Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a serious form of acid reflux that can be both triggered and treated with your diet. If you have GERD, it may feel like a lot of foods are off-limits. But luckily, there’s still plenty that you can eat, including the best fruits and vegetables for GERD.
Before learning what fruits and vegetables you can eat with acid reflux, let’s back it up: Acid reflux is a condition that occurs when your esophageal valve weakens or relaxes when it shouldn’t. This allows stomach contents like food or acid to flow backwards into your esophagus, causing irritation, per the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM).
GERD occurs when you have chronic or severe acid reflux, and can cause damage to the esophagus or lead to cancer.
Per the NLM, the symptoms of GERD and acid reflux include:
- A dry cough that won’t stop
- Trouble swallowing
- Bad breath
- A sour taste in your mouth
- Excessive burping
Fortunately, many people can manage GERD with the help of dietary changes. For instance, foods to avoid with GERD may include high-fat foods, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol and citrus, according to the International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders (IFFGD).
On the flip side, there are also plenty of GERD-safe fruits and vegetables. Below, learn which produce is best for preventing reflux.
There’s no one diet to relieve GERD symptoms, as trigger foods can vary from person to person, per the IFFGD. Instead, keep a food diary to track which foods cause symptoms. This can help you craft the best acid reflux diet for you.
1. Bananas
Foods that contain more acid are more likely to trigger acid reflux, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. That’s why it’s best to avoid acidic citrus fruits and tomatoes.
Fortunately, there are plenty of lower-acid fruits to pick from instead. In fact, eating plenty of fruit is linked to lower risk for GERD, according to a November 2017 study in the Journal of Research in Medical Sciences.
The study found that people with the highest fruit intake had a 25 percent lower risk of developing GERD. Those who ate the most fruits and vegetables had a 33 percent lower risk of getting the condition.
Bananas were among the fruits that people reported eating. And indeed, this alkaline (that is, non-acidic) fruit can help balance out the acid from your stomach so you might avoid GERD symptoms, per Johns Hopkins Medicine.
2. Melons
The same goes for melons, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. These alkaline fruits — including varieties like honeydew, cantaloupe and watermelon — can quell strong stomach acid.
And mitigating your stomach acid can help prevent irritation from reflux.
3. Apples
Does an apple a day keep the GERD away?
Well, no one fruit (or any type of food, for that matter) can cure reflux. But apples are a safe choice to munch on when you have the condition, according to the IFFGD.
4. Pears
Pears are likewise OK to eat if you have GERD, according to the IFFGD.
That’s because they’re lower in acid than other options like citrus and tomatoes, which means they’re less likely to trigger your symptoms.
Read the full article here
