Heartburn: what foods should be excluded from the diet

Heartburn is a common sign of digestive disorders that occurs in those who eat irregularly, overeat, and in obese people.

Nutritionist Svitlana Fus wrote about this on her Facebook page.

Heartburn occurs when acidic stomach contents backflow into the esophagus (this is called reflux), causing irritation of the esophageal mucosa and manifesting as an unpleasant burning sensation or heat of varying duration and strength.

According to the nutritionist, the acidic content corrodes the esophageal mucosa, and in fact, a chemical burn occurs. Normally, this is prevented by the sphincter, a circular muscle between the stomach and esophagus that closes tightly after food has entered the stomach.

The nutritionist noted that there are two main causes of heartburn: sphincter weakness and excessive production of hydrochloric acid by the stomach.

Symptoms of heartburn can occur due to the following factors:

• Eating disorders: irregular meals, eating on the go, poor chewing, overeating.
• Frequent consumption of "irritating" foods: fried, spicy, fatty, caffeinated, and sugary carbonated drinks, fresh pastries, etc.
• Bad habits and environmental factors: smoking, alcohol abuse, chronic stress
• Taking certain medications.
• Diseases of the digestive system: gastritis with high acidity, peptic ulcer, diseases of the biliary system and pancreas.
• Increased intra-abdominal pressure: wearing tight clothing, and lifting weights. The chances of developing acid reflux and heartburn increase with obesity. According to the nutritionist, with increased body weight, there is constantly increased pressure in the abdominal cavity, and this weakens the lower esophageal sphincter.
• Pregnancy is one of the reasons for the development of heartburn in women during this period of life.

According to the nutritionist, in order not to provoke heartburn, it is necessary to normalize the diet, limit those foods that irritate the gastric mucosa, give up bad habits, normalize weight, etc.

"I recommend forgetting about overeating; avoiding physical activity and lying down for 15-20 minutes after eating; having dinner 2-3 hours before bedtime; and wearing loose clothes. The list of foods that can aggravate heartburn is quite extensive. Fatty and fried foods, spicy seasonings, and sauces, coffee, strong tea and chocolate, carbonated drinks, sour fruits, and vegetables should be excluded from the diet," the doctor said.

According to Fuss, you should also listen to your feelings. If the foods on the list do not provoke heartburn, it is not necessary to remove them from the diet. You need to monitor their quantity and frequency of consumption. During pregnancy, to prevent heartburn, you can slightly reduce the amount of food for each meal and increase their frequency. And also keep an eye on what foods trigger heartburn.

"You should not fight heartburn with medicines or folk remedies on your own. Although pharmacies have many remedies that can reduce the symptoms of the disease, their long-term use will be dangerous to health. Heartburn is most often a temporary illness. But if it occurs repeatedly and regularly, it is an alarming signal. Then a doctor's consultation, examination and treatment of the cause of heartburn are necessary, as effective treatment must be preceded by a correct diagnosis," the doctor emphasized.