The first thing that is often mentioned when helping acid reflux through diet is foods you should avoid. Of course, while this is very important for someone who suffers from acid reflux it isn’t the complete picture. Just like foods there are drinks that you want to avoid as well as ones that can help prevent and heal acid reflux symptoms. Before I cover a few acid reflux drink suggestions and let me briefly cover the ones that will make it worse and the ones you want to avoid.
Top 5 Drinks You Must Avoid For Acid Reflux and Indigestion
Soda
Probably one of the worst things you can drink if you have acid reflux is soda. Most sodas are highly acidic. This means a higher chance of reflux and further irritating current symptoms. You also have the downside of the carbonation which I will cover in the section about carbonated drinks further below.
Fruit Juice
Fruit juice may seem like a healthy choice and that would be quite true, though for someone with acid reflux is simply cannot be an option. While most fruit juices are mostly if not all natural a lot of them are highly acidic – as you might imagine this will only induce acid reflux symptoms. Though it is worth mentioning there may be a few exceptions to this rule like a fruit juice made only of watermelon. An important thing to note here is that most juices are acidic especially ones made with citrus fruits like orange.
Alcohol
Pretty much all alcoholic drinks are very acidic, and this will only further irritate and induce reflux. It can also be quite unsettling for the stomach and the whole digestive tract so avoiding alcohol is very important if you have any digestive or stomach problems.
Caffeinated Drinks
Any drinks with caffeine should be avoided. The reason that you want to avoid caffeine is because is has a certain effect on the valve above stomach. This valve is meant to stay closed and tight when there is any food or drink in the stomach. The problem with caffeine is that it has the effect of making this valve open and relax. When this valve is opened this means you get more acid reflux which is exactly what you want to avoid. Sometimes this is where people get confused with the likes of coffee. Coffee in fact isn’t acidic though the caffeine is the actual problem.
Carbonated Drinks
Drinks that are carbonated should be avoided. This is because when you drink them you will be more gaseous. When you burp this is a prime opportunity for the acid to come up and cause you reflux. Not only that but the gas can cause a lot of indigestion and bloating among other things.
Drinks to Aid Acid Reflux and Indigestion
Chamomile Tea
Out of all drinks that can calm the stomach and the whole digestive tract chamomile has to be one of my favorites. The reason is it great is because it has anti-inflammatory properties which help calm the whole digestive system and most importantly the stomach. Also, chamomile has the effect of calming you down which could in turn help with digestive issues that may have been caused by stress or anxiety.
Fennel Tea
If you didn’t know fennel has a carminative effect which means that it will help soothe the stomach and any inflammation along the way. It is also a great choice for helping with excess gas and bloating. It’s a number 1 choice when I am suffering from one of those issues.
Marshmallow Root Tea
Often marshmallow root tea is used to help people with a sore throat and sufferers from silent reflux (throat symptoms related reflux). It has anti-inflammatory properties and when is it made into a tea it can be made up of part mucilage. What that basically means is that the tea goes into a little bit of a gooey consistency.
This is absolutely excellent for coating the throat, the esophagus and the whole way down and into the stomach. It is the ideal choice for soothing any recent damage that has been caused by acid reflux.
Licorice Root Tea
This tea has great general soothing and calming properties which directly helps with an upset stomach and helps fight heartburn. In fact there was a study done that found licorice root tea is be an effective way that relieved peptic ulcers in the stomach.
Almond Milk
One of the most natural high alkaline drinks out there is almond milk. It’s made it up from almonds and water and a few added extras. The main reason almond milk is great is because of how alkaline it is. It is a great way to calm and relax a stomach that is overly acidic. Because of its high alkaline levels, it helps balance and neutralize any acid that there may be in the stomach.
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