Bread is the main product that is always present on the table during meals. Both white and black are a source of useful and nutritious substances in a certain ratio. However, sometimes after eating food, heartburn occurs from bread.
Heartburn from bread is quite common.
Symptoms of hyperacidity can occur at any age, regardless of the presence or absence of diseases. A number of foods in a certain ratio can cause heartburn. The restriction in the intake of bread is based on the severity of the symptom on the part of the body.
What ingredients are in the baked goods?
To understand why heartburn occurs from bread, you need to find out what is in its composition. So, most often it consists of:
- eggs or egg powder;
- kefir or milk;
- sourdough or yeast;
- flour;
- nuts and raisins;
- soda or baking powder, salt;
- cream and water;
- animal or vegetable fat. For example, butter and margarine;
- easily soluble carbohydrates necessary to give a certain taste to flour: honey, sugar and sucrose;
- poppy seeds, as well as dried apricots and chocolate.
Most of these products can cause a burning sensation in the chest in a person with gastrointestinal pathologies.
This is interesting! Heartburn from white bread occurs much less frequently than from rye bread. This is due to the fact that the latter contains many ingredients that provoke flatulence.
Causes of heartburn
Before talking about the causes of burning and its accompanying symptoms, it is important to understand that isolated attacks of heartburn, which rarely make themselves felt, should not cause concern. If a burning sensation appears frequently, regardless of the intensity of the clinical signs, it is important to consult a doctor, because frequent attacks may signal the development of pathologies of the gastrointestinal tract.
Now we list the most common factors and reasons why a person experiences heartburn:
- Consumption of junk food - people who suffer most are those whose diet is dominated by fatty, fried, hot, smoked, spicy, sweet, salty and sour foods, as well as baked goods, if they are abused,
- Violation of the diet and culture of nutrition - we are talking about a whole complex of violations, including overeating, heavy dinners before bed, lack of a full breakfast, dry food, eating fast food, etc.,
- Constant stress provokes heartburn,
- Bad habits, among which smoking and alcohol abuse play a special role,
- Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract - the list is dominated by reflux esophagitis, gastritis, peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum, pancreatitis, but heartburn is also possible with other diseases,
- Pregnancy - in this case, the reflux of gastric contents and the corresponding burning sensation often begin to bother closer to the third trimmeter, when the growing fetus props up the stomach,
- The use of various medications that affect the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
In addition, we can separately highlight the causes of heartburn caused specifically by the consumption of bread:
- Baked goods, including bread, contain gluten, which is less digestible and takes longer to digest. Therefore, when eating bread in large quantities, gastric juice is produced in excess and its reflux into the esophagus occurs more often,
- All flour products contain many simple carbohydrates and enzymes, these components increase the production of hydrochloric acid,
- Also, low-quality raw materials may be used in the production of bread. Such a product can negatively affect the function of the gastrointestinal tract, causing not only heartburn, but over time even provoke more serious problems.
Heartburn from flour: what causes it
Bakery products are made from low carbohydrate products. Their breakdown begins in the mouth. Only a small part of them reaches the stomach. As a result, hydrochloric acid, produced in excess, begins to exit into the esophagus, irritating its mucous membrane.
The influence of products (which may be contained in bread) on the gastrointestinal tract:
- Honey, cream, sugar and other sweet ingredients in cakes and biscuits irritate the esophagus. As a result, unpleasant sensations appear in the chest.
- Nuts and seeds, once in the stomach, are processed there for a very long time.
- Baking powder, like yeast, has a weakening effect on the muscles of the esophagus. They provoke their failure.
- Cream, milk, and fatty fats are not processed well enough by the stomach and digestive glands of an adult. This is due to the fact that by the age of 20 the number of enzymes for their processing decreases. There are not enough of them to carry out this process.
- Margarine and butter provoke the production of bile, which can cause esophageal sphincter insufficiency.
- Baking soda stimulates the secretion of acid in the stomach.
- Gluten. Normally, its content in bread should not exceed 5-7%. Now it contains 50-70%. This increase in flour products is associated with its ability to improve the taste and shape of the product and increase its shelf life. These are its positive properties. However, there are also many negative ones. So, these include the fact that if a person is intolerant to gluten, he may develop celiac disease. In addition, it slows down the processing of food, which is why the process of rotting in the stomach eventually begins to activate. Also, under the influence of gluten, the functioning of internal organs may be disrupted in humans.
Reference! Nowadays, yeast from low quality raw materials is most often used in baking. For example, thermophilic. After they enter the human body in large quantities, he may have problems with digestion: increased gas formation, which will lead to constipation. Heartburn from bread often occurs precisely because of this ingredient.
Flour-based products
Flour products include not only confectionery products. They include pasta, spaghetti, bread, crackers. Regarding pasta, it should be remembered that products based on soft wheat flour are more likely to develop dyspeptic symptoms. Including heartburn.
Biscuits and cakes are a separate group of flour products that belong to baking. These foods have a high glycemic index. In patients with diabetes mellitus, they increase the risk of hyperglycemia and the development of gastrostasis. This is especially typical for elderly patients.
Homemade baked goods, as well as pies and pies made in bakeries or canteens, have different compositions. The composition of the dough and the oil in which they are baked or fried play a big role.
Baking often causes functional dyspepsia of non-ulcer origin.
It is caused by the fact that excess carbohydrates become a favorable environment for the proliferation of fermentative flora.
A little about the quality of flour
Previously, bran flour was used in the production of baked goods. It was they that contained all the microelements, fatty acids and vitamins useful for the body. Now producers of black bread are getting rid of them, as this allows them to increase their shelf life. As a result, all its value is lost. People who consume baked goods are increasingly developing heartburn and various pathologies of the digestive tract.
Attention! Normally, bread should contain 30% bran of its total composition. Now, as a rule, there are no more than 10%.
Additional recommendations
It is not always possible to determine which particular dish or product triggered heartburn. There are several general recommendations to avoid discomfort after eating:
- do not overeat;
- eat more often, reducing portions;
- avoid junk food;
- less flour, sweets, and carbonated drinks on the menu;
- do not eat bread, buns, pastries on an empty stomach;
- do not lie down immediately after eating;
- the last meal should be 2-3 hours before bedtime;
- It is better to bake homemade bread in water;
- the amount of fat in the dough should be minimal;
- fight excess weight;
- do not wear tight clothes or shapewear for a long time;
- undergo periodic medical examinations;
- treat chronic gastrointestinal diseases in a timely manner.
Bread should be excluded by those diagnosed with liver disease, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol. Pregnant women who experience heartburn in the long term should also not indulge in flour products made from yeast dough. These simple tips will help prevent the appearance of unpleasant symptoms associated with disruptions in the digestive system such as heartburn, bloating, belching, including those caused by regular bread.
We recommend: What mineral water can you drink if you have heartburn?
Prevention
To avoid heartburn from flour, you should follow the following recommendations:
- Don't eat baked goods on an empty stomach.
- After each meal, if possible, take a walk in the fresh air rather than lie down to rest.
- Use yesterday's bread rather than freshly baked bread.
- Avoid baking. Not quite, of course, however, remember that the amount eaten per day should not exceed 2-3 slices.
- Eat black bread not dry, but together with some other food. For example, with soup or vegetable salad.
- Train yourself to eat 5-6 times a day in small portions. Take your last meal no later than 2-3 hours before bedtime.
- Don't overeat!
- If you prepare your own baked goods, try not to add a lot of fatty dairy products to it.
- Buy whole grain bread that does not contain yeast or various impurities.
- Drink water or tea with muffins and pies rather than coffee or carbonated drinks.
How to get rid of heartburn
First of all, if you notice that a burning sensation begins precisely after eating any type of bread, you should completely abandon this type. Moreover, it is much healthier to eat day-old bread or even crackers, any gastroenterologist will tell you this.
As for cases when heartburn has already begun, it cannot be tolerated, and here are some of the most effective ways to combat it:
- Antacids are medications that effectively and quickly relieve heartburn. It is enough to drink a bag of Maalox or Phosphalugel, the burning sensation will go away in 5-10 minutes,
- You can also resort to using the familiar method of “quenching” heartburn with soda . To do this, stir 0.5 teaspoon of soda in half a glass of water and drink it all to the bottom, the effect will also not be long in coming.
In conclusion, it is worth saying that it is possible to eliminate heartburn using the described methods and not worry about it only in cases where its attacks are isolated. But if burning bothers you frequently, it is better not to delay going to the doctor.
For which diseases is it prohibited to eat baked goods in large quantities?
A burning sensation behind the sternum and sour belching that often occurs after eating bread are signs that its consumption should be limited. The reasons for this phenomenon are the presence of various pathologies in a person, which, under the influence of the ingredients contained in flour products, provoke the occurrence of heartburn. What diseases could these be:
- diabetes;
- diseases caused by high cholesterol;
- pathologies of the gallbladder and digestive tract;
- pancreatitis;
- hypertension and other diseases of the cardiovascular system related to fat metabolism;
- liver pathologies.
Useful properties of the product
The beneficial qualities of black bread will be noted when prepared at home. A loaf weighing 300 grams can fill the body’s daily requirement for vitamins and microelements. It is prepared from sourdough, rye flour, salt and water.
Substances in bread that are beneficial to the functioning of the body:
- Vitamins: groups B, PP, C.
- Microelements: iron, magnesium, potassium.
- Cellulose.
- Protein.
- Lecithin.
Whole wheat bread
A number of useful substrates can be added during the manufacturing process of the product. When cereals that are high in fiber and enzymes are included in sprouted grains, it has a beneficial effect on the digestive system and increases insulin levels. Homemade bread is low in calories, so its use is recommended for people suffering from overweight and obesity.
Naturally produced bread lowers cholesterol levels, eliminates hunger and effectively burns fat.
Rye bread is used for medicinal purposes for the following pathologies:
- diabetes mellitus;
- diseases of the hematopoietic system;
- cardiovascular diseases;
- oncology;
- obesity.
How to choose baked goods
The choice of bread must be approached carefully. It should be understood that flour products that contain margarine, large amounts of fat, salt and dairy products, as well as various additives (creams, raisins, nuts) can provoke not only heartburn, but also other gastrointestinal pathologies. In addition, large consumption of baked goods can affect your figure.
It is best to buy whole grain bread without yeast or made with sourdough from live yeast. The white loaf should be replaced with buckwheat bread, unleavened flatbread or gray bread with seeds.
Features of the choice of flour products for various diseases
Depending on existing diseases, the same bread can worsen one person’s digestion and, on the contrary, improve another’s digestion. So:
- Unleavened bread is recommended for people with dysbacteriosis, as well as gastrointestinal diseases. In addition to it, you can eat bread made with hop sourdough.
- Rye bread can be eaten by diabetics, but is prohibited for people with gastritis and stomach ulcers. Men and women with pathologies of the biliary tract and enteritis should not eat it.
- People with exacerbation of gastritis, pathologies of the pancreas and liver should avoid whole grain bread.
Attention! For peptic ulcers, as well as chronic pancreatitis, it is recommended to eat dry rather than soft bread.
Heartburn from pie, cake, bread can occur in people with various diseases of the digestive tract. However, this is not a reason to completely abandon their use. Because with the correct selection of bread, in accordance with the existing disease, and compliance with the rules prescribed by the gastroenterologist, heartburn may not remind the patient of itself for a long time.
How to choose the right bread
Bread is one of the products that are considered essential when there is insufficient quantity of other products. But at this time, taking such a quantity of flour products is considered completely unnecessary.
The problem is that we are accustomed to eating this way since childhood, and a large assortment of goods always attracts a new customer.
A positive effect from eating this type of food can only occur if it is prepared without yeast or margarine.
In addition, the right bread can not only help get rid of toxins in the intestines, but will also help you lose weight. Below you will find out what to do to avoid heartburn from black bread.
Treatment approaches
The most important aspect of treating any disease of the gastrointestinal tract is following dietary recommendations. Pastries, pasta, white bread, cakes, gingerbreads and rolls should be avoided.
If you have gastritis, gastric or duodenal ulcers, you should take antisecretory drugs. They reduce acid formation, thereby reducing the symptoms of heartburn in particular, as well as inflammatory processes of the mucous membrane in general.
Antibacterial agents are indicated as part of the eradication of Helicobacter pylori. The course of treatment is up to 2 weeks. After this, a control FEGDS is performed.
For gastroesophageal reflux disease, the use of prokinetics is justified. Metoclopramide courses are effective.
Treatment using traditional medicine is possible. In the absence of allergic reactions to herbs, you can use decoctions or teas based on chamomile and yarrow herb. But it is better to agree on the possibility of such treatment with your doctor.
Rules for choosing healthy bread
If you can give up sweet flour dishes, cakes and baked goods, then giving up bread is more difficult. Choose the right product to prevent heartburn:
- buckwheat is rich in microelements and is good for health;
- whole grain or gray bread is suitable for those who do not suffer from gastritis;
- a good alternative would be bread made from oatmeal;
- read the label before purchasing – it should not contain margarine;
- if bran and grains are written after the ingredient “salt”, then they are practically not in the recipe (the content is negligible).
Heartburn can be caused by a variety of foods: pumpkins, bananas, cottage cheese, buckwheat. Don't ignore the symptom. consult a doctor.
Uncontrolled consumption of flour products with yeast, refined flour, animal and vegetable fats is a slow path to gastrointestinal diseases. Severe pathologies almost always begin with heartburn from flour, but they can be prevented if you control your diet and avoid eating fresh baked goods, cakes, and buns.