Foods that cause heartburn during pregnancy

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Heartburn is a very unpleasant phenomenon that occurs in every third person. It can appear not only because of the increased acidity of the stomach. Foods that cause heartburn in one person do not pose a danger to another, since each organism is individual. To understand why it appeared, what foods cause heartburn, you need to reconsider your entire diet and lifestyle.

What is this?

Heartburn is a symptom of acid reflux, in which the contents of the stomach, including acid, partially rise up into the esophagus, causing an unpleasant burning sensation in the chest. At the same time, burning pain can radiate not only to the chest, but also to the thoracic spine.

Most people take this phenomenon for osteochondrosis, so they often treat the wrong thing. If acid reflux bothers you more than 2 times a week, then we are already talking about a disease such asgastroesophageal reflux.

What causes heartburn?

Foods that cause heartburn and belching are not the only cause of this phenomenon. There are a number of other factors that provoke this disease:

• malnutrition;
• overeating often;
• clothing that squeezes the stomach;
• not following a he althy lifestyle;
• increased stomach acidity;
• sensitive stomach cells;
• weight lifting;
• overeating before bed;
• obesity;
• taking medicines (such as Aspirin or Diclofenac);
• frequent stressful situations;
• pregnancy.

Of course, pregnancy is not a disease, but it has been observed that foods that cause heartburn in pregnant women do not affect the acidity of the stomach in other people.

What foods can trigger heartburn?

To save yourself from unpleasant sensations in the epigastric region, you need to remove or limit food from the diet:

• Excessively acidic fruits are lemons, oranges, pineapples, that is, everything that contains a large amount of acid. With increased acidity of the stomach, it causes severe heartburn.
• Vegetables - cabbage, radish, radish, some varieties of tomatoes. Such vegetables are digested quite hard, and with increased acidity they provoke heartburn.
• Alcohol - categorically contraindicated not only for pregnant women, but also for people with high aciditystomach. Alcohol stimulates the active production of gastric juice, thereby irritating the mucous membrane. Especially beer and red wine have this property.
• Dark chocolate, black coffee, chocolate desserts - these heartburn-inducing foods relax the esophageal sphincter, allowing acid to pass from the stomach into the esophagus.
• Fatty meat and fish - these foods are heavy in themselves, the process of their digestion in the stomach takes a long time, such a load can provoke the release of stomach acid into the esophagus.
• Sausages and smoked meats - smoked sausage, sausages, smoked lard, fatty and smoked cheese are foods that cause heartburn in most people, including pregnant women. If it is not possible to eliminate them from the diet completely, then at least their use should be limited.
• Spicy foods - such as horseradish, garlic, paprika, spices and condiments. To find out if they are the cause of heartburn, you should remove them from the diet completely, and then start adding them little by little, while observing how the body reacts to them.

In order to maintain he alth, you need to overcome yourself and give up some harmful gastronomic addictions.

Foods that do not cause heartburn

There are many foods that do not cause the discomfort associated with heartburn and are completely safe for most people:

• Porridges - you can boil them in water or with the addition of milk. To give saturation to the taste, in the finishedthe dish is added a little honey or pieces of fruit. Such a breakfast will energize you for the whole day and will not cause heartburn.
• Soups - it is better to cook them on a weak broth, best of all vegetable. Filling with rice, potatoes or vermicelli will increase the satiety and nutrition of the dish without causing heartburn.
• Green - what kind of lunch or dinner without parsley or dill? These products are well digested and have a beneficial effect on the digestive process.
• Vegetables - zucchini, beets, pumpkin, carrots, cucumbers do not cause heartburn, it is better to use them boiled, stewed or baked.
• Low-fat meats, poultry and fish - turkey, rabbit, chicken fillet, veal, beef, pollock, cod. They can be baked with vegetables, roasted or stewed.
• Dairy products - low-fat types of cottage cheese, milk, kefir, yogurts have a positive effect on the microflora of the stomach and do not cause heartburn.
• Eggs - soft boiled or eaten in the form of an omelet, they will not harm the stomach.
• Drinks - green tea, rosehip broth, jelly do not irritate the gastric mucosa.
• Desserts - jelly, marshmallows, marmalade are allowed in small quantities.

What causes heartburn in pregnancy?

As mentioned above, many foods can cause heartburn. During the bearing of a child, especially in the third trimester, this unpleasant phenomenon becomes a frequent companion of the expectant mother. The thing is that the fetus begins to put pressure on the organs, as a result of which the contents of the stomach splash out into the esophagus. In order to protect yourself from this as much as possible, you need to understandwhat foods cause heartburn in pregnant women most often and what should be avoided:

• If a woman was a spicy lover before pregnancy, now it is necessary to limit the use of such products. Do not use spices, seasonings, hot sauces, as well as garlic, onions and horseradish.
• Avoid processed foods, fast food, fast food, as chips, french fries and hamburgers are cooked in a lot of vegetable oil and are strong provocateurs of heartburn.
• Alcohol, tea, coffee, cocoa, carbonated drinks - all this causes heartburn, even red wine, recommended by doctors, can cause prolonged burning in the chest.

It is impossible to say exactly what causes heartburn in a pregnant woman, so it is better to focus on tests, doctor's recommendations and body characteristics.

Diet for heartburn during pregnancy

When foods that cause heartburn during pregnancy are identified, you should begin to follow a non-strict diet. When a woman is in position, the tone of smooth muscles is significantly reduced, which significantly slows down the digestive processes. Therefore, you should refuse the products listed above, as well as:

• black bread;
• sauerkraut;
• legumes;
• natural cow's milk.

In addition, it is necessary to reduce the consumption of high starch foods - potatoes,pasta, white bread, pastries. They can be replaced with first-class rye bread, buckwheat porridge, and for dessert, it’s better to treat yourself to marshmallows.

Foods that relieve heartburn

There are a number of products that fight acid reflux, which is very important during pregnancy.

1. Hercules. This is not only a he althy breakfast, but also a remedy for heartburn.

2. Green salad. It normalizes acidity and improves digestion.

3. Bananas. Eating bananas has been shown to soothe heartburn.

4. Ginger. Considered a spice, it has also been shown to treat the effects of toxemia such as nausea and vomiting, relieve indigestion, and fight heartburn.

5. Melon. This product causes heartburn in some people, but most patients report a backlash.

6. Turkey. Reduces acidity, it can be consumed boiled or baked, the skin must be removed.

7. Celery. Serves not only as a source of vitamins, but also as a remedy for heartburn.

8. Rice. Any kind of rice, especially brown, is wonderful for lowering stomach acid.

9. Cauliflower, green beans, broccoli are great for heartburn sufferers.

10. Parsley. It has long been used as a stomach remedy.

When a person knows what causes heartburn, he can replace the products that provoke this trouble with safe ones.

How to prevent heartburn during pregnancy?

There are a number of rules that are easy to follow, but still give good results:

• Don't take drinks with food, liquid dilutes digestive enzymes, making food digestion even slower. It is better to drink water, tea or rosehip broth between meals, half an hour before meals or 2 hours after it.
• After eating, you should not immediately go to bed, this can cause not only heartburn, but also vomiting. You need to sit for a while, do simple housework, and the best thing is to take a walk in the fresh air.
• Don't wear tight clothes, this will only increase acid reflux. Clothing should be loose, not restricting movement.
• Taking calcium antacids is safe for pregnant women and good for heartburn.

By eliminating foods that cause heartburn from the diet, and adhering to these rules, you can protect yourself from unpleasant symptoms as much as possible.

Tips & Tricks

Dietitians have developed general recommendations that every person who cares about his he alth should follow.

1. Meals should be fractional - eat at least 5 times a day in small portions.

2. Foods should preferably be steamed, stewed, boiled or baked, fried foods have been proven to cause acid reflux.

3. The temperature regime of the dishes is very important, the food should not be too cold or too hot.

4. You need to watch your weightcorrecting it if necessary, because being overweight is also a cause of heartburn.

5. Food must be chewed thoroughly, as well-chopped, it will be easier to digest in the stomach.

6. Do not smoke after eating, nicotine causes the production of enzymes, which can provoke heartburn.

You need to be very careful about your he alth, and getting rid of heartburn is quite feasible for everyone.

Be he althy!