Acid Reflux Diet Recommendations

By Mike Leuthen

Is there a proper acid reflux diet? Find out here.

An acid reflux diet typically restricts the intake of certain foods that are known to increase stomach acid. Some people even claim that there are foods that “cure” the syndrome.

You can currently find for sale acid reflux diet books, alongside other popular diets and cookbooks. One author states that apples “cured” his acid reflux. He is now selling a report in which he details “three natural remedies” for acid reflux.

These are supposed to be foods that cured his acid reflux. He does admit, however, that they may not work for everyone. In our opinion, it may be more effective in the long run to design your own acid reflux diet, using a food and symptoms diary to record what foods seem to trigger symptoms.

Natural remedies for acid reflux include changing the foods you commonly eat and even when you eat, how much you eat, and in what circumstances you eat. Such changes, believe it or not, may be effective for reducing symptoms of acid reflux.

Most doctors and other healthcare professionals recommend that in order to control symptoms, an acid reflux diet should exclude certain foods that are known to increase stomach acid. Tomatoes and citrus fruits, for example, are highly acidic. So is chocolate. And fried or fatty foods can also increase stomach acid and worsen symptoms.

You may think that an acid reflux diet must be bland, but while some spices trigger symptoms, some commonly used cooking herbs are considered natural remedies for acid reflux.

Changing from garlic and chili powder to ginger, fennel seed and turmeric may help. Ginger, fennel seed and turmeric were used in traditional medicine to treat indigestion and heartburn. Modern herbalists have combined some of these “herbs for heartburn” to create natural remedies for acid reflux.

In addition to following an acid reflux diet that limits highly acidic foods, experts say that eating less than three hours before bedtime increases the likelihood that you will have nighttime symptoms.

This is because lying down after eating allows gravity to work against you and makes it easier for stomach acid to creep up into the esophagus. Knowing this, some companies sell wedge-type pillows calling them natural remedies for acid reflux, but some doctors who specialize in treating the syndrome maintain that these pillows may actually worsen symptoms by “folding” the stomach.

These doctors recommend raising the head of the bed (with blocks, for example) 6 inches higher than the foot of the bed, so that gravity can still help keep acid in your stomach, without “folding” and creating extra pressure on the stomach.

If it isn’t what you eat or when you eat, it could be how much you eat. An effective acid reflux diet plan may include several small meals every few hours throughout the day, rather than one or two large meals. The more food that is in the stomach, the more likely that acid will reflux.

Another one of the often suggested natural remedies for acid reflux is simply losing some weight. Extra pounds put extra pressure on the stomach and more acid creeps up. At night, this can lead to sleep disturbances, coughing, snoring and even sleep apnea.

Following an acid reflux diet plan that is low in fatty and fried foods and calls for meals every couple of hours is not only one of the effective natural remedies for acid reflux, but it could help you lose weight since it primes the metabolism.

Doctors typically recommend antacids or proton pump inhibitors, at least for short-term use, to prevent or neutralize stomach acid. There are a number of herbal and botanical products that may do the some thing.

For example, mangosteen juice (a health drink), taken before meals, effectively dilutes stomach acid and may be considered one of the natural remedies for acid reflux. An acid reflux diet alone may not be enough. If not treated, acid reflux can lead to damage of the esophageal lining, which can lead to esophageal cancer.

Components of the mangosteen have been shown to reduce inflammation and actually prevent the formation of cancerous tumors in laboratory studies. Tell your doctor about which acid reflux diet and what natural remedies for acid reflux you are using and get regular check-ups, even if your symptoms seem to be under control.

Mike Leuthen is chief editor of http://www.restore-your-health.com. Visit us to learn more about natural remedies for acid reflux.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_Leuthen

The effect of smoking on acid reflux

The effect of smoking on acid reflux

The lower esophageal sphincter is a muscle that keeps acid produced in the stomach from entering the esophagus. Anything that relaxes this muscle (cigarettes, alcohol, foods, or medications) causes the esophagus to be exposed to acid.
Some studies have shown a link between smoking and acid reflux. Even though smoking does not directly cause acid reflux, it can exacerbate acid reflux symptoms.
The nicotine in cigarette smoke can reduce the ability of the lower esophageal sphincter to contract or close, allowing acid to reflux. Studies have shown that smoking increases irritation of the esophagus when acid refluxes and increases symptoms of heartburn. Aside from discomfort caused by reflux, the greatest complication of acid reflux is the development of cancer, and smoking greatly increases esophageal cancer risk.
Cigarette smoke, particularly nicotine, can dry out the mouth, which decreases saliva production. Normally we swallow saliva constantly, and this aids digestion of food and lubricates the esophagus. Saliva neutralizes acid and is protective when stomach acid refluxes into esophagus by helping to clear it.
Some people are in the habit of reaching for a cigarette right after a meal, which can exacerbate problems. After eating, the stomach produces acid for digestion. Following smoking, nicotine and cigarette smoke enter the bloodstream and impair contraction of the lower esophageal sphincter. The relaxed lower esophageal sphincter and a plentiful supply of acid are setup for acid reflux to occur. So, in this way, even though smoking may not directly cause acid reflux, it can make acid reflux worse.
Smoking is also a bad habit associated with many health problems. Smoking is a cause of many cancers,heart disease, vascular disease, stomach ulcers, and lung disease, to name a few.