How to Prevent Heartburn

Try to eat less highly acidic foods., Avoid spicy foods., Try to stay away from foods that are rich in fat., Drink less carbonated drinks., Cut back on your consumption of alcohol., Cut caffeinated beverages out of your diet.

6 Steps 3 min read Medium

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Try to eat less highly acidic foods.

    There are certain foods that have a higher concentration of acid than other foods.

    When you eat too many acidic foods, the acid in your stomach can splash up into your esophagus, causing a burning pain.

    If you experience heartburn frequently, or are hoping to prevent yourself from ever experiencing it, try to limit the amount of acidic foods that you consume.

    While you do not have to cut these foods out of your diet entirely, you should try to limit your intake of them.

    Dairy products:
    Milk, cottage cheese, milk shakes, and sour cream.

    Fruits:
    Oranges, lemons, cranberries, grapefruits, and tomatoes.

    Meat products: ground beef, pork meat, chicken nuggets and Buffalo wings.
  2. Step 2: Avoid spicy foods.

    Spicy foods can cause your stomach to become upset.

    These spicy foods contain capsaicin, which can trigger heartburn.

    Because of this, keep the amount of spicy foods you eat to a minimum.Spicy foods include:
    Peppers, chili, and hot sauce. , Fat can be very challenging for your stomach to digest.

    Because of this, your stomach is forced to produce more acid in order to break fatty foods down.

    In addition to this, fatty foods can occupy a larger space in your stomach, which in turn can force the acid into your stomach up and into your esophagus, leading to heartburn.Examples of fatty foods are pork meat, butter, tallow, suet, lard, cheese, nuts and seeds, chocolates, processed meats, fried snacks and food, high fat dairy products, and others. , When you drink carbonated beverages, like soda, you are swallowing both water and air.

    These air bubbles reach your stomach, burst, and expand.

    This causes an increased pressure in your stomach that can trigger heartburn.In addition to this increased pressure, most carbonated drinks are acidic. , Avoid alcoholic drinks.

    While not all alcoholic drinks are acidic, they do have a tendency to relax the esophageal sphincter, which is the valve that separates your stomach (and your stomach acid) from your esophagus.

    Because of this, when you drink alcohol, the acid in your stomach is more likely to travel up into your esophagus and cause heartburn.In particular, try to avoid drinking alcohol when you are going to consume acidic or heartburn-causing food. , Like alcohol, caffeine can also relax your esophageal sphincter, which in turn makes it more likely that your stomach acid will be regurgitated back up into your throat.

    Beverages that contain caffeine include:
    Coffee.

    Black tea.

    Energy drinks.
  3. Step 3: Try to stay away from foods that are rich in fat.

  4. Step 4: Drink less carbonated drinks.

  5. Step 5: Cut back on your consumption of alcohol.

  6. Step 6: Cut caffeinated beverages out of your diet.

Detailed Guide

There are certain foods that have a higher concentration of acid than other foods.

When you eat too many acidic foods, the acid in your stomach can splash up into your esophagus, causing a burning pain.

If you experience heartburn frequently, or are hoping to prevent yourself from ever experiencing it, try to limit the amount of acidic foods that you consume.

While you do not have to cut these foods out of your diet entirely, you should try to limit your intake of them.

Dairy products:
Milk, cottage cheese, milk shakes, and sour cream.

Fruits:
Oranges, lemons, cranberries, grapefruits, and tomatoes.

Meat products: ground beef, pork meat, chicken nuggets and Buffalo wings.

Spicy foods can cause your stomach to become upset.

These spicy foods contain capsaicin, which can trigger heartburn.

Because of this, keep the amount of spicy foods you eat to a minimum.Spicy foods include:
Peppers, chili, and hot sauce. , Fat can be very challenging for your stomach to digest.

Because of this, your stomach is forced to produce more acid in order to break fatty foods down.

In addition to this, fatty foods can occupy a larger space in your stomach, which in turn can force the acid into your stomach up and into your esophagus, leading to heartburn.Examples of fatty foods are pork meat, butter, tallow, suet, lard, cheese, nuts and seeds, chocolates, processed meats, fried snacks and food, high fat dairy products, and others. , When you drink carbonated beverages, like soda, you are swallowing both water and air.

These air bubbles reach your stomach, burst, and expand.

This causes an increased pressure in your stomach that can trigger heartburn.In addition to this increased pressure, most carbonated drinks are acidic. , Avoid alcoholic drinks.

While not all alcoholic drinks are acidic, they do have a tendency to relax the esophageal sphincter, which is the valve that separates your stomach (and your stomach acid) from your esophagus.

Because of this, when you drink alcohol, the acid in your stomach is more likely to travel up into your esophagus and cause heartburn.In particular, try to avoid drinking alcohol when you are going to consume acidic or heartburn-causing food. , Like alcohol, caffeine can also relax your esophageal sphincter, which in turn makes it more likely that your stomach acid will be regurgitated back up into your throat.

Beverages that contain caffeine include:
Coffee.

Black tea.

Energy drinks.

About the Author

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Amy Edwards

Enthusiastic about teaching practical skills techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.

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