14 ways to prevent heartburn and acid reflux Part 1

This is an automatically translated article.

Posted by Doctor Mai Vien Phuong - Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Central Park International General Hospital.

The most frequently used treatments involve commercial drugs, such as omeprazole. However, lifestyle changes can also work. Just changing your eating habits or the way you sleep can dramatically reduce heartburn and acid reflux symptoms, improving your quality of life.

Here are 14 natural ways to relieve your acid reflux and heartburn, all backed by scientific studies.

1. Don't eat too much

Where the esophagus opens into the stomach, there is a ring-shaped muscle called the lower esophageal sphincter. It acts as a valve and is responsible for preventing the acidic contents of the stomach from going up the esophagus. It naturally opens when you swallow, burp, or vomit. Otherwise, it will close.
In people with acid reflux, this muscle is weakened or dysfunctional. Acid reflux can also occur when there's too much pressure on the muscle, causing acid to pass through the stoma.
It is not surprising that most reflux symptoms occur after meals. It seems that larger meals can worsen reflux symptoms.
One step that will help minimize acid reflux is to avoid overeating.
In short:
Avoid overeating. Acid reflux usually increases after meals, and larger meals seem to make the problem worse.

2. Lose weight

The diaphragm is a muscle located above your stomach. In healthy people, the diaphragm naturally strengthens the lower esophageal sphincter.
As mentioned earlier, this muscle prevents excessive amounts of stomach acid from leaking up the esophagus. However, if you have too much belly fat, your intra-abdominal pressure can become so high that the lower esophageal sphincter is pushed upward, away from the support of the diaphragm. This condition is called a hiatal hernia.
Herniated discs are the main reason that obese people and pregnant women have a higher risk of reflux and heartburn.
Several observational studies show that extra weight in the abdomen increases the risk of reflux and GERD. Controlled studies support this, showing that weight loss can reduce reflux symptoms.
Losing weight should be one of your priorities if you live with acid reflux.
Bottom line:
Some scientists suggest that dietary factors are the main underlying cause of acid reflux.
While this may be true, more research is needed to substantiate these claims.
However, studies show that simple dietary and lifestyle changes can significantly reduce heartburn and other acid reflux symptoms. Excessive pressure inside the abdomen is one of the reasons. caused by acid reflux. Losing belly fat may relieve some of your symptoms.

3. Follow a low-sugar and starchy diet

There is growing evidence that a diet low in sugar and starch can reduce acid reflux symptoms.
Scientists suspect that undigested sugars and starches can cause bacterial overgrowth and increased pressure inside the abdomen. Some people even speculate this may be one of the most common causes of acid reflux.
Studies indicate that bacterial overgrowth is caused by impaired digestion and absorption of sugars and starches. Having too much undigested sugar and starch in your digestive system makes you gassy and bloated. It also tends to make you burp frequently. Supporting this idea, a few small studies indicate that a diet low in sugar and starch improves reflux symptoms.
Additionally, antibiotic treatment can significantly reduce acid reflux, possibly by reducing the number of gas-producing bacteria. In one study, researchers gave participants GERD prebiotic fiber supplements to promote the growth of gas-producing bacteria. As a result, the participants' reflux symptoms worsened.
Bottom Line:
Acid reflux can be caused by poor digestion of sugars and starches and bacterial overgrowth in the small intestine. A low-sugar and starchy diet appears to be an effective treatment, but further studies are needed.

4. Limit your drinking

Drinking alcohol can increase the severity of acid reflux and heartburn. It worsens symptoms by increasing stomach acid, relaxing the lower esophageal sphincter, and impairing the esophagus's ability to clear acid on its own. Studies have shown that moderate alcohol consumption can even cause reflux symptoms in healthy people.
Controlled studies have also shown that drinking alcohol or beer increases reflux symptoms compared to drinking plain water .
Bottom line:
Drinking too much alcohol can worsen acid reflux symptoms. If you have heartburn, limiting your alcohol intake may help alleviate some of your pain.

5. Don't drink too much coffee

Studies show that coffee temporarily weakens the lower esophageal sphincter, increasing the risk of acid reflux. Some evidence indicates that caffeine may be a culprit. Similar to coffee, caffeine weakens the lower esophageal sphincter. Additionally, drinking decaffeinated coffee has been shown to reduce reflux compared to regular coffee.
However, one study that gave participants caffeine in water was unable to detect any effects of caffeine on reflux, even if the coffee itself exacerbated symptoms.
These findings indicate that compounds other than caffeine may play a role in coffee's effect on acid reflux. Coffee processing and preparation may also be involved.

However, although some studies suggest that coffee may worsen acid reflux, the evidence is not entirely conclusive.
One study found no adverse effects when acid reflux patients drank coffee immediately after a meal, compared with an equal amount of warm water. However, coffee increased the duration of reflux episodes between meals. Additionally, an analysis of observational studies found no significant impact of coffee drinking on self-reported symptoms of GERD.
However, when the signs of acid reflux were investigated with a small camera, coffee consumption was associated with more acid damage in the esophagus.
Whether drinking coffee aggravates acid reflux can depend on the individual. If coffee gives you heartburn, simply avoid or limit it.
Bottom line:
There is a lot of evidence that coffee makes acid reflux and heartburn worse. If you feel like coffee increases your symptoms, you should consider limiting your intake.

6. Chew gum

A few studies show that chewing gum reduces acidity in the esophagus. Gum containing sugar and starch onate seems to be especially effective. These findings indicate that chewing gum — and the associated increase in saliva production — may help clear acid in the esophagus.
However, it may not relieve reflux on its own.
Bottom Line:
Chewing gum increases saliva formation and helps clear the esophagus of stomach acid.

Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.

See also: 14 ways to prevent heartburn and acid reflux Part 2