Foods to avoid if you have GERD, Acid Reflux or Heartburn

Dietary modification can be helpful in patients with mild gastroesophageal reflux disease. Patients with symptoms once or twice weekly can often stay off of medications just by modifying their diet. The list of gastroesophageal reflux inducing foods is quite long but there are some common triggers that patients should be aware of. Caffeinated beverages such as coffee, tea and soda are clear culprits, as well as fatty foods, foods containing tomato-base sauces or tomato products, chocolate, as well as excessive alcohol consumption.

Certain foods can aggravate your heartburn symptoms, and when planning your acid reflux diet, it's best to limit or avoid completely those foods and drinks that result in acid reflux.

• Tea and Coffee (including the decaffeinated variety)

• Fruit and vegetable juices such as orange juice, grapefruit juice, pineapple juice, V8 juice, tomato juice

• Carbonated beverage of all types (regular water is the best drink)

• Milk and buttermilk

• Beer, wine, and hard liquors

• Oatmeal and other fibrous breakfast cereals

• Fruits such as kiwis, apples, melons and bananas, raw peaches, plums, and strawberries

• Vegetables such as raw onions, carrots, radishes, tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli, pepper, turnip, eggplant

• Fatty foods such as bacon, eggs, sausage, hotdog, cold cuts (i.e. bologna, salami, pepperoni), Italian sandwich, hamburger, meatloaf, gyro, stews, shepherd's pie, pizza

• Deep-fried foods such as french-fries, potato chips, hash browns, fried clams

• Spicy foods like burritos, tacos, curry, hummus, Cajun foods

• Sauces such as tomato sauce, mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard, horseradish, gravy, salsa, salad dressings containing lime/lemon juice and vinegar

• Most Mexican, Indian, and Chinese foods served in restaurants due to their beans, spices, and fat content

• Hot & sour soups, thick soups, bean soups, cream based soups, soups containing beans and legumes

• Pickled foods, dehydrated foods such as dates