What foods cause heartburn?

Heartburn can be triggered by a variety of foods. It is possible to list foods that are more commonly associated with heartburn. However, the exact selection of problematic foods is usually person-specific and is best determined by a kind of heartburn diary.

Since heartburn is caused by an overproduction of stomach acid, it is advisable to avoid acidic foods. These include above all citrus fruits (in juices, as fruit, in salads, etc.) but also salad dressings that contain vinegar are particularly acidic.

It is also advisable to avoid all kinds of strongly spiced food. Particularly spicy food drives the stomach to an increased acid production. In addition, many affected persons have problems with particularly fatty foods.

This applies to all kinds of fried meat, as well as to cream-based sauces. Besides these foods, some drinks also cause heartburn. These are mainly alcoholic drinks and coffee.

Regardless of the food you eat, you should be careful not to eat too large portions. This allows the stomach to digest the food offered to it in small steps. Alcohol is one of the most common triggers of heartburn.

Especially high-proof alcoholic drinks (schnapps, liqueur, wine, long drinks) stimulate the acid production in the stomach and thus cause heartburn. But drinks with a lower alcohol content (beer) can also trigger heartburn. They lower the tension of the sphincter muscle between the esophagus and the stomach, so that the digestive juice can enter the esophagus more easily.

Mental causes

The psychological causes of heartburn are manifold and lead to the symptoms in different ways. Stress or other psychological problems cause the release of hormones that inhibit the digestive process. As a result, food remains in the stomach longer and the production of acid is increased.

Both of these factors promote heartburn. Drugs that work against mental illness (psychotropic drugs) often cause nausea and vomiting (subsequently also heartburn) as side effects. In addition, mental tension often results in unhealthy eating habits, which can also cause heartburn.

Since heartburn is often caused by an overproduction of stomach acid, it is easy to imagine that an “agitated” stomach can cause heartburn. Many people react to stress with nausea or stomach pain. One reason for this may be that the body releases hormones due to stress, which stimulate the production of acid in the stomach. This increased production makes the digestive juice in the stomach more acidic than usual. If the sphincter muscle between the esophagus and the stomach cannot completely stop the digestive juice, it gets into the esophagus and causes heartburn there.