Do Brussel Sprouts Cause Heartburn

Top Tips For Common Digestive Troubles

Tags: Bloating, Constipation, Gas

Gas, bloating, heartburn , constipation, and diarrhea are common digestive troubles that we many of us experience from time to time. Especially around the holidays when you are eating foods you dont regularly consume and in larger portions. These are familiar symptoms that many people experience during these days of celebration. However, if you have a bloated belly, or are living with heartburn more than once a week, you may find yourself searching desperately for some relief. CDHF is here to help with our top tips for common digestive troubles.

Why Doesn’t It Effect Everyone

Like everything, brussel sprouts don’t have the same effect on everyone. Some people may experience embarrassing gaseous explosions at the dinner table while others can eat the sprouts without any problem.

So why is this?

Well… there could be many reasons for it. The differences in the gut flora will vary from person to person depending on things like what we eat and our environment. Since the bacteria differs this can cause the gas production to differ.

There is an article published in the Nutrition Journal that takes a look at the differences in flatulence from bean consumption and how it varies. This is very relevant because much of the gas that comes from beans is due to the raffinose, which as mentioned is what is in brussels sprouts as well.

Since Brussel Sprouts Are Acidic Will My Acid Reflux Act Up If I Eat Them

Were taught that anything with high acidity can cause strain on our bodies and even cause acid reflux. Even though Brussel sprouts fall on the acidic side of the pH scale, theyre practically neutral.

Therefore, you shouldnt get any acid reflux or heartburn when you eat them. Keep in mind that everyones body is different, and just because your friend didnt have a reaction doesnt mean you wont.

Brussel sprouts may even help keep your acid reflux at bay. This green vegetable is alkaline-forming when in your body and low in sugar and fat, which can reduce stomach acid.

RELATED: Are Onions Acidic?

Also Check: Does Xanax Help Ibs

Tips For Reducing Constipation:

• Include foods rich in fibre: For optimal general health and function of the colon, you should aim to consume about 25 to 38 grams of fibre from a mixture of fruits, vegetables, legumes and grains and every day
• Choose fruits rich in pectin, such as apples, strawberries, lychees or pears, to increase stool volume and ease passage

• Consume products that contain pre and probiotics such as yogurt, kefir, fruit and vegetables, whole grain breads , legumes, nuts & seeds

• Drink plenty of water each day while decreasing your intake of caffeinated, alcoholic, and sugar-rich or artificially sweetened beverages such as pop and fruit juice

• Avoid foods that are greasy, high in animal fat, and fried

• Limit intake of refined sugar

• Eat at regular times

• Commit to a healthy lifestyle: exercise regularly, do not smoke, avoid stress, establish regular sleeping patterns, and adopt good time management techniques

Other Ways To Relieve Heartburn

In addition to removing foods from your diet that may cause heartburn, there are other ways to tame heartburn.

• Maintain a healthy body weight. Obesity is associated with GERD. Losing weight and maintaining a healthy body weight may decrease GERD symptoms like heartburn (
• ).

There are many other ways to improve and manage symptoms of GERD.

If you have heartburn, its best to develop a treatment plan with a healthcare professional.

Summary

There are many other methods you can use to manage GERD symptoms. A healthcare professional can help come up with a treatment plan that works best for you.

You May Like: Are Probiotics Good For Crohn’s Disease

Top Tips For Managing Bloating

• Eat easily digestible carbohydrates such as: potatoes, rice, lettuce, bananas and grapes
• Consume products that contain pre and probiotics such as yogurt, kefir, fruit and vegetables, whole grain breads , legumes, nuts & seeds
• Gradually introduce more fibre into your diet: For optimal general health and function of the colon, you should aim to consume about 25 to 38 grams of fibre from a mixture of fruits, vegetables, legumes and grains and every day
• Drink plenty of water each day while decreasing your intake of caffeinated, alcoholic, and sugar-rich beverages such as pop and fruit juices
• Limit difficult to digest carbohydrates like beans, pulses, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and brussel sprouts
• Avoid foods that are greasy, high in animal fat, and fried
• Limit polyol-containing foods Polyols are used as replacements for sugar as sweeteners in chewing gum, candy, ice cream, frozen desserts, baked goods, chocolate, fruit spreads, toothpaste, mouthwash, breath mints, cough syrup and cough drops.
• Avoid overeating and have mini breaks in the day to allow your digestive tract to have a break.
• Do not rush eating and chew food slowly and well. Avoid drinking too much fluids with meals.
• Gentle movement
• Wear comfortable clothes that fit

When To See A Healthcare Provider

To diagnose GERD and rule out other health conditions, see a healthcare provider if you have GERD symptoms several times a week despite dietary and lifestyle changes, or if you take over-the-counter antacids on a regular basis.

Seek medical attention right away if your GERD symptoms include:

• Forceful vomiting
• Vomiting bright red fluid or coffee ground texture
• Food getting stuck in your esophagus on the way down

These symptoms could indicate a serious health issue.

Sometimes, heart attack symptoms can mimic acid reflux symptoms. If you have additional heart attack symptoms such as pain in your chest or jaw, dizziness, sweating, or difficulty breathing, seek medical attention immediately.

Untreated GERD can become dangerous for both adults and children. GERD can lead to:

• Ulcers
• Scarring
• Esophageal cancer

If youve tried everything in terms of lifestyle and diet modifications to improve your digestive health and are finding no relief, you may want to speak with your medical provider or a specialist in gastroenterology who may recommend other options to alleviate your symptoms and prevent complications.

Recommended Reading: Does Colostrum Heal Leaky Gut

First Things First Lets Define These Common Digestive Troubles

Bloating and distension are often used interchangeable, but they are different.

Bloating: is the feeling of fullness

Distension: visible expansion of the gut .

Gas: can include flatulence or burping.

Reflux: the backward flow of stomach acid into the tube that connects your throat to your stomach . During an episode of acid reflux, you might feel a burning sensation in your chest . This can cause damage to the esophagus, mouth and sinus irritation, chronic cough.

Heartburn: Heartburn is a symptom of reflux, an uncomfortable burning feeling in your chest that can move up your neck and throat.

Constipation is the passing of hard stool and/or a bowel movement less than every 3 days.

Diarrhea:is the passing of soft stool and/or more than 3 bowel movements a day.

The Foods To Avoid That Causes Acid Reflux

Heartburn or acid reflux needs treatment especially when a night time attack happens. Night time attacks have similar daytime attack symptoms except that night time attacks include snoring, restlessness, fatigue and even abnormalities in breathing are all night time symptoms. Attacks during the night are more severe than attacks during daytime. Many people with heartburn or acid reflux understand the cause of their condition. However, there are still many people lacking essential knowledge of how heartburn acid reflux can be triggered. The simplest answer is food. Many people experience acid reflux after having a large meal due to improper breakdown of foods causing acid reflux to occur. Foods such as spicy foods, chocolates, fried and fatty foods can trigger this condition. In fact, even citrus fruits have a tendency to flare up heartburn.

Recommended Reading: Does Pickle Juice Help With Indigestion

One Major Side Effect Of Eating Brussels Sprouts Says Science

Brussels sprouts were never glamorized in the same way other vegetables like buttery corn on the cob or celery sticks with peanut butter were during childhood. This was partially due to the media’s influence, as countless television shows and movies showed a kid sneaking the veggie to the family dog chilling underneath the dining table.

Roasted Brussels sprouts may not be palatable to all, but even those who enjoy the slightly bitter taste and crispy exterior may not tolerate the vegetable welldigestively speaking. It’s no secret the little vegetable can cause some serious bloating and gas.

RELATED: The Most Common Reason You’re Always Bloated, Say Dietitians6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

As a member of the cruciferous vegetable familywhose relatives include other hard-to-digest veggies such as cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflowerBrussels sprouts contain a type of carbohydrate known as raffinose. According to the Cleveland Clinic, small amounts of raffinose, along with other indigestible oligosaccharides like stachyose and verbascoce, reside in these types of vegetables. Since they cannot be digested in the stomach or small intestine, it’s up to the large intestine to do the dirty work.

For more, be sure to check out:

How Does Dairy Cause Heartburn

Dairy products tend to be high in fat. This macronutrient slows down digestion and makes your stomach work much harder.

In turn, this forces your stomach to produce more gastric acid, which can then reflux up your esophagus, causing heartburn.

As a result, you might experience an improvement in your symptoms if you choose low-fat dairy products as opposed to full-fat options.

Eating dairy products also relaxes your lower esophageal sphincter muscles, which are located between your esophagus and stomach.

• Are Brussel Sprouts Acidic or Alkaline?

These muscles are meant to keep gastric acid in your stomach and prevent it from rising up. So, if theyre relaxed, gastric acid can rise up and cause heartburn.

This isnt the case for everyone, though only for those particularly sensitive to dairy and acidic foods.

Some people also develop a dairy allergy or sensitivity as a result of the compounds and substances found in products based on cows milk.

This can manifest itself as heartburn in most people, which resembles acid reflux and GERD. While not everyone experiences this issue, it can be serious.

Luckily, there are many dairy-free alternatives these days, and some of them arent acidic at all.

Also Check: Align Probiotic Supplements Reviews

Top Tips For Managing Heartburn/reflux:

• Take your time when eating and chew food slowly and well
• Eat smaller and more frequent meals without increasing overall calorie intake. Eat 4-5 small frequent meals instead of 2-3 large meals. The last meal should finish no later than 2-3 hours before bedtime.
• Reduce intake of acid causing foods
• Avoid foods that are greasy, high in animal fat, and fried
• Include foods rich in fibre in your diet
• Elevation of head of bed with 6-10 foam wedge
• Wear loose clothing across the stomach and chest
• Stress management techniques such as yoga, meditation, and mindfulness.
• Maintain a healthy weight for you: weight management can often help with reflux management

Cut Down On Them To Prevent Extra Air In Your Intestines

Nothing is more annoying than belly bloat. Even though bloat makes you feel uncomfortable and renders it just about impossible to zip your skinny jeans, its usually not serious. It can be due to a variety of reasons, including eating too fast, eating too much, or drinking through a straw. All of these can lead to gas buildup in the tummy that can spell trouble.

Another common cause is our food choices both healthy and not so healthy foods can cause belly bloat. Knowing the reasons why certain foods do this will enable you to reduce the chance of an extended tummy in the future.

Here are foods that are belly bloat troublemakers:

Yes, you are supposed to eat cruciferous vegetablesthese veggies are the workhorses of promoting our health and are high in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. However, they can instigate causing gas and bloating. Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, kale, and turnips contain a non-digestible carbohydrate called raffinose. The way to avoid belly bloat and still be able to enjoy cruciferous veggies is to let your digestive system adjust over time. Start with smaller portions and gradually increase your intake. Other tricks are to eat them slowly, steam them, and take a walk after eating them. Moving helps prevent gas build up in your intestines, freeing trapped gas and reducing vegetable-related bloating.

You May Like: Align Probiotic Instructions

How To Eat Them & Not Get Gas

There is no real hack to eating them so that you don’t get gas. However, you can train your body to become more efficient and overall better at digesting the notorious raffinose that brussel sprouts contain.

In order to eat them and not get bad gas the best thing you can do is eat more of them. I know this is probably the last thing you want to do but it actually can work. Your body will get used to them and your digestive system will become a pro at digestion.

Symptoms And Natural Cure For Acid Reflux

In any manner, the effective way of finding relief from acid reflux symptoms is the natural way. Some simple steps that can work together with your medications will effectively cast away your suffering from this disease. A modified lifestyle will help you make things better. Things to be changed include your dietary habits, refraining from smoking and minimizing the alcohol intake. Salty foods have been found out to aggravate acid reflux disease as much as the fatty foods. Taking extra table salts in your meal can expose you to graver risks. Obesity doesn’t only harm the heart but can worsen acid reflux disease as well. The excess fat in the abdomen amplifies the pressure in it causing the stomach acid to rise up to the gullet. So diet must be intensively watched out so as to avoid the symptoms and the discomfort they caused. Natural cure of this disease also includes exercise. Proper stretching can help reduce the pressure on your stomach and subsequently helping you fight the symptoms of acid reflux disease. If you can follow the preventive measures against acid reflux disease, then you are on your way to beating acid reflux without turning to medications.

Recommended Reading: Birth Control Indigestion

Health Benefits Of Vitamin C

Vitamin C is vital for your immune system and Brussels sprouts are an excellent source. Acting as an antioxidant, vitamin C neutralizes damaging free radicals in your body to protect you from sickness and diseases. The vitamin C in Brussels sprouts is also needed for collagen production to help your wounds heal. And it improves the absorption of iron, which is needed for the production of healthy blood cells.

In its role of collagen synthesis, vitamin C may be helpful for treating fractures and reducing oxidative stress after an injury, as demonstrated in a systematic review published in the Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine in October 2018.

The review above found evidence that vitamin C may accelerate healing after musculoskeletal injury specific to bone, tendon and ligaments. However, further studies are needed before vitamin C can be implemented as a valid treatment after an injury.

Gerd Diet: The Best Foods For Controlling Reflux

Gastroesophageal reflux disease is characterized by a defective anti-reflux barrier at the gastroesophageal junction, which allows stomach acid to escape back up the esophagus. It affects the entire digestive tract and can cause issues ranging from heartburn and persistent cough to esophagitis, ulcers, and cancer. There are many medications and treatments for GERD, depending on the severity of the disease. Making a few deliberate dietary changes is one of the more simple steps a person who suffers from GERD can take to help lessen these effects.

There are many foods that can increase the production of stomach acid, which in turn amplifies the symptoms of GERD. Some common trigger foods for GERD sufferers are fatty foods, spicy foods, citrus fruits, and caffeine. In addition to other lifestyle changes and medical treatments, avoiding trigger foods can help reduce the effects of GERD. The following items are good options for people who suffer from acid reflux.

Read Also: What Is In Align Probiotic

An Apple A Day Keeps The Heartburn Away

The skins and seeds of many fruits and vegetables contain high levels of fiber, which we need to keep our digestive systems functioning properly. Soluble fiber, which is found in many fruits and veggies, slows down the digestive system and may help us soak up excess acid to reduce the risk of reflux. Most fruits and vegetables are also low in fat and calories, so adding more of them to our diets can help us lose weight to control obesity-related reflux.

Do The Pros Outweigh The Gas

If your symptoms are manageable, the tradeoff of a little bit of gas can be worth it for a nutritious vegetable that’s beneficial for your overall health. “Low in calories and fat, Brussels sprouts can be a good addition to a weight loss plan,” Kenney says. “Their fiber intake can also help keep you full after meals by slowing the release of carbohydrates into the blood.”

According to Mayo Clinic, a high-fiber diet can help you:

• Reach a healthy weight.
• Lower cholesterollevels.
• Have regular bowelmovements and maintain bowel health.

Brussels sprouts and other cruciferous vegetables have also been studied for their ability to prevent cancers. According to a November 2018 article published in âMoleculesâ, cruciferous vegetables contain compounds called glucosinolates. There are more than 200 types of these glucosinolates that work with proteins to repair DNA damage and, it’s thought, work to prevent the growth of cancers.

Eating cruciferous vegetables raw â which is easier to do with choices like watercress and bok choy â will provide more of these beneficial effects compared to eating them cooked, according to the âMoleculesâ review.

If cruciferous veggies and your digestive system simply can’t get along, be sure to get your fill of non-gassy vegetables. According to the International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders, some of the least gassy choices are:

• Lettuce.

Don’t Miss: Does Pickle Juice Help With Gas