Summarizing general tips | Nutrition for heartburn

Summarizing general tips

For a better overview of a good diet for heartburn, here are some final tips.

• It is better to eat many small meals throughout the day than a few oversized portions. This causes the stomach to overstretch, which leads to an increase in the production of gastric acid.

  This is also stimulated by caffeine, alcohol and hot spices.

• Avoid as much as possible the so-called acid looseners such as coffee, high-proof alcohol and spicy food. Green and black tea are a good alternative to coffee. Even better is to avoid any kind of caffeine.

  You may prefer herbal teas.

• They prefer light food to a heavy meal. Lean meat and above all vegetables, wholemeal products, potatoes, rice and fruit are in any case well suited to prevent excessive acid production. Avoid egg dishes, fatty meat products and heavy sauces.
• Eat only light food before going to bed and do not eat anything at all right before going to sleep!
• Take your time while eating! It’s best to put your cell phone aside and don’t turn on the TV or computer at all! Conscious eating is one of the most important steps to a healthy diet.

Further therapeutic measures for heartburn

By far the most important measure in heartburn is avoiding its triggers and learning healthy behaviors. This includes not only a gentle and conscious diet and appropriate drinking habits, but also abstaining from smoking. Apart from that, it is also possible to treat reflux complaints with medication.

For this purpose, antacids can be used. They neutralize the stomach acid and thus provide a buffer against acidosis. However, not all antacids are suitable for long-term use.

In particular, preparations containing aluminium should not be taken for long-term use. More suitable in most cases are preparations from the drug group of proton pump inhibitors, which includes the drugs Pantozol® and Omeprazol. These inhibit directly the production of gastric acid by blocking certain channels of the gastric mucosa cells. Even though proton pump inhibitors are considered to be a fairly safe group of drugs, their long-term use should nevertheless be discussed with the treating physician.