by Lorn Allison L.M.T., Doctoral Candidate
What you need to know…
Acid reflux and diet are intimately related. You probably already know what causes acid reflux for you, or maybe it occurs no matter what you eat.
So besides the structural causes (hiatal hernia or valve problems, etc.) of acid reflux let’s look at diet.
Remember that diet isn’t just food consumed, it’s everything consumed including liquids.
What can cause acid reflux?
Typical acid reflux and heartburn food triggers are:
What are the natural remedies for acid reflux that actually work?
#1 Use Digestive Enzymes
#2 Drink enough water
This is one of the best natural remedies for acid reflux.
Adequate water consumption is critical for relieving the negative aspects of acid reflux and diet. Keeping the Intestinal tract hydrated is of major importance. The body requires 60% plus water content to keep things functioning properly including your digestion, so don’t blow this off. It works much better if you sip water throughout the day. Don’t wait until symptoms kick in before starting to drink water or it will take a high amount to stop your symptoms.
If the main liquids you consume are teas, coffee and alcohol, you must replace some of these with water or at least add to them. There is no substitute for water.
Many are arguing that you get water from your coffee, tea and other beverages—don’t be fooled by this logic. There is no substitute for drinking water. Absorbing some water from other beverages is fine but those beverages have other qualities that may negate any benefit of the water they do have. For example, coffee is highly acidic even when it says low acid and so whatever water content you receive from drinking it is overshadowed by the effect of the acid on your stomach. In addition to this, caffeine is a diuretic, which means it forces expulsion of fluids from the body, so by consuming it, you are actually causing your body to lose more water.
#3 Chew your food
We must learn to chew food more thoroughly, people are throwing their food down, or ‘inhaling it’ as you hear occasionally hear. This is not just a saying, it is a literal reality, there are nothing but problems associated with NOT chewing your food.
There are no teeth in your stomach and if you bypass chewing food thoroughly you will find that many digestive problems will be magnified. Acid reflux is just one of those problems. For acid reflux and diet, a good rule of thumb is chewing each bite of food 30X or more.
DO NOT underestimate this because it is so simple, it really does work and you need to be doing it, if only to prove to yourself that it is a very effective option for reducing acid reflux.
#4 Better food combinations
An important thing to remember with acid reflux and diet is that for some people with sensitive stomachs, carbohydrates and proteins shouldn’t be mixed or at least kept to a minimum.
Here is the explanation…proteins and carbohydrates when combined together, can be difficult to digest (for some people). Because of this, they will sometimes sit in the stomach for long periods of time and dramatically increase the chance of having acid reflux symptoms. There have been some arguments that this is due to the stomach acids neutralizing each other because of the opposing types of secretions required to digest different food groups. What this means, is that by avoiding eating certain foods together, like meat and potatoes, hamburger on a bun, etc., you reduce the stress on the stomach and the possibility that the meal will sit for a long time and start fermenting before it passes through the stomach. How do you avoid this? Try eating the protein (meat) first, then the carbohydrate (bread, pasta, etc.) and only eat fruit before everything else. The awkardness in this idea is separating foods and eating them in a specific order when you are used to throwing them all down together.
Now, there are some people that the very thought of this is offensive to. The truth is, that for most people this type of food combining is not necessary. If you have severe digestive problems (like IBS) this is a great thing to discipline yourself to do and the results will be immediate.
In most cases though, what I’m going to tell you, is that if you drink enough water, chew your food and use digestive enzymes your going to be OK. This has been my experience and it works extremely well.
#5 Take DGL (deglycyrrhized licorice)
There have been many studies upon the extraordinary effectiveness of DGL in helping to heal the Intestinal tract from various types of problems including peptic ulcers, IBS, H-pylori, fistulas and of course acid reflux.
DGL is extremely important to acid reflux and diet when digestive problems are present. This is one of the most extremely effective and inexpensive natural remedies for acid reflux. You can forget the myriad of acid reflux and heartburn drugs—they are expensive and littered with side effects compared to DGL. In addition to this, I have recommended it to many people and they ALL have told me it works superiorly to their medications without any side effects.
#6 Take Colostrum
Before infants drink mother’s milk, they get colostrum, a veritable mother lode of immunity and nutrition. This nutrient-dense clear fluid is only produced by the mother for three days following birth and provides the infant with passive immunity.
Scientists have discovered that bovine colostrum has exceptional power as does human mother’s milk. This liquid contains all four of the key immunoglobulins: IgM, IgG, IgA and secretory IgA. These immunoglobulins are effective at neutralizing a wide range of bacteria, viruses and yeast.
Most diseases enter the body through the mouth and remain in the stomach and intestinal tract. Colostrum antibodies are not absorbed and digested but rather remain in the intestinal tract after being swallowed, where they fight off pathogens.
In addition to its immune-enhancing benefits, colostrum contains iron-binding proteins, vitamins and peroxidase enzymes and may help prevent autoimmune diseases such as lupus, asthma, and arthritis. These same qualities cause it to be one of the best natural remedies for acid reflux and help neutralize the main agitants between acid reflux and diet.
For Colostrum, the sourcing is very important; look for colostrum that is guaranteed…
- First milking colostrum—This is the point at which the “sought-after” biological factors are at their peak. It is also the time when lactose levels are lowest
- Free of harmful hormones, antibiotics, and pesticides—From cows fed an organic diet and raised without antibiotics or hormones.
- Has not been de-fatted—which removes significant portions of the IgF-1, vitamins and other fat dependant beneficial factors. It is completely natural and has not been altered in any way.
