Stay Away From These Foods If You Have Gastric Reflux

Pearlyn Tham
Sun, 21 Feb 2021 00:00:00 Z

That must-have morning perk-me-up might be a source of your problems.Photo: 123RF

Afflicted with heartburn again and again? One of these five foods might be the culprit:

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1. High fat foods

These can relax the lower esophageal sphincter, which then causes stomach acid to flow back up into the esophagus – you’ll know the awful feeling when this happens! The double whammy: fatty and fried food such as fries, bacon and deep-fried meat cutlets. Egg yolks are also high in fat and can trigger gastric reflux so stick to the whites.

Switch to: Seafood, chicken and turkey, and have these grilled, baked or poached instead. To keep healthy fat in your diet, consume avocados and certain nuts.

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2. Caffeine

Have it black and without creamer or milk – and on an empty stomach first thing in the morning – and you have the perfect recipe for an acid attack.

Switch to: Add milk or creamer to your kopi O and drink it only after you have eaten something. Otherwise, you may need to choose a caffeine-free alternative.

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3. Tomatoes

If you have a really bad case of gastric reflux, even ketchup on your chicken wing or a tomato pasta base can bring on the discomfort.

Switch to: A pesto sauce or base, and look for alternative dips such as a BBQ sauce.

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4. Citrus fruit

This may not trigger an attack for everyone. It also depends on when you have a wedge of orange or a grapefruit juice. Having it on an empty stomach or just before bedtime can cause the overproduction of acid juices.

Switch to: Thankfully, there are many fruit alternatives out there such as bananas, papayas, mangoes and berries which you can make smoothies or a fruit bowl from.

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5. Alcohol

It’s been said that any form of alcohol can relax the lower esophageal sphincter. But once again, it really depends on what your personal trigger is. Having a beer or a wine does not cause my gastric reflux to act up. Just make sure you have only one glass and in between bites.

Switch to: Mocktails or flavoured waters though you’ll want to be careful with the fizzy versions too.

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