5 Heartburn Causing Foods to Avoid

Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night with a burning sensation in your chest? A pain so bad that caused you to double over because of its intensity?

You’re not alone!

More than 60 million people in the United States experience heartburn every month. According to the American College of Gastroenterology, 15 million people suffer from heartburn every day.

Why Does It Happen?

You experience heartburn when acids from the stomach flow back up into the esophagus. It’s often a symptom of a condition called Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD).

Normally, the muscular ring at the bottom of your esophagus retains the acid in the stomach. The muscular ring only opens up while swallowing or belching. However, when the muscle becomes weak, it causes acid reflux and consequently, heartburn.

The most common trigger of heartburn is the type of food we eat. These foods tend to relax the muscular ring in your esophagus, allowing acids to escape the stomach resulting in heartburn.

Here are some foods that are responsible for heartburn.

1. High Fat Foods

Foods that contain a high level of fats such as cheese, nuts and chocolates cause the body to release cholecystokinin. It’s a hormone that relaxes the esophagus, allowing acids and food to escape the stomach.

2. Spice

Spicy foods reduce the rate of digestion. They tend to stay in the stomach for longer becoming a risk for heartburn.

3. Citrus Juices

Eating citrus fruits such as oranges, limes, grapefruits and pineapples increases the level of acidity in your stomach, often leading to a risk of heartburn.

4. Peppermint

People who consume peppermint tea every day might be at risk of a heartburn. This is because the menthol present in peppermint relaxes the esophagus.

5. Alcohol

Excess consumption of alcohol can also lead to heartburn. Beer and wine add to the level of acidity in the stomach, increasing the chances of acid reflux.

How To Prevent Heartburn?

Here are some simple and effective ways you can prevent heartburn.

• Avoid over-eating
• Don’t eat right before going to bed
• Make sure to have lots of water
• Maintain a healthy sleeping pattern and avoid staying up late at night
• Include digestive enzyme supplements in your diet

How Can Digestive Enzyme Supplements Help?

Pepsin is an enzyme responsible for the upward flow of stomach contents. Digestive enzyme supplements reduce pepsin in your body, preventing heartburn.

If you experience heartburn and are looking for an effective preventative measure, adding digestive enzyme supplements to your diet is a sure-shot way of easing your pain.

Enzymatic Vitality offers plant-based digestive enzyme supplements. Our nutritionists pick safe and high-quality ingredients for our supplements.

Learn more about us today!