10 tips to reduce reflux.... naturally

Learn what triggers you must avoid 



Ever get pain and burning in your chest, regurgitation and sour taste in your mouth, bad breath, a persistent dry cough, dry mouth and teeth sensitivity? You may be then suffering from reflux which is one of the most common complaints in my clinic.

Eating too much and too fast, too much fat, spicy foods, food intolerances, hypochlorhydria, zinc deficiency, alcohol, smoking, coffee, stress and sleep deprivation could be some of the culprits behind your symptoms.

Did you know that drinking peppermint tea can make your reflux worse?

Additional triggers include chocolate, citrus, tomatoes, spicy foods, capsicum, garlic, onion, large and fatty meals.

Now that you are aware of some of your triggers let’s talk about what you can do to manage your symptoms.

For the next 2 weeks try below tips and I promise you if you are consistent in implementing these suggestions, then reflux will be a thing of the past.

1.      Avoid coffee and alcohol and above mentioned triggers

2.      Stop smoking

3.      Eat slowly chewing your food 20 times and allowing 15 minutes to finish up and

4.      Eat smaller meals and reduce your fat content

5.      Avoid anything spicy, tomatoes, citrus and capsicum

6.      Avoid drinking water with your meals

7.      Avoid laying down after a meal

8.      Avoid all vinegars when your oesophagus is inflamed.

9.      Start drinking a combination of liquorice and marshmallow tea daily. Aim for 2-3 cups per day.

10.  Consider the following supplements: slippery elm, dyglycerated liquorice, glutamine, zinc carnosine and vitamin A.

Gut symptoms should always be treated as an alarm bell that our digestion is not working and taken seriously as all disease starts in the gut. In my clinic hypochlorhydria/ not producing enough hydrochloric acid is the most common cause why people experience reflux. Hydrochloric acid is key for absorption of many key vitamins and minerals (zinc, calcium, iron, magnesium, B12), helping break down food, stimulate production of digestive enzymes and keep your gut bacteria happy. Without understanding the cause behind your symptoms, you are likely to experience more digestive problems in time as these travel from top of your digestive system to the bottom. Complications can include nutrient deficiencies, maldigestion and malabsorption, small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, dysbiosis, inflammation and leaky gut just to mention a few.

For anyone struggling with ongoing reflux issues I recommend you seek advice from an integrative dietitian who can identify the root cause of your digestive complaints and create a personalised nutrition and lifestyle plan to ensure optimal long-term health.

Anca Vereen is an integrative dietitian, nutritionist, counsellor and nutrigenomics lecturer.

She and her team are available for online consultations.