonia, and negative drug interactions.

And unfortunately, the many pills now available to treat acid reflux have done little to curtail its incidence. Approximately 40% of adult Americans now suffer from acid reflux. And shockingly, rates of esophageal cancer in the U.S. have increased 500% since the 1970s. Research, particularly a recent study from Denmark following more than 9, 800 GERD sufferers, has linked proton pump inhibitors with increase risk of esophageal cancer.

The first step in reducing GERD is often to limit foods that set off reflux. These “trigger foods” differ from person to person but often include chocolate, coffee, fried foods, peppermint, spicy foods, and carbonated beverages.

Avoid lying down for at least two hours after a meal or after drinking acidic beverages, like soda, or other caffeinated beverages. This can help to prevent stomach contents from flowing back into the esophagus.