5 Acid Reflux Diet Myths
Often, people have the wrong impression that once they have given up their favorite comfort foods, their lives would be in misery. When acid reflux patients are told to change their diet, the first thought is that they are already feeling miserable with the heartburn symptoms and now, they have to adapt a “bland, restricted diet.”
===>>> Dietary Changes and GERD / Acid Reflux: The Latest Research
It may not be true that you have to give up all your favorite food. If you are craving that spicy enchilada, you probably can eat it after all even though doctors often advise their acid reflux patients to avoid eating spicy food. Once awhile you indulge in it or spicy foods do not cause much impact as compared to other types of foods like fatty foods.
Here are the 5 common acid reflux myths concerning diet:
1. Myth: You should reduce your consumption on protein.
Fact: “It’s not all proteins, only the meat proteins,” said Tanya Zuckerbrot, nutritionist and author of The F-Factor.
“Foods like hummus, peanut butter and soy products like tofu are OK to eat.”
2. Myth: Milk will soothe the pain of heartburn.
Fact: False. No doubt, milk neutralizes acid in your stomach, but the stomach responds by stimulating more acid, so the stomach’s lining is constantly trying to catch up.
On the other hand, many patients report that apple cider vinegar actually soothes the burning symptoms of GERD.
According to Dr. Allan E. Sosin, founder and medical director of the Institute for Progressive Medicine in Irvine, Calif., there is not scientific proof how does apple cider vinegar actually works and helps acid reflux patients.
“You would think it wouldn’t because it’s very acidic on its own. But lots of people respond to it really well. I think it may have something to do with the fact that it helps with digestion and a lot of acid reflux symptoms stem from not digesting food well.”
===> Success Stories How Heartburn Patients Take Apple Cider Vinegar To Relieve Their Symptoms
3. Myth: Avoid all caffeine products, such as coffee, tea and chocolate.
Fact: Not necessarily true. Some acid reflux patients drink herbal teas and green teas and the teas do not trigger any acid reflux symptoms. The latter of which have some caffeine.
Dr. Lauren Gerson, a gastroenterologist a associate professor of medicine at Stanford University in California, advises her patients to continue drinking all of the above substances, unless these teas lead to increase their acid reflux symptoms.
Gerson has studied more than 2,000 cases worldwide between 1974 and 2004 pertaining to acid reflux. From her study, it showed that patients with the condition who stopped consuming substances such as alcohol, chocolate and spicy foods did not see an improvement in their symptoms.
She further looked at about 100 cases pertaining to how lifestyle changes could affect acid reflux patients and discovered the only way patients felt better was if they lost weight (even as little as 10 pounds) or raised the head of their bed.
This research paper was published in the May 8, 2006 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine.
4. Myth: Alcohol is really bad for acid reflux patients.
Fact: According to Dr Gerson, most of her acid reflux patients found that alcohol drinks are alright for them as long as it was taken in moderation.
If alcohol does bother you, how about trying this new alternative: Absinthe, which was recently made legal in the United States. Like licorice, it is anise-based.
5. Myth: Acid reflux only affects people who have poor diets and bad lifestyles.
Fact: That is not totally true. According to Dr Gerson is that even you eat all the right foods and exercise, you may still end up with acid reflux.
Acid reflux, also known as gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, affects millions of Americans. Many of them need to take proton pump inhibitors, or acid-reducing medicines like Nexium on a regular basis.
Acid reflux occurs when the acidic contents of the stomach pass up into the esophagus, and the sphincter muscle (the barrier between the two) has a defect, so it is unable to block the acid.
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