Heartburn is a very unpleasant phenomenon observed in every third person. It can appear not only because of the increased acidity of the stomach. Products that cause heartburn in one person do not pose a danger to another, since each organism is individual. To understand why it appeared, what foods cause heartburn, you need to review your entire diet and lifestyle.
What it is?
Heartburn is called a symptom of acid reflux, in which the contents of the stomach, including acid, partially rise into the esophagus, causing an unpleasant burning sensation in the chest. At the same time, burning pain can give not only to the chest, but also to the thoracic spine.
Most people take this phenomenon for osteochondrosis, so they often do not treat what is needed. If acid reflux disturbs more than 2 times a week, then we are already talking about a disease such as gastroesophageal reflux.
Why does heartburn appear?
Products that cause heartburn and burping are not the only cause of this phenomenon. There are a number of factors provoking this disease:
- malnutrition;
- frequent overeating;
- clothes squeezing the stomach;
- non-observance of a healthy lifestyle;
- increased acidity of the stomach;
- sensitive stomach cells;
- weight lifting;
- overeating before bedtime;
- obesity;
- taking medications (such as Aspirin or Diclofenac);
- frequent stressful situations;
- pregnancy.
Naturally, pregnancy is not a disease, but it has been noticed that products that cause heartburn in pregnant women do not affect the acidity of the stomach in other people.
What foods can trigger heartburn?
To rid yourself of unpleasant sensations in the epigastric region, you need to remove from the diet or limit food:
- Overly sour fruits are lemons, oranges, pineapples, that is, everything that contains a large amount of acid. With increased acidity of the stomach, it causes severe heartburn.
- Vegetables - white cabbage, radish, radish, some varieties of tomatoes. Such vegetables are absorbed quite hard, and with increased acidity provoke heartburn.
- Alcohol - is strictly contraindicated not only for pregnant women, but also for people with high acidity of the stomach. Alcohol stimulates the active production of gastric juice, thereby irritating the mucous membrane. Especially beer and red wine have this property.
- Dark chocolate, dark coffee, chocolate desserts - these foods that cause heartburn relax the esophageal sphincter, which allows acid to penetrate from the stomach into the esophagus.
- Fatty meat and fish - these products are heavy in themselves, the process of their digestion in the stomach takes a long period, such a load can trigger the release of stomach acid into the esophagus.
- Sausages and smoked meats - smoked sausage, sausages, smoked bacon, fatty and smoked cheese - these are foods that cause heartburn in most people, including pregnant women. If it is not possible to exclude them from the diet completely, then at least their use should be limited.
- Spicy foods such as horseradish, garlic, paprika, spices and seasonings. To find out if they are the cause of heartburn, you should completely remove them from the diet, and then start adding a little, while observing how the body reacts to them.
In order to maintain health, you need to overcome yourself and give up some harmful gastronomic addictions.
Heartburn-free foods
There are many products that do not cause discomfort associated with heartburn, they are absolutely safe for most people:
- Porridge - you can cook them in water or with the addition of milk. To add richness to the taste, a little honey or pieces of fruit are added to the finished dish. This breakfast will energize you for the whole day and will not cause heartburn.
- Soups - it’s better to cook them on a weak broth, preferably vegetable. Filler made from rice, potatoes or vermicelli will increase the satiety and nutritional value of the dish without provoking heartburn.
- Greens - what lunch or dinner without parsley or dill? These products are well absorbed and have a beneficial effect on digestion.
- Vegetables - zucchini, beets, pumpkin, carrots, cucumbers do not cause heartburn, it is better to use them in boiled, stewed or baked form.
- Low-fat types of meat, poultry and fish - turkey, rabbit meat, chicken fillet, veal, beef, pollock, cod. They can be baked with vegetables, cooked or stewed.
- Dairy products - low-fat types of cottage cheese, milk, kefir, yogurt have a positive effect on the microflora of the stomach and do not cause heartburn.
- Eggs - soft-boiled or eaten as an omelet, they will not cause harm to the stomach.
- Drinks - green tea, rosehip broth, jelly do not irritate the gastric mucosa.
- Desserts - jelly, marshmallows, marmalade are allowed in small quantities.
Why is there heartburn in pregnant women?
As stated above, many foods can cause heartburn. During the bearing of a child, especially in the third trimester, this unpleasant phenomenon becomes a frequent companion of the future mother. The thing is that the fetus begins to put pressure on the organs, as a result of which the contents of the stomach splash out into the esophagus. To protect yourself from this as much as possible, you need to understand which products cause heartburn in pregnant women most often and what should be discarded:
- If before pregnancy a woman was a lover of acute, now it is necessary to limit the use of such products. You can not use spices, seasonings, hot sauces, as well as garlic, onions and horseradish.
- Refuse from processed foods, fast foods, fast food, as chips, french fries and hamburgers are cooked in large quantities of vegetable oil and are strong provocateurs of heartburn.
- Alcohol, tea, coffee, cocoa, sodas - all this causes heartburn, even red wine recommended by doctors can cause a long burning sensation in the chest.
It is impossible to say exactly what exactly causes heartburn in a pregnant woman, therefore it is better to focus on tests, doctor's recommendations and body features.
Pregnancy Heartburn Diet
When foods that cause heartburn during pregnancy are identified , you should start a light diet. When a woman is in position, the tone of smooth muscles is significantly reduced, which significantly slows down the digestive processes. Therefore, you should abandon the above products, as well as from:
- black bread;
- sour cabbage;
- legumes;
- natural cow's milk.
In addition, it is necessary to reduce the use of high-starch foods - potatoes, pasta, white bread, and pastries. They can be replaced with rye bread of the first grade, buckwheat, and for dessert it is better to treat yourself to marshmallows.
Heartburn Relief Products
There are a number of products that fight with acid reflux, which is very important during pregnancy.
1. Hercules. This is not only a healthy breakfast, but also a remedy for heartburn.
2. Green salad. It normalizes acidity and improves digestion.
3. Bananas. It has been found that eating bananas soothes heartburn.
4. Ginger. It is considered a spice, but it has been proven that it is able to eliminate the effects of toxicosis, such as nausea and vomiting, alleviate indigestion and fight heartburn.
5. Melon. For some, this product causes heartburn, but most patients report a backlash.
6. Turkey. Reduces acidity, it can be consumed boiled or baked, the skin must be removed.
7. Celery. It serves not only as a source of vitamins, but also as a means to combat heartburn.
8. Fig. Any kind of rice, especially brown rice, remarkably lowers the acidity of the stomach.
9. Cauliflower, green beans, broccoli are great for the diet of people suffering from heartburn.
10. Parsley. Since ancient times used as a remedy for the treatment of the stomach.
When a person knows what causes heartburn, products that provoke this trouble can be replaced by safe ones.
How to prevent heartburn during pregnancy?
There are a number of rules, compliance with which is not burdensome, but nevertheless gives a good result:
- Do not drink food with drinks, the liquid dilutes the digestive enzymes, making the process of digesting food even slower. It is better to drink water, tea or a rosehip decoction between meals, half an hour before a meal or 2 hours after it.
- After eating, you should not immediately go to bed, this can cause not only heartburn, but also vomiting. You need to sit a bit, do simple housework, and it is best to take a walk through the fresh air.
- You can’t wear tight clothes, this will only increase acid reflux. Clothing should be free, not restraining movement.
- Calcium antacids are safe for pregnant women and are good for heartburn.
Excluding foods that cause heartburn from the diet, and adhering to these rules, you can protect yourself from unpleasant symptoms as much as possible.
Tips & Tricks
Nutritionists have developed general recommendations that must be followed by every person who cares about their health.
1. Food should be fractional - eat food at least 5 times a day in small portions.
2. It is advisable to steam products, stew, cook or bake, it is proved that fried foods cause acid reflux.
3. The temperature of the food is very important, the food should not be too cold or hot.
4. You need to monitor your weight, adjusting it if necessary, because overweight is also a cause of heartburn.
5. Food must be thoroughly chewed, since it is well-ground, it will be easier to digest in the stomach.
6. Do not smoke after eating, nicotine causes the production of enzymes, which can trigger heartburn.
You need to be very attentive to your health, and getting rid of heartburn is a feasible business for everyone.
Be healthy!