How to Avoid Acidic Foods

Опубликовал Admin
29-10-2020, 02:00
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Acidic foods are often zesty and flavorful, and many dietary acids are beneficial or even essential to your health. However, too much acid in your diet can contribute to a variety of health problems, such as dental erosion or gastrointestinal symptoms like indigestion or acid reflux. If you’re concerned about how acidic foods might be affecting your health, talk to your healthcare provider. Learn which foods and drinks are acidic or promote acid production in the body, and pick low-acid alternatives.

Recognizing High-Acid Foods

  1. Watch out for acidic fruits and vegetables. Many types of fruit are naturally acidic, especially those that taste sour or tangy. While most vegetables are not particularly acidic, canned or pickled veggies are often acidified as part of the preservation process. If you’re trying to cut back on acidic foods, a few fruits and vegetables to watch out for include:
    • Citrus fruits, such as grapefruits, oranges, tangerines, lemons, and limes.
    • Apples, especially tart varieties like Granny Smith.
    • Cherries and berries.
    • Grapes, particularly tangy varieties such as Concords and the Niagara.
    • Rhubarb.
    • Tomatoes.
    • Many varieties of pickled vegetables, such as cucumbers, peppers, and onions.
  2. Limit your juice intake. Just like the fruits they come from, many juices have a high acid content. Juices such as apple, grapefruit, cranberry, pineapple, orange, or lemon are particularly acidic. Vegetable juice blends may not taste as tangy as their fruity counterparts, but they can be high in acids, too.
  3. Use caution when selecting spices and condiments. A variety of spices and condiments are naturally acidic, while others may stimulate the production of excess acid in your stomach. If you are acid-sensitive, you may need to avoid:
    • Vinegar and vinegar-based salad dressings.
    • Catsup and other tomato-based sauces, such as cocktail sauce.
    • Mustard.
    • Chili sauce.
    • Spices that stimulate the production of stomach acid, such as black pepper, red pepper, and chili powder.
  4. Cut back on carbonated beverages. Carbonated drinks are a major culprit in tooth decay, and not just because many of them are high in sugar. Most of them also contain phosphoric and citric acids. Soft drinks that contain caffeine can also stimulate excessive stomach acid production.
  5. Minimize your alcohol intake. Many types of alcoholic drinks, such as beer and wine, are fairly acidic. Additionally, beverages with a low ethanol content are major stimulants of stomach acid production, with beer being the worst offender. If you have trouble managing your alcohol use and are concerned about the possible health risks, talk to your doctor about the safest way to cut back or quit.
    • Alcoholic beverages can also stimulate the accumulation of uric acid around the joints, contributing to painful conditions such as gout.
  6. Avoid acidic desserts. In addition to being packed with refined sugars, candies and desserts often contain citric acid or acidic fruit juices. Watch out for sour candies, tart pies, and fruit-flavored gelatin desserts. Honey is also surprisingly acidic, with a pH ranging from 3.70-4.20.
  7. Cut out coffee to reduce stomach acid secretion. Coffee, even when it is decaffeinated, can cause your stomach to produce excessive amounts of acid. Drinking coffee may aggravate symptoms of indigestion and ulcers. It also causes acid reflux and heartburn in many people.
    • Although switching to tea may seem like a good bet if you’re trying to kick the coffee habit, teas containing caffeine (such as black, green, and white tea) also stimulate the production of stomach acid.

Choosing Low-Acid Alternatives

  1. Select low-acid fruits and vegetables. If you’re craving fruit, choose sweet, mild-tasting options like banana, melon, or papaya. Most green vegetables and legumes (such as peas and beans) are also safe options, especially if they are fresh or frozen rather than pickled or canned.
  2. Switch to low-acid juices. Avoiding acidic foods doesn’t have to mean giving up juices altogether. Choose gentle juices like aloe juice, papaya juice, or coconut water.
  3. Go with herbal teas for hot beverage options. Coffee and tea, especially when caffeinated, are powerful stimulants of stomach acid secretion. However, some herbal brews, such as chamomile tea, can actually reduce your stomach’s acid production. Ginger tea can also help relieve symptoms of acid reflux.
    • If you don’t want to give up black or green tea, switching to decaf versions can alleviate a lot of their acid-stimulating properties. Black and green tea are also great at combatting the bacteria that create acidic plaque on your teeth.
  4. Indulge in low-fat dairy. Dairy products are generally low in acid and gentle on the teeth and stomach. However, high-fat dairy can aggravate gastric symptoms like acid reflux. Stick to fat-free or low-fat milk, plain low-fat yogurt, and low-fat cheeses.
  5. Try low-acid, low-fat condiments and seasonings. Instead of tart, spicy, or tomato-based condiments, try the reduced-fat or fat-free versions of creamy condiments, such as mayo, sour cream, cream cheese, or ranch or blue cheese dressing. Some oils, such as sesame oil, can enhance the flavor of your food while also soothing an upset stomach. Replace spicy and acid-stimulating spices (like black and red pepper) with gentler alternatives, such as:
    • Basil
    • Cilantro
    • Oregano
    • Rosemary
    • Ginger
  6. Pick mild desserts. If you have a sweet tooth, satisfy it with treats that are sweet instead of tart. Light angel-food cake, sponge cake, or low-fat cookies are fairly safe bets. Low-fat ice cream or custard are also good choices. However, skip the chocolate—the caffeine that it contains can stimulate stomach acid production.
  7. Eat a well-balanced diet. Even when you’re trying to minimize acid, it’s still important to get a full range of nutrients in your diet. Look for low-acid foods that meet all your nutritional needs, such as:
    • Sweet fruits (like bananas or melons) and leafy, green vegetables.
    • Sources of lean, healthy protein such as fresh fish and shellfish, poultry breast, and legumes (peas and beans).
    • Whole grains, such as oats, wheat, and rice.
    • Healthy fats, such as those found in olive oil, fish, and nuts.
    • Low-fat dairy products, such as skim milk and reduced-fat cheese.

Assessing Your Specific Needs

  1. Make an appointment with your healthcare provider. If you’re wondering how acidic foods might be affecting your health, talk to your general healthcare provider (HCP). Your HCP will probably ask you questions about your eating habits and health history, and they may perform a physical to check your overall health. Tell them about any symptoms or conditions you have that might be affected by acid in your diet, such as:
    • Heartburn or GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease), also known as acid reflux.
    • Dyspepsia (indigestion) or ulcers.
    • Gout.
    • Urinary tract symptoms, such as an overactive bladder.
  2. See a registered dietitian, if your healthcare provider recommends it. If your healthcare provider thinks that excessive acid in your diet may be affecting your health, they may recommend dietary changes. A registered dietitian can help you choose the foods that are healthiest for you while also maintaining a balanced and nutritious diet. Ask your doctor to refer you to a dietitian if you need to make major changes to your eating habits.
  3. Talk to your dentist about how acids may be affecting your teeth. If you have dental problems, such as enamel erosion or tooth decay, acid in your diet may be a contributing factor. Tell your dentist about your dietary habits, and ask them to recommend foods that are healthier for your teeth.
  4. Pay attention to how different foods affect you. While certain health conditions, such indigestion or acid reflux, may be aggravated by acidic foods, different people are affected in different ways. Make note of which foods seem to trigger your symptoms or make them worse. If you notice a connection between your symptoms and particular foods, talk to your healthcare provider or dietitian about reducing your intake or eliminating those foods from your diet.
    • For example, people with nonulcer dyspepsia (indigestion) may find that their symptoms are triggered by citrus fruits or other acidic fruits and vegetables.

Lists of Acidic and Non-Acidic Foods

Tips

  • Keep a journal of food and drinks that upset your stomach or cause your acid reflux to flare up so you avoid them in the future.

Warnings

  • Changing your diet will not change the overall pH of your body. Use caution when trying out “alkaline diets” that supposedly balance your body’s pH, since these diets are ineffective and possibly harmful.
  • Always talk to your doctor or dietitian before making major changes to your diet.
  • High-fat foods actually slow down the production of stomach acid. Eating too much greasy or fatty food can still trigger heartburn, however. This is because fat slows down the digestive process, causing food to sit in the stomach longer and increasing the risk of acid reflux.
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