Take the heartburn out of the holidays with these simple food swaps
Your favorite dishes may make pain and burning worse.
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Odds are you’re familiar with heartburn, that feeling of pain and burning in your chest you sometimes get after eating certain foods. Heartburn is a symptom of acid reflux, which occurs when acid sloshes back up through your esophagus, the tube that connects the stomach to the mouth.
Occasional episodes of acid reflux are normal and common. If these episodes occur two or more times weekly, however, it can be a sign of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a more serious digestive condition linked to a slightly higher risk of esophageal cancer.
To avoid or limit the chances of heartburn over the holidays, you may want to tweak your usual end-of-year feast. Here are some typical menus items to watch for, along with potentially better-for-you seasonal substitutes.
Sources: Mayo Clinic. “Heartburn.” April 17 + 16
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- University Hospitals. “The Best and Worst Foods for Acid Reflux.” April 15, 2014. Accessed January 6, 2021.
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- American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. “Diet and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD).” 2014. Accessed January 6, 2021.
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- Harvard Health Publishing. “By the way, doctor: What can you tell me about peppermint oil?.” July 2009. Accessed January 6, 2021.
- DW Murphy & DO Castell. “Chocolate and heartburn: evidence of increased esophageal acid exposure after chocolate ingestion.” American Journal of Gastroenterology. June 1988. 83(6):633-6.
- M Jarosz & A Taraszewska. “Risk factors for gastroesophageal reflux disease: the role of diet.” Przeglad Gastroenterologiczny. 2014. 9(5), 297–301.
- Johns Hopkins Medicine. “GERD Diet: Foods That Help with Acid Reflux (Heartburn).” 2021. Accessed January 6, 2021.
- UMPC. “The Right Diet for GERD.” January 5, 2016. Accessed January 6, 2021.
- Tums.com. “Are There Any Specific Diets That Can Reduce Acid Reflux?” 2021. Accessed January 6, 2021.
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