Acid Reflux Foods To Avoid And How They Cause It

Unfortunately with acid reflux, there is more than one definitive answer as to how it is caused, because there are acid reflux foods to avoid that make your body react in different ways.  There are certain acid reflux foods to avoid in order to keep your body from reacting in a detrimental way.  Below is a list of how these certain foods cause acid reflux and can bring the ailment to your stomach.

1.Drinks that contain caffeine such as coffee and tea have the tendency to relax your LES (Lower Esophageal Sphincter) and when it is relax, that allows your stomach contents to be shot back up into your esophagus.

2. Theobromine is a compound that can be found in plants such as cocoa, coffee beans and tea plants and it also relaxes your LES so that means that you should avoid foods that contain chocolate as much as possible.

3. Some acid reflux foods to avoid are foods that slow down digestion such as fried foods will keep the food in your body for longer.  The longer the food is in your stomach, the more pressure there is and that pressure leads to a weakened LES which allows acid reflux to occur.

4. Another grouping of foods such as tomatoes and other products with tomatoes in them relax your lower esophageal sphincter.

5. If you are a smoker, you should look out because the chemicals that are found in cigarettes are known to weaken your LES.

6. One non-food occurrence is when you lie down after you have had a meal.  Being horizontal 2-3 hours after you’ve eaten makes your stomach contents press harder against your LES which increases your chances of acid reflux.

7. You should try to avoid eating large meals because the more food that is in your stomach means the more pressure your stomach will have to deal with.

If you are looking for ways to avoid acid reflux from occurring on a daily basis, there are several things that you should remember.  Try not to eat overbearing meals so that the pressure on your stomach is as limited as possible and you will want to try to avoid foods that weaken your lower esophageal sphincter (LES) as much as possible because that’s how the acid travels its way up your esophagus.  Having your own personal list of acid reflux foods to avoid is a great way to ensure that you stay away from the harmful meals, regardless of how delicious the food may be.