DiseaseIllness

It seems that one of the major culprits causing acid reflux is alcohol. Not good news for the drinkers amongst us. Take heart though
it is probably only excessive drinking that's to blame - perceived wisdom is that a couple of glasses of wine with your dinner won't hurt you
although there is some argument as to whether red or white is better. Personally
I find white wine more acidic and therefore assumed that it would be more likely to cause acid reflux. However
as alcohol prevents the oesophageal sphincter from working properly and thus allows stomach acid to reflux into the oesophagus
the acidity of the alcohol may be irrelevant. Notwithstanding that
when drinking alcohol
limit quantities and dilute spirits with water or a mixer. Wine may also be diluted with water or lemonade. Gassy drinks like champagne and beer should be avoided if possible.

Alcohol is not the only culprit - chocolate
peppermint
coffee
tea
caffeinated soft drinks such as colas and citrus fruit juices also inhibit the normal workings of the oesophageal sphincter so keep intake of these to an absolute minimum
if you can't give them up completely.

Chewing gum and eating hard sweets cause excessive air to be swallowed
thus causing wind and reflux.

Fatty and fried foods also delay the emptying of the stomach so steer clear of any fatty meat
particularly those found on the delicatessen counter
such as salamis
sausages and pat้s. "Fatty" includes full fat milk and other dairy products (cheese
cream
butter
margarine). Tomatoes can aggravate the condition in some people
as can spices such as chillies (powdered
fresh or dried) and any derivatives like Tabasco. Condiments such as Worcestershire and soy sauces and any sort of horseradish or mustard should also be taken with care.

Now for the good news - you can eat
with some freedom
vegetables (not tomatoes)
chicken and turkey (without skin)
fish
apples
peaches
melons
pears and berries. You can eat
in moderation
skimmed or semi-skimmed milk
low fat spreads and cottage cheese. Oh
and you can drink water until you float!

A few other things you can do to avoid or alleviate acid reflux are:

Avoid eating large meals - little and often is better.
Avoid eating too late at night.
Don't lie down or bend over when you've just eaten a meal.
Put blocks of wood under the head of the bed to raise it by six inches or so.
Try not to wear tight clothing around the area of the abdomen and stomach.
Nicotine weakens the lower oesophageal muscle - give it up - it's not good for you anyway!
Lose weight if you need to. Obesity is not only usually caused by eating all the foods that you should be avoiding
but leads to worsened acid reflux.

Ultimately
everyone is different and foods that some people can tolerate cause incredibly painful indigestion for others. Only you can tell
so be sensible and avoid those foods that have an adverse effect.