Food is one of the main triggers for both acid reflux disease and heartburn. Not only do certain foods create a higher chance of having either condition, but the way a person eats, and when they eat can affect their chances as well. If a person eats too quickly, or they eat big bites, they can be at a higher risk for acid reflux or heartburn. This is also true if a person eats too close to bedtime. You need to eat 2-3 hours before bed and not after that in order to give your stomach time to empty out. If not, the acid has a higher chance of coming back up and creating painful symptoms. Since food is such an essential player in acid reflux and heartburn, it is important to learn which foods you should avoid. If you stay away from these foods, and follow the guidelines of when and how to eat, your chances of having the symptoms of acid reflux disease and heartburn are much lower.

1.) Chocolate

This may seem like a hard blow to chocolate lovers everywhere, but this food can be incredibly hard on a person who has acid reflux, or is prone to heartburn. There are many reasons why chocolate is a bad choice for people with acid reflux disease. Chocolate contains caffeine, which causes reflux, it is high in fat, which also causes reflux, and it is high in cocoa, which, again, causes reflux. You may be sensing the theme that chocolate causes reflux. If you absolutely need a chocolate fix, you can try dark chocolate, but it may still cause reflux.

2.) Fried Food

It seems that all the food that is bad for your health overall is also bad for acid reflux disease and heartburn. Fried foods retain a lot of the oil in the coating, making them incredibly fatty. These foods take a very long time to digest because of the amount of fat in them, which puts pressure on the stomach and the esophagus, which are two places in the body that do not need pressure. Your stomach will stay fuller longer, making the chances of getting symptoms of acid reflux and heartburn much higher.

3.) Oranges And Other Citrus Fruits

There are actually healthy foods that can cause the symptoms of acid reflux and heartburn to flare up as well. Although not all fruits are bad for these symptoms, oranges and other fruits that contain a lot of citrus could be causing problems. These fruits are high in acid content, which is not good to mix with acid in the stomach because it can cause acid reflux and heartburn.

4.) Beef

Don’t get too scared yet. There are still ways to eat your favorite meat; you just need to get them so they are lower in fat content. Most beefs, like porterhouse, filet mignon, and other relatively expensive meats have a high fat content. Instead of getting the cuts that are high in fat, try and get the ones that are lower in fat, and only eat them 1-3 times a week to avoid acid reflux and heartburn symptoms.

5.) Tomatoes

If you want to brighten up a dish with tomatoes, but are worried about getting acid reflux or heartburn, you may want to choose a different healthy food. Tomatoes are incredibly high in acid, which does not mix well with either of these conditions. If you are prone to heartburn, make sure you avoid tomatoes, because they will most likely trigger symptoms.