Foods that Cause Heartburn

Research has shown that more than forty percent of people in America suffer from heartburn. Heartburn, as most people know is a fiery sensation that grabs hold of your lower chest followed by a bitter taste of acid reflux in your mouth that can last for a few minutes or a few hours. Having Tums and Rolaids is only a temporary heartburn cure. To get rid of or at least avoid heartburn, the best solution is to avoid certain kinds of food. The foods that you eat are a major factor in causing heartburn. Therefore, it is very important to be aware of the food items that cause heartburn.

You can visit your doctor for tips for heartburn relief and a balanced diet that will help ease heartburn. Though the doctor may give some medications for heartburn treatment, they will only give temporary relief. For a permanent solution it is necessary to avoid those foods that cause heartburn. It's not very difficult to find out the food items that cause heartburn. The typical heartburn causing foods are heavily spiced, fried or tomato-based foods.

Food Items That Cause Heartburn

Tangy Citrus Fruits: Tangy citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruits are classic heartburn foods. As they are very acidic they cause a lot of heartburn especially when consumed on an empty stomach. Some people believe that juices of these fruits will not cause heartburn but it is not so.

Tomatoes: Though tomatoes may contain some very healthy nutrients like lycopene, which are very good for lowering cancer risks, it is very important to avoid them due to the high acid content. Any foodstuffs made primarily in tomato-based sauce like pasta should specifically be avoided.

Garlic and Onion: Garlic and onions can also cause heartburn, though this may not be the case with all people. Some people might not be affected, while others may be highly affected even after consumption of a little bit of onion or garlic. To find out if you are affected by them, it's best to keep a food journal to note the food items you have eaten that have led to heartburn.

Spicy Food: Spicy food is a very common cause of heartburn in many people. Peppers, chillies or other spices if taken in large quantities in your diet, may result in heartburn. It's not like you should not eat foods that you like, for example if you like Mexican food, you can try to have milder versions of it.

Foods High in Fat: Though most people suffering from a heartburn tend to avoid fried stuff, what they don't realize is that there are other foodstuffs like cheese, nuts, avocados that all have a very high content of fat. Fats tend to slow down the emptying of stomach, which increases the pressure on the esophagus and results in heartburn.

Caffeine: Whether in coffee, soda, iced tea or any other beverages, caffeine when consumed, can cause heartburn. But don't panic, it's not like you cannot have coffee. The important thing is cutting down the number of cups of coffee and reducing the size of the cup. If you suffer from heartburn, then it's best not to consume more than 3 or 4 cups of coffee everyday.

Alcohol: Though you may not realize it, but your favorite cocktail, beer or even wine if consumed along with a heavy meal can cause heartburn. Though if had on its own it may not have the same effect, if you have it with a tomato sauce based pasta, it will almost definitely result in heartburn.

Chocolate: Chocolates are also food items that cause heartburn. An occasional piece of chocolate is not prohibited but if you have a habit of having chocolates everyday after meals then it may result in heartburn. So it's best to indulge yourself occasionally.

This may vary from person to person, so it's best that you keep a food journal and monitor what you eat everyday. This will make you take a note of the foods that affect you and the foods that don't. But the most important point to remember is to maintain moderation. Any foodstuffs in excess will affect you.