5 Surprising Facts About GERD
[ad_1]
If you’ve ever experienced an unpleasant burning sensation in your chest after eating fatty foods or lying down right after a big meal, then you’re likely familiar with reflux. Reflux occurs when stomach contents splash up into the esophagus. For those with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), these often uncomfortable episodes occur more frequently. Over time, chronic stomach acid exposure can erode the lining of the esophagus, leading to a potentially precancerous disease that involves a cellular change in the esophagus called Barrett’s esophagus, according to the International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders (IFFGD).
Fortunately, certain dietary and lifestyle modifications can help keep reflux at bay, minimizing risk for complications down the road.
While many people recognize that limiting your intake of acidic and spicy foods may help, there are many lesser known strategies that can make a significant difference in GERD symptoms and progression.
Here are five surprising facts about GERD that you may not be aware of:
1. Peppermint May Soothe an Upset Stomach, but It Can Actually Make GERD Worse
Whether you’re consuming peppermint in the form of tea, peppermint candy, or a peppermint oil supplement, the herb is well known for its soothing properties and ability to ease abdominal cramping. It also has a cooling and numbing effect, so it may seem logical that peppermint would also help to relieve heartburn. Surprisingly though, peppermint can actually worsen GERD symptoms. According to Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, peppermint relaxes the muscles connecting the stomach and esophagus, referred to as the lower esophageal sphincter. When these muscles are too relaxed, acidic stomach contents are free to flow upwards into the esophagus.
Still hoping for a warm beverage to help your tummy troubles? Try ginger tea instead. According to research published in the journal Nutrients, ginger helps speed up stomach emptying, and as outlined in StatPearls, delayed stomach emptying is associated with the development of GERD. When stomach contents sit around for too long, they’re more likely to splash up into the esophagus, but when the stomach empties efficiently, there is less opportunity for this to occur.
2. Reducing Portions of Fat Eaten in One Sitting Is One of the Most Effective Dietary Modifications You Can Make
Sometimes reflux triggers are not necessarily attributed to the acidity of a specific food, but rather the nutrient composition of the food. Fat is an essential component of the diet, but eating too much of it at once can worsen GERD symptoms significantly. As outlined in research published in the journal Human Nutrition and Metabolism in September 2023, fat slows down the rate that the stomach empties after a meal, increasing the amount of time that the esophagus is exposed to stomach acid.
Additionally, fat is hard to break down, so in response to eating fatty foods, the body secretes bile salts as part of the digestive process. These bile salts can be irritating to the esophageal lining per the aforementioned research. Lastly, fat lowers pressure in the lower esophageal sphincter, making it easier for stomach acid to splash up. All of these factors cause fatty foods and large portions of fat to be especially triggering for those with GERD. Distributing your fat intake throughout the day and reducing portion sizes of high-fat foods at each meal can help to prevent this nutrient from aggravating symptoms.
3. Incorporating Oats Into Your Diet Can Help to Control Symptoms
There is a common misconception that oatmeal worsens reflux. If you find this to be true for you, it’s more likely that the culprit is actually what you’re putting into your oatmeal rather than the oats themselves. If you’re cooking your oats in whole milk or adding butter, for example, the high fat content can promote reflux. If you use flavored oatmeal or add sweeteners like brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup, the high sugar content can also trigger symptoms. As outlined in research published in the journal Nutrients in September 2021, high sugar intake relaxes the lower esophageal sphincter muscles and is associated with increased risk for reflux.
Oats themselves, however, are rich in a type of fiber called soluble fiber. Soluble fiber helps to regulate gastrointestinal motility and also acts like a sponge, absorbing acid in the stomach. According to research published in the World Journal of Gastroenterology in June 2018, diets enriched with soluble fiber are associated with less frequent GERD symptoms. Further, incorporating fiber-rich foods like oats into your diet helps to prevent constipation, which often worsens GERD symptoms according to research published in the Journal of Neurogastroenterology and Motility in April 2022. Another mechanism by which fiber can improve GERD, is that it increases pressure in the lower esophageal sphincter, making it harder for acid to splash back up into the esophagus per research published in the journal Gastro Hep Advances in August 2023. Aside from their beneficial fiber content, oats also have a soothing effect on the stomach lining according to the aforementioned research.
4. In Some Cases, Milk May Actually Worsen Reflux
Many people hear that drinking milk can help to neutralize stomach acid and therefore provide heartburn relief. While milk’s alkaline pH may help to neutralize acid initially, not all milk is created equally when it comes to GERD management, according to Johns Hopkins Health System. Whole milk is high in fat, with one glass providing around 8 grams per the U.S. Department of Agriculture. This high fat content slows the rate of stomach emptying, lowers pressure in the lower esophageal sphincter, and increases production of irritating bile salts. That said, those with GERD don’t necessarily need to avoid milk entirely. Instead, stick to low-fat or skim varieties. Alternatively, try a dairy-free milk. According to research published in the journal Nutrients in August 2023, almonds have an alkaline pH to help neutralize acid, so unsweetened almond milk is a great GERD-friendly option. As a bonus, almond milk is also low in fat.
5. Going Too Long Without Eating Often Makes GERD Worse
When you have GERD and often experience uncomfortable symptoms after eating, it’s understandable why you might resort to skipping meals or going many hours without eating. Although it may sound counterintuitive, this can actually lead to more reflux. Research published in the journal Therapeutics and Clinical Risk Management in April 2021 found that frequent breakfast skipping is positively associated with GERD.
Allowing long stretches of time without food during the day often makes you very hungry, so you’re more likely to overeat at your next meal. According to Northwestern Medicine, large meals cause the stomach to expand, making it harder for the lower esophageal sphincter to close properly.
Eating smaller meals more frequently, such as every four hours throughout the day, doesn’t cause the stomach to expand as much. This way, the lower esophageal sphincter is more likely to stay shut and prevent the upward flow of stomach contents. Smaller quantities of food also empty out of the stomach more quickly and don’t require as much acid to break down, per the Cleveland Clinic.
It is worth nothing that while eating small, frequent meals is beneficial, eating too close to bedtime can backfire. It takes time for the stomach to empty, and lying horizontally too soon after eating makes it easier for acidic stomach contents to creep up into the esophagus. According to the American College of Gastroenterology, it’s best to allow at least two hours between your last meal of the day and bedtime.
[ad_2]
