Soothing the Burn of Acid Reflux: Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy

Do you know what foods to avoid during pregnancy? Throughout pregnancy you and your doctor will need to work together to help prevent and treat acid reflux as effectively as possible, while keeping the amount of medication (see Safe Treatment Options for Acid Reflux in Pregnancy) taken to a minimum.

One way to do this is to keep a close eye on your diet and avoid foods that have been shown to trigger acid reflux. That may mean giving up or moderating some of your favorite things (a difficult task at the best of times, not to mention when your body's cravings have you in a choke hold!), but if you want to avoid acid reflux as best you can, it's a good idea to watch what you eat.

So, what foods have the potential to trigger acid reflux? Consider the following as dietary no-no’s:

• Fatty Animal Products - Fatty animal products such as meats, cheese, and eggs have been shown to be culprits, so choosing non-meat-based proteins and lean animal products like chicken, turkey and lean pork and beef may be a better route.

• Citric Foods - Citric foods such as lemons, grapefruit, vinegar, limes, oranges and even tomatoes can cause acid reflux during pregnancy, so use these foods sparingly.

• Soft drinks - Soft drinks are another one of the main triggers for the disorder, and should be consumed in moderation. If you do cut back and find that you are still experiencing acid reflux, you may need to avoid soft drinks until you give birth.

• Chocolate - Chocolate is one of the major triggers for acid reflux. Yes, it is cruelly ironic that something that is so often craved during pregnancy can be one of the causes of one of pregnancy's biggest nuisances. It's cruel, but true: If you find that you have eliminated some of the other foods mentioned in this article, you may have to have someone wrench that chocolate bar from your hormonal little hands.

Other Foods to Avoid During Pregnancy

Another common dietary contributor to acid reflux is garlic. This very popular food seasoning can trigger acid reflux easily, so beware of foods containing it. The trouble with garlic is that it is in so many prepared foods, many of which one may not expect to find garlic. Be a diligent label reader if you want to truly avoid consuming garlic during pregnancy.

In another case of irony, mint (an herb commonly suggested as treatment for nausea during pregnancy) may also cause acid reflux in pregnant women.

If you are accustomed to unwinding at the end of the day with a cup of mint tea, you may be arming your body with what it needs to whip up a case of acid reflux. Choosing another kind of tea may be a better idea.

A special note about alcohol: Although the consumption of alcohol during pregnancy is a controversial topic, and most physicians will advise against it for a host of health reasons, the prevention of acid reflux is yet another (albeit minor, in comparison) reason to avoid drinking alcohol during pregnancy.

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