What to eat for heartburn: proper nutrition and diet

What is heartburn

About 20% of residents of Western Europe, America and Turkey are ready to instantly describe the signs of heartburn, because they suffer from it weekly, and in Moscow, according to statistical surveys, 18% of the population experiences it. An unpleasant burning sensation behind the sternum (from which the symptom got its name), rising from the epigastric region upward to the neck, is familiar to both adults and children. In addition to burning, an attack of heartburn may be accompanied by:

• a feeling of heaviness in the stomach (as when overeating);
• belching;
• bitter taste in the mouth;
• deterioration of the condition when bending the body.

In official medicine, heartburn is called the result of irritation of the esophageal mucosa due to acidic gastric juice entering it, which occurs when the sphincter separating the esophagus and stomach does not work properly - this is called gastroesophageal reflux. In addition to hydrochloric acid, burning can be provoked by bile acids, pepsin, and pancreatic enzymes. Even healthy people encounter this unpleasant phenomenon, but frequent attacks are typical only for people with digestive disorders. Gastroenterologists include the following as the main causes of heartburn:

• Overweight (obesity).
• Hiatal hernia.
• Increased acidity of gastric juice (congenital and acquired).
• Pregnancy (against the background of increased intra-abdominal pressure).
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (chronic reflux of gastric/duodenal contents into the esophagus).
• Esophagitis (inflammatory process of the esophageal mucosa), reflux esophagitis (associated with GERD).
• Barrett's esophagus (a precancerous complication of GERD associated with changes in epithelial tissue).
• Motility disorders of the esophagus and stomach (less commonly, duodenum).
• Adenocarcinoma of the esophagus.

If a person is healthy, but periodically experiences heartburn attacks, the problem may lie in the abuse of nicotine, alcohol, strong tea or coffee. It also occurs against the background of wearing tight clothes and belts that tightly tighten the stomach. Additional dangers include:

• Dietary disorders (both in terms of menu content, habits of eating dry food or on the run, tendency to overeat).
• The habit of having dinner before bed (the body is in a horizontal position, the sphincter does not work correctly, the process of digesting food is difficult).
• Physical activity, especially bending, after eating.

Causes and risk factors

The causes of heartburn can be physiological and pathological. This condition can occur with errors in diet, in women during pregnancy, in overweight people, and in the case of the use of a number of medications.

Risk factors for the development of pathology include the presence of bad habits, frequent stress, and excessive physical activity (especially immediately after eating). Also, a burning sensation can occur if a person immediately after eating takes a horizontal body position and eats before going to bed.

The causes of pathological heartburn include weakening of the sphincter, resulting in the reflux of gastric contents into the esophagus. This condition is observed with gastroesophageal reflux disease, gastritis with high acidity, peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum, cholecystitis, and some neoplasms of the digestive tract.

Excessive consumption can contribute to the development of pathology:

• fatty, hot, spicy, fried foods;
• sweet soft carbonated drinks;
• alcohol;
• fresh baked goods.

In some cases, a burning sensation and discomfort behind the sternum is a symptom of angina pectoris and precedes myocardial infarction.

Diet for heartburn

Getting rid of burning attacks in the esophagus, especially frequent ones, is possible only through dietary correction, which first requires finding out what caused the heartburn. In a healthy person, it can be provoked by a certain product that is poorly accepted by the stomach - this includes strong coffee, which is aggressive to the digestive tract, and subjectively safe vegetables. Since the problem always occurs after eating, the question “what to eat for heartburn?” even more relevant than “which pill to take?” Diet is a key point in treatment because:

• If you do not start adjusting your diet during frequent attacks of heartburn, even a healthy person can develop gastroesophageal reflux disease, which will later develop complications: erosions, ulcers or adenocarcinoma.
• Tablets stop an attack, but have no effect on the condition of the mucous membrane, and certain foods help calm the esophagus, although they will not work as quickly as medications.
• A diet for heartburn and belching is especially important for people with high acidity of gastric juice (helps regulate its acid-base balance) and congenital dysfunction of the lower esophageal sphincter (reduces the risk of new attacks of heartburn).

Heartburn: general information

Heartburn that accompanies gastroesophageal reflux, i.e. the reflux of gastric contents into the esophagus, is manifested by a feeling of burning and discomfort in the esophagus (lower chest), and may be accompanied by nausea, an unpleasant taste in the mouth, belching and a number of other symptoms. Constant heartburn can lead to the formation of scars, erosions, ulcers, esophageal cancer and cause the development of other adverse consequences.

An attack of heartburn occurs some time after eating, which varies depending on the disease against which the pathology arose. Usually the attack begins 15-30 minutes after eating; the condition can be aggravated by bending the body forward, in a lying position, including at night while sleeping.

Since persistent and severe heartburn is a sign of a number of serious diseases, it is not recommended to self-medicate; you should visit a doctor and undergo an examination.

If heartburn has physiological causes, treatment is usually not required; the patient’s condition normalizes when the unfavorable factor that affects the body is eliminated. In addition to the main therapy, you can use medicines prepared according to folk recipes, as well as medical nutrition; in some cases, surgery is required.

Basic Rules

The reflux of gastric juice into the esophagus mainly occurs due to incorrect body position during and after meals (within 1-2 hours), against the background of overeating, eating food on the go, or abuse of harmful products - alcohol, pickles, marinades. For this reason, nutrition that helps relieve the current attack of heartburn and prevent a new one is based on the following rules:

• Place a small portion of food on the plate - for meat it is about 60-100 g (depending on whether you plan to add carbohydrates to it or not), for cereals and pasta approximately 50-60 g (implying the weight of the dry product), for vegetables/fruits the allowed volume is 200-300 g. The lower limit of the indicated figures is if you mix everything in one plate in 2 categories (meat with vegetables, vegetables with carbohydrates, meat with carbohydrates), the upper limit is if you eat them separately.
• Don’t starve - the juice produced by the stomach must be used to digest food, so 5-6 meals (and more if you work a long day) per day must happen. Maintain an interval of 2-3 hours between them, especially if you have gastritis or problems with the hepatobiliary system.
• Set your main meal (not a snack) at such a time that you don’t have to immediately run somewhere, go to training or go to bed: you should sit for an hour or a little longer, or walk at a measured pace.
• Avoid eating very hot foods (temperatures above 60 degrees) - they irritate the mucous membranes.
• Avoid cold drinks, desserts - ice cream, some types of cocktails, even just cold water: they not only irritate the esophagus, but also provoke longer production of hydrochloric acid.
• Eat slowly to prevent air from getting in with the food and chew each bite thoroughly.
• Give preference to boiled or steamed foods. If you plan to bake them, do it in foil or a sleeve so as not to create a rough crust. Frying is prohibited.

Foods you can and can't eat

The list of foods you can eat for heartburn includes the following:

• Fresh and dried fruits - apples, bananas, pears, apricots, peaches, dates, prunes.
• Non-sour berries and melons - strawberries, raspberries, strawberries, melon, watermelon.
• Fresh, boiled or stewed vegetables - pumpkin, potatoes, beets, carrots and eggplants.
• Lean meat, boiled or steamed - rabbit, chicken, lean beef.
• Cereals – buckwheat, rice, millet, oatmeal.
• Bakery products made from wheat or corn flour.

Here is a list of foods that you should not eat if you have heartburn:

• Tomatoes (tomatoes), cabbage and citrus fruits, which increase acidity.
• Sour berries - cherries, currants.
• Dishes with vinegar, lots of seasonings and ketchup.
• Pasta, spaghetti.
• Sweets and confectionery.
• Alcohol and coffee.
• Fatty meat - pork, duck, lamb.
• Fat milk and fermented milk products (kefir).

What can you eat

Foods that do not cause heartburn are individual for each body, so all those listed below should be checked personally. Separately, the presence of gastrointestinal diseases is also taken into account, which can limit the diet more than single attacks of heartburn, so it is important to coordinate the menu with a gastroenterologist. The general list of foods allowed for heartburn is as follows:

• lean meat (mainly poultry) - turkey, chicken, veal;
• freshwater and sea fish - pollock, perch, pike perch;
• starchy and non-acidic vegetables - potatoes, beets, pumpkin, carrots, bell peppers, zucchini, cauliflower, corn;
• bulgur, buckwheat, brown rice, oatmeal, corn, semolina;
• yeast-free bread (stale);
• biscuits;
• jelly, homemade jelly, honey;
• low-fat cottage cheese;
• unsalted, mild cheese;
• sweet apples, bananas, peaches, watermelons, pears, plums;
• olive oil;
• parsley dill.

Fruits

Eating low acid fruits helps prevent heartburn in the long term. The following is a list of fruits that help with heartburn:

• melons;
• plums;
• pears;
• bananas;
• papaya;
• peaches;
• apricots;
• sweet varieties of apples.

Many people today eat foods that are high in carbohydrates and high in fat.
Although these nutrients are generally essential for life, you should still reduce your intake of them. Carbohydrates and fats stimulate the production of acid in the stomach, thereby contributing to the development of heartburn. Digestive problems caused by carbohydrates and fats can be reduced by adding fruits and vegetables to your diet.
And even if the mucous membranes of the esophagus and stomach are already irritated, low-acid fruits are a suitable nutritional option due to their relatively easy digestion.

Interesting article: Baking soda for heartburn

What foods relieve heartburn?

You can eliminate a sudden attack of burning in the esophagus with tablets, or you can use simple foods that are in the refrigerator - this is safer and faster. Foods useful for heartburn include bananas, grated carrots (with a spoonful of butter or sour cream), and also:

• Oatmeal porridge with water, but not oatmeal, but very fine, does not require cooking and cooked with a large amount of liquid to obtain a slimy consistency.
• Warm low-fat milk with a teaspoon of honey, drunk in small sips.
• Puree pumpkin or potato soup.
• Any nuts except peanuts (not salted, without glaze or other additives).
• Olive oil - a teaspoon, swallowed without additional food.

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Factors that cause heartburn

Heartburn can result from:

• constant overeating. As the stomach increases in volume, the lower sphincter located in the esophagus relaxes. This creates fertile ground for problems with the digestive system;
• intense sports activity (immediately after eating);
• depression, anxiety, tension;
• ailments of the digestive organs. These include: duodenitis, gastritis, dysfunction of the biliary tract, irritable bowel syndrome;
• changes in intra-abdominal pressure due to excess weight, pregnancy; frequent constipation; hernia located in the esophageal opening of the diaphragm.

A diet for heartburn can reduce the likelihood of the following adverse complications:

• erosive esophagitis;
• formation of ulcers;
• Barrett's esophagus. With this serious pathology, degeneration of squamous epithelium into cylindrical epithelium is observed. This disease is considered a precancerous condition;
• strictures (narrowing of the esophagus).

What drink

All drinks that are allowed during attacks of heartburn and while trying to prevent a relapse must, firstly, be warm - no refreshing fruit drinks or cocktails. Secondly, they should not be carbonated or too strong, especially if you are making tea. You will have to give up coffee completely. The list of acceptable drinks for heartburn is very short:

• alkaline mineral water without gas;
• weak green tea or black long tea (it is advisable not to overuse the latter);
• low-fat milk, natural yogurt, stale kefir - ideally choose completely low-fat options, and look for lactose-free milk;
• dried fruit compotes without sugar;
• decoctions of rose hips, medicinal herbs - plantain and calendula have a good calming effect (on the mucous membranes).
• decoctions of flax seeds and oats envelop the mucous membrane.

Therapeutic diet

If the patient suffers from periodic gas formation, during gas formation it is necessary to eat only those foods that help reduce the production of gases in the digestive system.

With increased gas formation, the patient must comply with basic nutritional requirements:

• try not to overeat during the day and especially before bedtime;
• reduce the amount of food eaten at one time, it is better to eat more often, but less;
• try to eat at appropriate times;
• You need to drink at least two liters of fluid daily;
• remove from the diet all food products that are prohibited;
• eat fruits and sweets less often and not with other dishes;
• Taking a decoction of dill seeds before meals helps with flatulence.

Important! If you have an illness related to the digestive system, you should immediately seek help from a specialist.

He will conduct an examination, prescribe a series of tests and will be able to diagnose the disease, as well as eliminate discomfort and tell you what the diet should be for flatulence and constipation. He will also tell you what you shouldn’t eat, and what foods, on the contrary, will help with stomach bloating.

Interesting! Top 12 recipes - effective folk remedies for flatulence

The main thing is to know that nutrition for flatulence must be properly selected and complete. It is best to draw up an approximate menu for the week with the help of a doctor.

It is worth understanding that the diet for flatulence and bloating is not strict. There is a wide variety of products from which it is possible to prepare quite tasty dishes.

A diet for bloating will be quite effective for those people who are only tormented by increased gas formation. If flatulence is caused by stomach diseases, then the list of acceptable foods may differ from a simple diet.

What should be the recommended menu for stomach problems:

1. The first meal in the morning is porridge; in addition to pearl barley and millet, buckwheat is recommended. You can also eat cottage cheese mixed with homemade sour cream.
2. The second is a couple of slices of bread, you can use cheese, and also drink juice and eat oatmeal.
3. Third, you should definitely eat soup. The broth can be based on semi-finished meat or fish products. A small piece of dietary boiled poultry, a vegetable salad, better than the summer season, mashed potatoes or carrots.
4. The fourth is baked fruits (apples), only fresh kiwi, oranges or pomegranate. Yogurt with yesterday's bun.
5. Fifth - mashed potatoes, vegetable casserole or salad. You can also eat buckwheat with cutlets, but you only need to steam them.
6. Sixth - shortly before bedtime, you can drink drinking yogurt or any other fermented milk product.

Thus, it is clear that the diet for bloating is quite varied, the main thing is to properly separate foods and follow basic tips on healthy eating.

In addition to all this, with increased gas production, it is recommended to drink herbal teas:

• chamomile;
• dill;
• mint;
• St. John's wort.

During the onset of the disease, periodic bowel disorders may be bothersome. If you have constipation, you should add foods containing soft fiber to your diet, especially since it is allowed: such as prunes, juices from vegetables, carrots and beets, some fresh fruits and vegetables.

The diet for constipation and flatulence is not very different from the usual one, the main thing is to consume more water and food enriched with soft fiber.

What foods cause heartburn

In therapeutic nutrition for digestive problems, a very important point is chemical sparing of the gastrointestinal tract, and for heartburn, which is observed against the background of increased acidity of gastric juice, this is a particularly significant nuance. Chemical irritation occurs when eating salty, spicy, sour, pickled foods, so prohibited foods for heartburn are:

• All types of citrus fruits, especially on an empty stomach.
• Strong broths based on fatty fish and meat (pork, lamb, goose, duck, salmon, mackerel, beluga, sturgeon), and mushrooms.
• Fatty meat in any form.
• Raw vegetables, especially during exacerbation of gastritis, peptic ulcer (this does not imply the complete exclusion of vegetables from the menu - they are consumed in heat-treated form).
• Sour berries (currants, gooseberries, cherry plums, cranberries, blackberries), green apples, kiwi, pineapple, apricots.
• Fresh baked goods, yeast baked goods, bread (especially rye).
• Spinach, sorrel, horseradish root, onion, garlic.
• Celery, radish, radish, tomatoes.
• Any sweets, excluding honey: cakes, buns, sweets, chocolate, cakes.
• Fresh vegetable and fruit juices, cold fruit drinks.
• Refined sugar processing products - jam, condensed milk.
• Carbonated drinks, including mineral water.
• Pearl barley and millet stimulate an increase in the acidity of gastric juice.
• Fast food: snacks, crackers, chips, instant noodles, appetizers.
• Alcohol, vinegar, mustard.
• Canned fish/meat.
• Smoking, semi-finished products.
• Meat products that have been heat-treated over an open fire or grill.

What is not recommended for heartburn

List of prohibited foods for high acidity:

• Fried food;
• Strong tea, coffee drinks;
• Sparkling water;
• Fat meat;
• Cucumbers;
• Sour cream;
• Yeast dough;
• Spicy food;
• Tomatoes;
• Cabbage;
• Heavy cream;
• Oranges, lemons, tangerines, lime, grapefruit;
• Smoked meats;
• Dairy products;
• Alcohol;
• Mint;
• Sour vegetables (spinach, cherries, sorrel);
• Marinades, canned products containing acetic acid;
• Onion garlic.

Heartburn can occur after fermented milk products, eating chicken, beef liver, mushrooms, beans, and sour berries.

Avoid foods that cause heartburn during the course of treatment. If the table is prescribed after treatment, it is recommended to adhere to proper nutrition to avoid exacerbation of the disease.

Menu for the week

If you have experienced heartburn more than once, a weekly diet that involves excluding only the main dangerous foods will be enough to completely restore the esophageal mucosa and normalize the functioning of the sphincter. In the presence of diseases of the digestive tract, especially those associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease, the diet should be drawn up by a gastroenterologist and adhered to for up to six months. An approximate diet for heartburn and high stomach acidity for a week is as follows:

What drinks can you drink if you have heartburn?

Heartburn is one of the main symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). With it, there is a constant reflux of the stomach contents into the lumen of the esophagus, which causes unpleasant sensations in the chest, sour belching, nausea and other unpleasant sensations.

One of the causes of heartburn is poor diet.

This problem seems insignificant only at first glance. But in fact, this is a serious disease that indicates a disruption in the functioning of several body systems at once, and can have serious consequences. Therefore, the treatment of this pathology must be approached with full responsibility. You cannot rely only on symptomatic remedies. For example, many people know that Coca-Cola can temporarily relieve symptoms, however, constant use of this drink does not improve health.

GERD is a multifactorial disease, meaning there is no single clear cause that leads to its appearance. There are many factors that contribute to disruption of the nervous regulation of the lower esophageal sphincter, increased intra-abdominal pressure, increased acidity and insufficient evacuation function of the stomach due to reduced peristalsis. These include:

• Smoking.
• Binge eating.
• Chronic stress.
• Alcohol consumption.
• Eating highly peppery, salty or spicy foods.
• Incorrect posture while eating.
• Overeating shortly before bed.

Due to the fact that the mucous membrane of the esophagus, unlike the gastric wall, does not have a defense system against the action of digestive enzymes and hydrochloric acid, it is quickly damaged when the food comes into contact with it. In addition, the appearance of heartburn can accompany other stomach diseases - various gastritis and peptic ulcers.

Soda irritates the mucous membrane of the stomach and esophagus

To avoid this, you must adhere to proper nutrition, follow a diet, do not overeat and do not drink drinks that contain alcohol or stimulate the secretion of hydrochloric acid - sour or too sweet juices, especially orange or lemon. Coca-Cola is also not recommended for consumption. Although for some people, on the contrary, it relieves symptoms. However, this can by no means be considered a panacea, since most often cola helps people who have low acidity or hypoacid gastritis, which can also lead to heartburn. In such cases, it helps normalize acidity, thereby improving digestion.

This happens because normal acidity promotes the activation of digestive enzymes and accelerated digestion of food in the stomach. Because of this, food moves faster through the digestive tract and does not accumulate inside the stomach. The pressure in it is normalized, and its contents are no longer thrown up into the esophagus.

However, cola will not help with heartburn that occurs against the background of normal or increased acidity. This is due to the fact that this drink itself has an acidic environment, its pH is approximately 2.5. It will help increase the acidity of gastric contents. As a result, the activity of enzymes will also increase, which is why the aggressive effect on the mucous membrane will only increase. Therefore, people suffering from high acidity are not recommended to drink this drink.

Among other things, carbonated drinks increase the level of intragastric pressure, which can cause heartburn attacks to occur even more often.

Moreover, simply getting on the already damaged, eroded mucous membrane of the esophagus, they also cause further damage to it, albeit not as strong as from hydrochloric acid. Therefore, people who drink a lot of carbonated drinks are more likely than others to complain of a burning sensation in the esophagus.

Despite the fact that there are a number of medications that relieve the symptoms of GERD, many people are interested in what they can drink for heartburn, since these medications are not always at hand.

Those drinks that do not increase acidity or have an enveloping property help to get rid of unpleasant sensations.

The latter includes milk. But you should drink it separately from food, as it is very rich in proteins and fats, and can help slow down digestion and increase pressure inside the stomach.

A number of juices also help relieve symptoms. For example, it is recommended to drink potato juice from time to time. True, it is not recommended for use by people who have reduced stomach acidity, because in this case it will only aggravate the pathology. Of the generally accepted juices, carrot juice helps well, but citrus fruits should be avoided, as they have a pronounced irritant effect and are also sour.

Carrot juice is a healthy and valuable drink

Plain water or mineral waters without gas are best suited for replenishing water reserves in the body, as they have little effect on acidity and do not cause irritation or mechanical damage to the mucous membranes.

People suffering from GERD should avoid drinking coffee, strong tea and alcoholic beverages. Also, with this pathology, cranberry and tomato juices have a bad effect on the stomach. Milkshakes are also considered too heavy for these patients, although just milk in small quantities may help them. Don't drink drinks that are too sweet.

Heartburn is a symptom that plagues most people on the planet. It does not always imply the presence of any disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, but according to statistics, people with gastrointestinal diseases are more susceptible to a burning sensation in the chest area than those who have excellent health and watch their diet. It is nutrition for heartburn that plays almost the dominant role in the treatment and maintenance of general health.

The mechanism of heartburn is simple enough to explain without complex medical terms. This symptom causes such discomfort because the mucous membrane of the stomach and esophagus experiences irritation, which leads to pain inside and associated symptoms, including:

• Bitter, sour belching.
• Pain in the hypochondrium.
• Nausea.
• Burning in the larynx.

Irritation of the mucous membrane of the esophagus provokes excessive reflux of pepsin and bile from the stomach into the area of ​​the esophagus and larynx. We can conclude that an excessive amount of hydrochloric acid in the stomach negatively affects the state of the gastrointestinal tract. There are many reasons why this acid appears in large quantities:

• Stomach irritation from carbonated drinks.
• Excessive alcohol consumption.
• Smoking.
• Consuming chewing gum on an empty stomach.
• No diet plan.
• Overeating or hunger.
• Consumption of non-nutritious, harmful foods, etc.

Alcoholic drinks and foods that are difficult for the stomach most often cause severe heartburn. That is why treatment is quite simple and involves a diet and some preventive measures.

Proper nutrition for heartburn is not always a help. In some cases, advanced and persistent heartburn requires urgent diagnosis and serious treatment.

The reflux of acidic contents into the esophagus occurs for one more reason. The lower esophageal sphincter can allow hydrochloric acid to pass in the opposite direction. This happens when this small muscle relaxes. What affects the relaxation of the esophageal sphincter?

• Smoking.
• Hormones.
• Carbonated drinks.
• Overeating, etc.

It’s easy enough to exclude all these elements from your daily life and thereby get rid of heartburn for a long time or forever.

It’s worth figuring out what types of foods cause heartburn and what you shouldn’t eat. These include:

1. Foods that can increase stomach acidity. Example: coffee, citrus fruits.
2. Products that contain any substances that can relax the esophageal sphincter. Example: mint, carbonated drinks.
3. Foods that can cause bloating. Example: Baked goods, legumes.
4. Products that are irritating to the mucous membrane. Example: alcohol.
5. Foods that can cause excessive bile secretion. Example: Fried and fatty foods.

This is what the five main categories of products look like, the consumption of which negatively affects the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. They should be classified as what you should not eat if you have heartburn. The heartburn diet itself consists of foods that can quickly and effectively cool the esophagus and stomach, eliminating the unpleasant, painful burning sensation.

Swedish scientists conducted an experiment with volunteers chronically suffering from burning sensations, during which they came to an interesting conclusion. It turns out that daily consumption of whole grain bread reduces by half the possibility of frequent heartburn and the development of this condition into a chronic one. Whole grain bread contains a large amount of fiber, which has a beneficial effect on the gastrointestinal tract.

It is possible to say what you can eat when you have heartburn in general terms. This will be enough to eliminate the symptom temporarily or permanently.

The menu for heartburn should include:

• Any porridge (except pea and instant porridge).
• Lean, not fried soups or soups with a weak broth.
• Whole grain bread or crispbread.
• Lean, boiled fish.
• Lean, boiled chicken (preferably breast).
• Mashed potatoes without adding too much oil or salt.
• Boiled vegetables.

In order to have no heartburn left and no place left, it is enough to follow this diet for only 3-7 days. This list of what to eat when a burning sensation is pronounced includes the main elements of diet number 5, recommended by gastroenterologists to anyone who suffers from problems in the gastrointestinal tract.

The most common questions for people suffering from the symptom are the following products:

Is it possible to use milk for heartburn? The answer is clear - it is possible. The main thing is that the fat content of the milk is zero. For example, homemade or fresh milk can cause not only heartburn, but also its most striking manifestations, nausea and indigestion.

Kefir is extremely prohibited for heartburn. This is caused by its property of provoking a high level of gastric juice formation.

This product is quite controversial. It is hard on the stomach and can cause nausea by coating the stomach walls from the inside. Doctors also prohibit the consumption of peanut butter. But a few unsalted peanuts can relieve heartburn in an emergency.

You should not eat ice cream if you have severe heartburn. This is due to its low temperature. It is foods at low temperatures that tend to take a long time and be difficult to digest. After consumption, ice cream begins to ferment directly in the stomach, which leads not only to heartburn, but also to other symptoms, bloating and indigestion.

Daily consumption of honey for heartburn can lead to harmful consequences, although this product is part of traditional medicine. Doctors recommend consuming honey for rare heartburn. To eliminate the symptom, just a teaspoon of cold honey is enough. This product also perfectly heals damaged esophageal mucosa and perfectly maintains the tone of the gastrointestinal tract during gastritis and heartburn.

Drinking drinks when you have heartburn should also be done carefully. It is worth giving two lists of drinks. The first includes all those drinks that should not be consumed so as not to worsen the symptom:

Beer, vodka and even strong wine can relax the esophageal sphincter, which leads to the reflux of the acidic environment of the stomach into the esophagus and larynx.

Coffee also has sphincter relaxing properties. It is better to exclude cocoa and very strong black tea from your diet.

Fresh juices and juices should be excluded completely. They increase acidity. Especially acidic drinks include tomato, orange, cherry and grapefruit juices.

Such drinks include not only tea, but also the alcoholic drink mojito, which can actually cause a double blow to your well-being.

The list of drinks that can be consumed is as follows:

This drink can easily replace juices. The fairly rich taste, however, does not cause any unpleasant sensations in the stomach and esophagus and copes well with thirst.

Herbal teas not only serve as a drink, but also perfectly relieve heartburn. For example, chamomile tea perfectly soothes the body and promotes healing of the lining of internal organs and damaged mucous membranes. Herbal teas can easily be classified as anti-heartburn products.

Still mineral water is an excellent helper in the fight against heartburn. It is enough to take a few large sips of water after eating or during the onset of a symptom and the pain will go away. Water instantly washes away gastric juice and acidic environment from the walls of the esophagus and hydrochloric acid does not have time to damage the mucous membrane of the internal organs.

So, you should be able to not only eat correctly if you have constant heartburn, but also drink the right drinks.

Spices should also be added to the list of foods that should not be consumed during an exacerbation of symptoms. Their use should be reduced to a minimum. This, of course, does not mean that you should eat everything completely lean and even eliminate salt from your diet. It’s just that what you can eat when you have heartburn should not be too hot or spicy. It is better to exclude pepper, cinnamon and other specific spices that can have a negative effect on digestion. You also need to exclude products that are often added to dishes, such as vinegar and citric acid, even in minimal quantities.

There are several basic rules on how to avoid heartburn before it starts to manifest itself.

1. Nutrition.

You need to follow a diet and a menu of what to eat when you have heartburn.

2. Comfortable clothes.

Clothing that presses on internal organs leads to severe heartburn in 100 cases out of 100. It is necessary to exclude belts, corsets and too tight bras from the wardrobe.

3. Gentle operating mode.

Frequent bending and heavy lifting also puts pressure on the internal organs. In order to maintain your health, you should reduce the amount of stress and take care of yourself.

4. Nutritional features.

You should eat in small portions, no more than a fist. But the number of meals should be increased to 5-6 times a day.

Heartburn is a symptom that occurs when the valve between the esophagus and the stomach becomes loose and acidic stomach contents back up into the esophagus (called reflux). It is at this moment that we experience the most unpleasant sensation - heartburn. As for the reasons... Some people have a weak valve to begin with. But external factors also contribute to its weakening:

• Acidic foods (such as tomatoes and citrus fruits).
• Alcohol consumption.
• Smoking cigarettes.
• Diseases such as diabetes, asthma.
• Hiatal hernia.
• Pregnancy.
• Overweight.

If you suffer from acid reflux, then you are also interested in the topic of nutrition for heartburn. What can you eat and what can you not? What foods cause heartburn? What is the diet to avoid exacerbation of the symptom? Obviously, some foods make your illness worse, and some are completely safe and even beneficial. Dietitians have compiled several of these lists, and they are a good starting point for planning your own.

Keep in mind that, in addition to ready-made lists, it is advisable to have your own. Keep a food diary and note how a particular product or dish affects you. This will allow you to create a menu and make decisions about changes as accurately and quickly as possible.

See also: Therapeutic diet 1, for stomach and duodenal ulcers

1. Eat less often and less. This will help prevent excess stomach acid production.

2. Eat slowly. One way to help you slow down the rate at which you eat is to put your fork or spoon down between bites.

3. Don't go to bed with a full stomach. Eat 3 hours before bed. This will prevent nighttime heartburn.

4. Sleep on a high pillow or raise the head of the bed, sleep on your left side.

5. Avoid your heartburn triggers. Examples of foods and drinks that can cause heartburn: coffee (including decaffeinated coffee), alcohol, fatty foods, onions, garlic, mint, chocolate, citrus fruits and juices, tomatoes, spicy foods, all kinds of sauces and ketchups.

6. Quit smoking. Nicotine weakens the muscle that controls the opening between the esophagus and the stomach and prevents acidic contents from the stomach from being released back into the esophagus.

7. Lose weight. If you are overweight, this will make your symptoms worse.

8. Chew gum. It can provide short-term relief from heartburn by stimulating the production of saliva, which clears excess stomach acid.

9. Drink warm liquid. Drinking a glass of warm water or herbal tea after meals will help your stomach dissolve acid.

10. Drink plenty of water, it helps digestion. But don't drink too much water at once.

11. Learn to manage stress and start engaging in regular moderate exercise. But not on a full stomach.

Most importantly: Good foods for heartburn are:

• Bananas and sweet apples
• Vegetables (such as baked potatoes, well-cooked carrots, green beans, peas)
• Lean meat, chicken breast, fish
• Skim or low-fat dairy products

And now - in more detail.

List 1

Fruits • sweet fresh and dried fresh apples, apple juice with water (not suitable for everyone), bananas

Vegetables • baked potatoes, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, green beans, peas

Meat • lean beef, skinless chicken breasts, egg whites, lean fish

Dairy products • feta or goat cheese, low-fat sour cream, soy tofu

Grains • bread, multigrain or white, bran, oatmeal, cornbread, brown and white rice

Drinks • mineral water

Sweets / Desserts • Low-fat baked goods, natural marmalade

List 2

Fruits • orange juice with water, apple juice; peach, blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, grape, dried cranberry

Vegetables • garlic, onions (in dishes, cooked), leeks, sauerkraut, green onions

Meat • lean beef, chicken

Eggs • scrambled eggs

Fish • fried fish, canned tuna salad, beef or pork hot dog, ham

Dairy products • low-fat yogurt, milk with a fat content of no more than 1%, low-fat cottage cheese (1%), low-fat mozzarella, cheddar cheeses

Cereals • garlic bread, baked goods

Drinks • beer, Cola

Sauces • Ketchup

Sweets / Desserts • low-fat baked goods

Features of the diet for heartburn in pregnant and lactating women

If attacks of burning in the esophagus are caused not by diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, but by increased intra-abdominal pressure during pregnancy (in some women the situation returns to normal slowly, so heartburn also occurs while feeding a newborn), the diet will not be as strict as written above, but avoid harmful foods You will also have to follow a few basic rules. In general terms, the nutritional requirements for pregnant and lactating women are as follows:

• Small portions, but frequent meals.
• Mandatory presence of dietary protein in the diet (chicken, turkey, veal, cottage cheese, eggs).
• Refusal from frying, eating fatty foods, pickles, and smoking. Pickled and canned foods are also excluded.
• Try not to drink fermented milk drinks - if necessary, drink only sourdough or fermented baked milk if they are well tolerated by the body.
• After attacks of heartburn for a day, the menu consists of boiled porridge (in water), pureed soups from vegetables, pureed boiled meat.

What to eat to relieve heartburn in a pregnant woman

Pregnant women should be careful when choosing medications. For heartburn during pregnancy, you can eat a piece of whole grain bread. Just eat slowly, chewing thoroughly. While white bread makes symptoms worse, whole grain bread may help treat heartburn. It helps get rid of belching - the large amount of fiber in it reduces the risk of esophageal reflux.

For heartburn during pregnancy, you can eat almost any of the products suggested above, except soda.

Particularly good in the early and late stages is half a glass of carrot juice or a couple of tablespoons of milk. To prevent heartburn, you can eat nuts: walnuts, almonds. In the early stages, they help stop toxicosis.

2 hours before bedtime it is useful to drink a glass of warm milk with honey. During pregnancy, heartburn should be treated with natural products, without drugs.

Proper diet for children

A child’s nutrition needs to be controlled even more strictly than an adult’s, since children are prone to sweets and fast food, and choose food based on taste rather than nutrition. Carefully monitor what and how your baby eats, follow the following rules of the children's menu:

• The child should chew each piece slowly and diligently.
• From sweets in the diet, leave only marshmallows, marshmallows, honey, marmalade.
• Prepare oatmeal or rice soup for your baby every day; you can add processed cheese to it.
• Give only lean pureed meat in boiled form.
• Eliminate processed foods, sausages, sausages, citrus fruits, onions and garlic from baby food.

Prohibited Products

When following a diet for heartburn, pasta, spices, mustard, lemon juice, and horseradish are excluded from the menu. Mushroom decoctions are also prohibited foods. They contain quite a lot of extractive substances.

Important! The consumption of smoked meats, pickled vegetables, and fatty goose and duck meat is also contraindicated. Sorrel, legumes, radishes and cucumbers should be excluded from the diet.

Drinks and products for heartburn

Essentuki

Almost every person who suffers from heartburn tries to buy a bottle of Essentukov. It is not for nothing that this “mineral water” is sold in pharmacies. Having an alkaline reaction, it can quickly extinguish a fire in the esophagus. It contains many minerals that are useful for diseases of the digestive system. That is, Essentuki mineral water not only relieves symptoms, but also restores the health of the gastrointestinal tract and removes its cause.

Ryazhenka

The fermented milk drink contains a lot of calcium and can help with heartburn by coating the walls of the esophagus and stomach. If you have heartburn, you should drink only non-sour fermented baked milk, recently fermented, otherwise the sour drink can aggravate the unpleasant symptoms.

Chicory

The plant contains astringent and enveloping substances that relieve burning sensation in the stomach. But if taken in excess, chicory can cause gastritis. Crushed chicory roots are brewed in an amount of 1 teaspoon with a glass of boiling water, boiled for 5 minutes and drunk instead of morning coffee.

Kefir

Kefir neutralizes hydrochloric acid, which reacts with milk protein. The microorganisms contained in kefir improve the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, as a result of which the acidity of gastric juice is normalized. Kefir can be a good help for hungry heartburn, which occurs when the stomach is empty.

Milk

Fresh milk helps best with heartburn in the stomach. Enveloping the walls, it reduces the acidic reaction of the internal environment of the gastrointestinal tract and eliminates heartburn.

Mineral water

If you have heartburn, you should drink sodium bicarbonate mineral waters, which are alkaline. A big mistake is to take carbonated mineral water. Carbon dioxide increases the acidity of the water and distends the stomach from the inside. You need to take mineral water one and a half hours before meals.

Coffee

Black coffee often causes heartburn. The catechins, caffeine, and organic acids it contains cause irritation to the mucous membranes of the stomach and esophagus. To avoid this, it is better to drink coffee with milk or cream.

Tea

Tea is a storehouse of biologically active substances. Unfortunately, they are not always beneficial. The tannins and caffeine contained in tea provoke heartburn. Like coffee, tea is best drunk with milk.

Green tea

The caffeine content of green tea is higher than black tea, making it even more likely to cause heartburn. After tea, it also occurs because they drink tea more often after meals, when the stomach is already full, and tea overwhelms it. The contents of the stomach begin to be released into the esophagus.

Water

Drinking water for heartburn can have a dual effect. Drinking a glass of plain water after a heavy meal can overfill your stomach and cause heartburn. In other cases, water washes away the acid from the walls of the esophagus, easing the discomfort.

Beer

If you are prone to heartburn, drinking beer is strictly prohibited. It has a pronounced acidic reaction. The irritating effects of acid and alcohol are aggravated by the abundance of carbon dioxide. Beer can provoke a severe attack of heartburn.

Alcoholic drinks

Alcohol has a sharply negative effect on the gastric mucosa. It burns and irritates the receptors. They cause the glands to produce large amounts of hydrochloric acid, which causes gastritis, heartburn and even stomach ulcers.

What can you drink if you have a stomach and intestinal ulcer?

Recipes for heartburn at home

Juice squeezed from fresh potatoes helps relieve heartburn. It is enough to drink 2-3 tbsp. l. juice This affordable medicine is very effective, and medicine recommends it as an aid.

To extract the juice, take three potatoes, preferably with pink skin and an elongated shape - they contain more useful substances. The potatoes are freed from peels and eyes, grated on a fine grater and squeezed through three layers of gauze. The squeezed juice should be separated from the starch for a couple of minutes and drunk neat.

If heartburn attacks are regular, you should drink half a glass of potato juice on an empty stomach for 14 days.

Baking soda

Baking soda can very quickly relieve the burning sensation in the esophagus. It is enough to take it in an amount that fits on the tip of a knife. However, after some time, heartburn will return in an intensified form. Soda provokes the production of hydrochloric acid.

Herbs

• Plantain seeds coat well the walls of the esophagus and stomach and relieve heartburn.

1 tsp. seeds, pour a glass of boiling water, leave and drink three times a day before meals.

• You can prepare flax seeds for the same purpose.

They should be filled with cold water and left for several hours. As a result, a mucous infusion is formed in the glass, which relieves heartburn and treats high acidity.

• Celery root will relieve heartburn. It must be eaten by first grating it on a fine grater. Sometimes just chewing a piece of celery root is enough.
• Calendula flowers relieve heartburn and inflammation.

A tablespoon of dried flowers is poured into a glass of boiling water and left until it cools completely. Drink the infusion one at a time - two sips throughout the day.

• Tea made from St. John's wort, chamomile and plantain leaves also helps.

The herbs are mixed in a ratio of 1:4:4, then 50 grams of the mixture are brewed with 0.5 liters of boiling water, boiled for 5 minutes, filtered and drunk 50 ml 3 times a day.

It should be borne in mind that heartburn can be a symptom of more serious diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, and if it occurs, there is no need to self-medicate. Consultation with a gastroenterologist is necessary.

Herbs and teas for a healthy stomach and intestines: what to drink to treat gastrointestinal tract and erosion

Heartburn requires treatment

Unpleasant sensations were previously treated with baking soda. And today many people take it as first aid. Baking soda actually extinguishes the hydrochloric acid of gastric juice. But as a side effect of the neutralization reaction, carbon dioxide is released. It can greatly distend the stomach, and if there are ulcers or erosions on the stomach walls, cause bleeding. In addition, drinking soda increases the production of gastric juice, which leads to new attacks of heartburn.

Herbs and teas for stomach and duodenal ulcers: what to drink for treatment

Modern treatments use other substances to neutralize hydrochloric acid. Products that normalize the digestion process are also used. These include drugs based on digestive enzymes.

Mezim

The active ingredient of Mezim is pancreatin, which is produced from the pancreas of pigs. It is also used to prevent or treat heartburn if it occurs after fatty, spicy, fried or heavy meals. At the festive table, it would be useful to take a Mezim tablet during a generous feast.

Heartburn may accompany pancreatitis. When your own pancreas does not cope well with digestion, it should be helped with the appropriate enzyme. In this case, the lack of native pancreatin is compensated for by pork enzyme. It does not allow food to linger in the upper parts of the stomach, ferment and oxidize.

Herbs and teas for pancreatitis: what to drink for treatment

If the stomach does not produce enough hydrochloric acid, and this happens with gastritis with low acidity, Mezim will also help it digest food and remove it into the intestines, away from the esophagus, where it causes severe, painful heartburn.

There have been no studies on how Mezim affects pregnant women and fetal development, therefore the medicine is not recommended for the treatment of heartburn in pregnant women and women during lactation.

Taking Mezim simultaneously with drugs that reduce acidity is pointless, they deprive pancreatin of activity.

Phosphalugel

The drug Phosphalugel helps reduce the acidity of gastric juice; the active ingredient of the drug is aluminum phosphate. It neutralizes hydrochloric acid, adsorbs toxins, gases, harmful microorganisms, envelops the gastric mucosa, as well as the walls of the esophagus.

The advantages of the medicine include the fact that, unlike baking soda, it preserves the acidity of gastric juice, maintaining it at the level necessary for normal digestion. In addition, Phosphalugel does not result in excessive production of hydrochloric acid, as does baking soda. The drug promotes the passage of digested food through the intestines, simultaneously enveloping it and adsorbing harmful substances from it.

Herbs and teas for high and low stomach acidity: what to drink for treatment

Phosphalugel is available in the form of convenient sachets; they can be taken without even diluting the contents with water. But you can also dilute it with a small amount of food. Phosphalugel perfectly helps against heartburn, affecting the cause of its occurrence.

Gastal

The drug Gastal is composed of aluminum and magnesium hydroxides. It has an effect similar to that of Phosphalugel. It has a long-lasting effect of neutralizing hydrochloric acid to the physiological level of gastric acidity. It has a therapeutic effect on the mucous membrane of the stomach, protects mucosal cells from damage, promotes restoration and regeneration. The advantages of the drug include a convenient form of release in the form of tasty, almost confectionery tablets, which can be dissolved in the mouth instead of candy when heartburn occurs.

Ranitidine

This medicine blocks the receptors that cause the production of hydrochloric acid. This reduces the acidity of gastric juice. This drug is used to treat stomach ulcers and reflux disease, which causes stomach contents to reflux into the esophagus.

It has many side effects and contraindications. It is not prescribed to pregnant women, women during lactation, and children under 14 years of age.

Omeprazole

Omeprazole, a substance that blocks the synthesis of hydrochloric acid in the stomach, has a similar effect to ranitidine. Fights heartburn by reducing the acidity of gastric juice. Omeprazole is not allowed for pregnant women and women during lactation, and for children.

Omez

Omez is a drug whose active ingredient is omeprazole. In terms of action, the two medications are exactly the same, and also in terms of contraindications.

Rennie

Rennie chewable tablets are composed of calcium and magnesium carbonates. These salts quickly neutralize the hydrochloric acid of the gastric juice, relieving heartburn within 3-5 minutes. Convenient to use, relatively safe.

Drugs such as Phosphalugel, Gastal, Rennie are approved for use and are even indicated for heartburn in pregnant and lactating women. They are not prescribed to children under 12-14 years of age.

Herbs and teas for heartburn: what to drink for treatment