Heartburn is one of the most common health issues faced by a majority of people. Though this condition is called ‘heartburn’, it is not a cardiovascular condition. This condition derives its name from the fact that the symptoms of heartburn, especially the chest pain, is similar to that of a heart attack. Usually, people experience heartburn after eating spicy food; it causes a burning sensation that arises from the stomach and reaches the chest.

What is heartburn?
As mentioned earlier, heartburn is a burning sensation in the chest which begins from the stomach. This burning sensation arises when the stomach acid backs up into the esophagus, the tube that carries the food from your mouth to your stomach. When we swallow food, the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), a band of muscle situated at the bottom of the esophagus relaxes to allow food and liquid to flow into the stomach. However, if the LES weakens or relaxes abnormally, the stomach acid backs up into the esophagus causing heartburn.

Though heartburn is attributed to the erroneous functioning of the LES, certain foods are also known to trigger heartburn. When the doctor recommends a heartburn diet for you, it will be devoid of the heartburn trigger foods that can wreak havoc in your system. The heartburn trigger foods are as follows-

• Onion
• Spicy foods
• Tomato and its products
• Citrus products
• Chocolate
• Peppermint
• Fried or fatty foods
• Alcohol
• Carbonated beverages, coffee, and other caffeinated beverages
• Fried meals

These are the heartburn trigger foods that you need to avoid if you have regular instances of heartburn. Heartburn might not be a life-threatening condition, but it causes great discomfort and pain till the time it lasts.

Foods that provide relief from heartburn
Like there are certain foods that trigger heartburn, there are certain foods that can help relieve heartburn. If you have severe or recurring instances of heartburn, the doctor will prescribe a heartburn diet for you, and that diet would include the following foods that help relieve heartburn or avert it.

Yogurt
Yogurt has enormous health benefits, and preventing heartburn is one of them. Heartburn is characterized by a burning sensation in the chest, and this burning requires a cooling agent. Here, the creamy and cool yogurt functions as the cooling agent. When you experience the beginning of heartburn, consume yogurt immediately; it soothes the burning sensation arising from the stomach right away. In addition to curbing the effects of heartburn, yogurt is instrumental in preventing the onset of heartburn.

Ginger
Though ginger is spicy and leaves a strong aftertaste, it is one of the best foods to help relieve heartburn. Ginger possesses anti-inflammatory properties that are quite potent in helping calm the burning sensation caused due to the acid. Also, ginger is known to protect the esophagus so that the acid doesn’t come back up. Either you can brew your own ginger tea or chew few pieces of ginger when you experience heartburn symptoms. Ginger is an indispensable part of the heartburn diet.

Bananas
Citric fruits might appease your taste buds, but it definitely increases your chances of suffering from heartburn instances. In such cases, bananas come to the rescue. Bananas are one of the alkaline foods that can neutralize stomach acidity and maintain the required pH level. Consuming bananas when you experience the symptoms of heartburn can provide immediate relief. Since bananas have a pH of 4.5- 5.2, you can add these to your heartburn diet plan.

Oatmeal
Oatmeal has multiple benefits; right from helping you maintain a healthy body weight to reducing cholesterol levels, oatmeal is also the perfect food to help relieve heartburn symptoms. Oatmeal and other whole grains are quite effective in controlling the symptoms of heartburn. Oatmeal is quite potent since it is thick, and the gelatinous texture is instrumental in protecting the lining of the stomach. Adding oatmeal to your heartburn diet plan will ensure that you can steer clear of potential heartburn instances.

Green vegetables
Though most of us weren’t keen on eating our share of green vegetables when we were younger, these green vegetables are quite effective in keeping a majority of ailments at bay. Since heartburn is caused due to the stomach acid, you need alkaline agents to neutralize it. Green vegetables are highly alkaline in nature and can immediately relieve the heartburn symptoms. It is advisable to have your daily share of green vegetables in the form of salad or smoothie, whichever meets your taste requirements.

Almond milk
There are innumerable benefits of consuming almond milk, and one of them is averting the possibility of heartburn. Almond milk smoothie is a good breakfast option since it keeps you full for a long time. It also prevents heartburn as it is alkaline in nature. To make it more effective, add strawberries, bananas, and a cup of spinach to the almond milk, and savor the resultant almond milk smoothie.