If you have too much stomach acid, can eating alkaline foods suppress stomach acid? Alkaline foods prevent denaturation, avoid doing this

An irregular lifestyle and improper diet may cause excessive stomach acid. In particular, office workers are under great pressure from work, are under great mental stress, have irregular meals, prefer heavy flavors in their diet, and suffer from gastrointestinal discomfort every other day. Many people worry that taking more and more stomach medicine and painkillers will affect their health in the long run, and believe the rumors that "eating alkaline foods can inhibit stomach acid." Is this true? Nutritionist Xia Ziwen reminds that this is only suitable for patients with excessive gastric acid who experience a burning sensation in the stomach, and that alkaline foods should be consumed in "appropriate amounts" each time. Excessive intake will aggravate stomach discomfort.

Acid-base neutralization? Alkaline foods can only relieve heartburn

Nutritionist Xia Ziwen said that to improve the discomfort caused by stomach acid, the cause should be found from the source. Usually it is caused by too much acid in the stomach and too much pressure on the stomach. At this time, if you want to dilute the stomach acid concentration by drinking soup or porridge to relieve the discomfort, it is actually a more dangerous practice, because a large amount of water will increase the total volume of food in the stomach and increase the pressure on the stomach. If it exceeds the limit, it will easily lead to uncomfortable symptoms such as acid reflux and gastroesophageal reflux.

To improve the discomfort caused by stomach acid, we should find the cause from the source, which is usually caused by too much acid in the stomach and too much pressure on the stomach.

If you want to neutralize stomach acid or inhibit stomach acid secretion by eating alkaline foods, it is feasible, but it is not applicable to all stomach diseases. Nutritionist Xia Ziwen said that generally speaking, "excessive stomach acid" can be divided into two types according to the symptoms: "burning sensation in the stomach" and "nausea and vomiting". The former can be treated by taking an appropriate amount of alkaline food to neutralize stomach acid and relieve discomfort; the latter may require the use of acid suppressants or drugs to treat gastric ulcers to relieve the symptoms.

Most fruits and vegetables are alkaline, peaches and plums are the exception

It is worth noting that the acidity and alkalinity of food is not determined by taste, but by analysis of the metabolic products produced after the food is burned. If the metabolic products of the embers are mostly minerals such as potassium, calcium, sodium, magnesium, and iron, then they are alkaline foods, commonly found in vegetables and fruits; if the metabolic products are sulfur, phosphorus or chlorine, then they are acidic foods, mostly distributed in whole grains, meat and seafood.

Although most fruits are alkaline, including sour lemons, peaches, plums, pickled prunes and cranberries are acidic and should be consumed in small amounts.

Peaches, plums, pickled prunes and cranberries are acidic foods and should be eaten in small amounts.

Nutritionist Xia Ziwen reminds that although alkaline foods can help relieve heartburn, excessive intake will still increase the size of the stomach and aggravate discomfort. It is recommended not to eat too much at each meal, and to eat about 70% to 80% full at each meal to avoid causing stomach discomfort. It should be noted that if the alkaline food you consume has a sour taste, such as lemon, you should avoid eating it on an empty stomach to avoid stimulating the accelerated secretion of gastric acid.

Alkaline foods prevent denaturation and avoid high-temperature frying

In addition, different cooking methods may also change the nature of the food. Nutritionist Xia Ziwen said that, in principle, alkaline foods will not become acidic due to general cooking methods such as steaming or frying, but high-temperature frying will turn alkaline into acid. In addition to the fact that the oil is not resistant to high temperatures, the coating used for frying alkaline foods is mostly made of acidic grains, which will make the food sour overall.

Moderate intake of alkaline foods on a regular basis can help prevent excessive secretion of gastric acid, but other lifestyle habits should also be controlled. Wearing less tight pants, avoiding obesity, not eating too much, reducing abdominal pressure, not smoking or drinking, and eating less spicy or irritating foods are also the keys to protecting the gastrointestinal tract.