Heartburn and the Holiday Season

Heartburn doesn’t have to be a part of your holiday! There are some simple suggestions to follow to eliminate heartburn from your life. 

First of all,

What is heartburn?

Heartburn is a burning pain behind the breastbone and may also be accompanied by an acid or burning taste in the throat. It may also feel as though the food is coming back up, especially if you are lying down or bending over.The biggest cause of heartburn is the consumption of acidic and fatty foods, which contributes to some 60 million Americans experiencing heartburn at least once every month. 

How do these fatty and acidic foods cause heartburn? 

When consuming these products, two things happen to the body: It takes longer for the stomach to empty and also the body releases a hormone to tell the barrier between the stomach and the oesophagus to drop. The combination of these two actions then increases the likelihood of stomach acids and food making its way up from the stomach to the chest and cause heartburn. It is the traditional holiday foods (lots of meat, wheat, sugar & dairy products) that cause this and it is also the high fat items that we put on them such as gravy, butter, sour cream and cheeses.        

How do you avoid heartburn?            

Try not to lie down straight after eating or even within two to three hours before bedtime. If the sphincter (barrier between stomach and oesophagus) is not functioning effectively and you lie down after a big Christmas meal, this creates a clear path for the food and acid to travel upwards and may cause you to experience heartburn.       Other tips are to avoid alcohol and cigarettes and chocolate products (or at least eat in moderation!). Others to avoid include carbonated drinks and soft drinks.

Can heartburn cause chronic long term problems? 

Heartburn can eventually lead to Barrett’s Oesophagus, or narrowing of the oesophagus. If not treated over time it is possible to develop oesophageal cancer, a disease which affects approximately one percent of the population, mostly men over the age of 55 years. 

So if you are looking for a yummy Christmas menu without the heartburn factor please refer to our Christmas recipes in Stoneage Nutrition!