Acidity is another form of indigestion and it is caused by accumulation of acid in stomach. There is a burning sensation & irritation in stomach and in digestive area. Our stomach generally creates an acid at regular intervals to help indigestion. When there is excess secretion of acid in our stomach acidity occurs. This excess acid flow back up into the food pipe. It can happens because of many reasons mainly due to unhealthy lifestyle, junk and spicy food. If it keeps occurring again and again then you need to check out the causes and try to rectify them. Also try avoid some foods which can trigger acidity.
Symptoms of acidity
-burping which will be sour
-nausea and mild headache
-sore throat
-taste will be acidic
-difficulty in swallowing as there will be burning sensation
Causes of Acidity
1)Physical idleness:- One should be physical active if one is suffering from acid reflux. One can engage themselves in any sort of activity like jogging, running, light exercise. But one should always remember that if you need to work out or exercise then do it after 2 hours of having your food.
2)Stress:- Due to continuous change in lifestyle, stress has increased tremendously. The effect of Stress is directly correlated to acidity. Stress is known for heartburn and indigestion. One must try to do relaxation techniques. Try to sit in quiet place, try yoga or meditation. Take a break. Don’t hurry and get things done fast.
3)Obesity:-People who are obese have high risk of acidity and heartburn. Hence see to it that you always keep your weight under control and maintain proper height and weight combination.
4)Overeating:-Eating food in large quantity will put pressure on stomach. Overeating will make stomach holding the food and it will push the muscle ring which contains the acid. Also the stomach ill produce more acid to process these food causing the excess acid to move upwards.
5)Medication:- certain medications and supplements can irritate and cause heartburn. Some common medicine can cause acid reflux and acidity. Hence identify them and consult with your doctors.
Some other common causes of acidity are bad sitting/posture after meals, oily and spicy foods and irregular meals.
Though there are home remedy which can help you to control the Acidity. But at the same time you need to take care of the foods which you intake as some foods can cause acidity and if the acidity is frequent then you must stop taking the food which are causing it. Such foods should be avoided and should not be included:-
Foods to be avoided while having acidity
Most of the triggers are due to other factors but main being foods which we intake every day. Foods which can cause acid reflux should be avoided.
1)Spicy foods are often the most culprit in aggravating the acidity. Adding Spice to our food is main part of our diet especially to Indians. Spicy food contains irritant alkaloids such as capsaicin. They irritate the lining of digestive tract which causes more acid reflux causing acidity. Spicy food slow down the rate of digestion and because of this the food stays longer in stomach and this will cause heartburn. Spicy foods look delicious but can cause gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD. So it’s best to avoid it.
2)Fermented food can increase the acidity in stomach which can cause heartburn. Though for some they are beneficial but for few they can cause problems to others. In India, fermented foods are in form of Idlis, appam, Dosa and they are widely consumed across India. Other common fermented foods are wine, vinegar, yogurt, sauerkraut and pickle. Fermented foods are also considered good for your GUT. But try alternative like dairy product.
3)Alcohol are also not good when you are suffering from heartburn. Several studies has shown that alcohol can lead to GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease). One must limit their intake of Alcohol to once in a week as excessive intake can put pressure on your stomach causing damage to lining of esophagus.
4)Avoid Citrus fruit & Juice as they are higher in acidic content and can worsen the condition. Such foods should not be consumed on empty stomach. One can select non citrus fruits such as banana, pear and apple. Citrus foods such as orange and lemon can increase the gastric juice secretion which will increase the acidity level. Other fruits to avoid are pineapple and vegetable like tomato as they are high acidic nature.
5)Processed food includes items made from maida (white flour) common in Indian subcontinent. They are used in pizza, bread, noodles, pasta, and sandwich. This white flour is acidic in nature. To process these products stomach draws more acid to digest these products. Sine this white flour are made by refined and bleached and during refining process, all nutrients are removed and it becomes acidic in nature.
6)Carbonated drinks which are loved by many are also the reason for acid reflux. They are high in acidic content and by drinking these they increase the acid levels in stomach. Also the bubbles which are created by these drinks can also trigger acid reflux. Apart from these stomach ailments they are also responsible for obesity and decreasing bone density.
7)Coffee lovers are found across the world and this news would be bad for them. If you are already suffering from acid reflux then adding a cup of coffee every morning would increase your acidity levels, indigestion and heartburn. Coffees are naturally acidic in nature. If it is consumed in excess quantity they would create burning sensation in stomach. Though there are some studies supporting their increase in acid reflux but there also few studies which shows that there is no link between coffee and reflux symptoms. But it would be still best that if after consuming coffee you experience heartburn then it would be best to avoid it.
8)Fried foods are the last one can think of having when one is suffering from acidity. Fried food has high fat content. As food with high fat content stay in our stomach for longer period which then result in heartburn and reflux. Fried foods though are very tasty and are very much tempting but they can weaken the lower esophageal sphincter (muscle ring which seals the stomach). Fried foods are main culprit in increasing obesity and heart disease across the world. Hence avoid it as much as you can.
List of Indian foods which should be avoided when you are suffering from acidity
List of Indian food
1) Fried foods like
a) Samosa
b) Puri
c) Gujia
d) Shakarpara
2) Fat & Sugar rich sweets
a) Jalebi
b) Barfi
c) Sheera
d) Ladoos
e) Gulab Jamun
f) Chikki
3) Pickle
4) Chaat like shevpuri, bhel puri, panipuri, papdi chaat etc.
5) Toor Dal / Toovar Dal
6) Pasta
7) Idli
8) Appam
9) Dosa
10) Besan
11) Paneer
12) Cheese
13) Maida
14) Butter
15) Bread
16) Mayonnaise
Drink at least 7-8 glass of water per day. Stay hydrated when you are suffering from acidity. Try to have more alkaline foods rather than acidic foods. Alkaline foods will neutralize the acidic contents in your stomach. While many will be impatient and have pills for quick remedy but that would be shortcut to address the issue. Just by little modifying you can address the issue yourself.
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