Six commons foods that are causing you heartburn

Many people complain of heartburn almost every day. Heartburn occurs when stomach acid backs up into the oesophagus (the tube that carries food from mouth to stomach) causing a painful burning feeling in the chest or throat. It also leaves the mouth with a foul acidic taste.

Occasional heartburn is normal and should not cause alarm. However, recurring acid reflux, as heartburn is referred to, may be an indication of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and should be attended to.

There are many reasons as to why heartburn recurs among them: smoking, obesity, binge eating, consuming too much spice, pregnancy, caffeine intake, alcohol intake among other things.

Certain foods also cause heartburn due to their components. Such foods include:

Fatty foods

Fats take more time to digest and remain in the stomach for long. The longer the food stays in your stomach the higher the risk of getting a reflux. Fries and other take away foods stimulate the release of the hormone cholecystokinin (CCK) which to begin with relaxes the muscle esophagus and the stomach allowing free flow in and out of the stomach.

Chocolate

Your favourite snack could also cause you heartburn since cocoa powder found in it contains an ingredient called methylxanthine. This component makes your body including the esophageal sphincter to relax. Upon relaxing, the sphincter allows gastric contents to rise causing you the burn. Chocolate also contains caffeine and theobromine, which can increase symptoms.

Carbonated drinks

Drinks like soda, sparkling water and energy drinks are sweetened and made fizzy and bubbly by adding carbon dioxide. Most of them are made through mixing carbonated water, a sweetener, and a natural or artificial flavoring. Carbon Dioxide in this drinks increases pressure levels in the stomach, which in turn increases the acidic response. The end result is the burning sensation rising up your esophagus.

Coffee

While coffee is most people’s idea of a warm drink, the acidic nature of coffee beans makes it hard for them to enjoy it. The natural acid in coffee, methylxanthine, is known to cause a relaxing effect that touches the muscle between your stomach and esophagus and eventually allowing acids from the stomach to rise.

Garlic

This aroma filled food contains indigestible compounds called fructans. These compounds cause ingestion, which is susceptible to high levels of acid reflux. Adding this healthy food to your diet regularly may end up causing your digestive track heartburn troubles.

Cheese

This delicious food is rich with fat. Fat in foods slow the digestion process forcing acid up the lower esophagus. The fat in cheese also allows the stomach muscles to relax letting the acid flow back.

It’s important to note that underlying problems like hernia and diseases on the esophagus may also cause you heartburn. Persistent cases should therefore be reported to your doctor for early identification and treatment.