High-fat foods Cheese, french fries, ribs, and ice cream can cause heartburn for many people with GERD. Luckily, there are some foods that are known to reduce, relieve, and help heartburn. Certain foods can help relieve symptoms or reduce the frequency of heartburn.
Ice cream is unlikely to help heartburn and can often make it worse. This is because ice cream is high in fat, and fatty foods are known to exacerbate heartburn problems. At the same time, cold foods can limit the contractile ability of the lower esophagus, which makes acid reflux easier.
People with heartburn should watch out for the foods that trigger their symptoms and avoid those foods. People who keep a diary of the foods they eat and their symptoms may find other heartburn triggers.
Fatty Foods Trigger Heartburn Easily
A common dietary trigger for heartburn is eating too much fat, which can be found in fried foods or certain meats such as beef or lamb. Garlic, Onions, and Spicy Foods Spicy and spicy foods, like onions and garlic, can cause heartburn symptoms in many people. For those with irregular gastrointestinal problems, garlic can cause heartburn and indigestion.
Foods to Eat Reflux symptoms can occur because stomach acid comes into contact with the esophagus and causes irritation and pain. This allows acid from the stomach to flow back into the esophagus, causing persistent symptoms such as heartburn, coughing, and trouble swallowing. When acid in the stomach flows back, it touches the lining of the esophagus.
The production is due in part to nicotine, which is thought to relax the muscles in the lower esophagus that hold acid in the stomach. Stomach acid rises and bypasses what is called the esophageal sphincter (a valve-like muscular ring that must remain tightly closed when it keeps food out of the stomach) and enters the esophagus. This process is called acid reflux. If the lower esophageal sphincter weakens, stomach acid can enter the esophagus and cause heartburn.
The relationship between dairy products and acid reflux
Some foods can loosen the lower esophageal sphincter, making it easier for stomach contents to pass up into the esophagus. Foods high in fat and fried foods can lead to reflux due to decreased pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter and delayed gastric emptying. It has been suggested that high-fat deep-fried foods may cause acid reflux and exacerbate existing symptoms, notes Sarah Kaushik.
Because high-fat foods take longer to digest, Koshyk explains, they tend to cause heartburn and worsen existing symptoms. Eating foods high in fat increases the risk of reflux symptoms, so reducing your total daily fat intake may help. The high fat content in some dairy products can sometimes exacerbate heartburn symptoms, Wunder says. Dairy products can increase stomach acidity, and fatty foods can relax the esophageal sphincter muscle.
Esophageal Muscles and Acid Reflux
According to Rumsey, alcohol causes the lower esophageal sphincter to relax, which makes it easier for acidic stomach contents to move up the esophagus, worsening existing symptoms and causing new ones.
According to the National Institutes of Health, certain foods exacerbate the symptoms of heartburn and acid reflux by carrying extra acid into your stomach and esophagus, making you feel even more miserable. Highly acid foods can be especially irritating to the stomach and esophagus. In addition, sugar is difficult to digest, so it causes stomach acid to reflux into the esophagus, causing heartburn and other symptoms.
What Ice Cream Does to Stomach Acid
Ice cream is high in fat and sugar, which slow down digestion, resulting in excess stomach acid production. Ice cream has acidifying properties, so it should not be included in a diet that does not harm the stomach. In addition, it is not a particularly nutritious food, so it is best to consume it only occasionally and in small portions to avoid negative health side effects.
A scoop of vanilla ice cream after a meal can help improve digestion as well as treat heartburn and acid reflux. Dr. Bina Javeri, Consultant Gynecologist and Laparoscopic Surgeon at Mumbai’s Kohinoor Hospital, says pregnant women can also eat vanilla ice cream after meals if acidity occurs.
Pregnant women suffering from hyperacidity and heartburn may also benefit from a scoop of vanilla ice cream after meals, says Dr. Veena Zaveri, Consultant Gynecologist and Laparoscopic Surgeon at Mumbai’s Kohinoor Hospital.
Alternatives to Ice Cream for People with GERD
If you find that the freshness of ice cream soothes heartburn and other acid reflux problems, you may want to swap out all ice cream for a low-fat, low-sugar alternative. Low-fat milk, cream, or ice cream taken just before meals can coat the stomach and relieve acid burn.
If you’re trying to lose weight or are limiting your intake of acid-forming foods, it’s best to limit sherbets. As a result, eating ice cream is not conducive to overall health and can even worsen it if consumed in large amounts. Following a low acid diet can be difficult, especially in the age of fast food and processed foods.
General Advice for People with GERD
Experts recommend avoiding large meals, reducing fatty and spicy foods, losing weight, quitting smoking, and wearing loose-fitting clothing (stomach pressure can increase the risk of acid reflux). Large meals create more stomach acid, take longer to digest, and put extra pressure on the lower esophagus, making heartburn more likely.
Smoking and carbonated beverages are also thought to make the condition worse because they put pressure on the stomach, pushing acid back into the esophagus and causing heartburn.
Naturally high acid foods can affect overall stomach acidity and increase GERD symptoms. Foods such as ice cream that contain added sugar often also contain sugary alcohol, which can cause indigestion leading to bloating, gas, and acid reflux.
In case of heartburn during pregnancy, you are also advised to avoid all foods that cause heartburn, including ice cream and other dairy products. While you can avoid foods to prevent heartburn, some foods help prevent heartburn and work for a variety of reasons. A recent survey by the National Heartburn Alliance (NHBA) found that 92% of frequent heartburn sufferers cite food as the main reason for their digestive upset.