Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). GERD occurs when there is reflux of acidic stomach
contents back into the esophagus (Wildman, 2018).
SYMPTOMS
According to (Fass, 2010) GERD symptoms are often persistent, such as chronic heartburn and regurgitation of acid. But sometimes there are mild to no apparent symptoms, and the presence of GERD is revealed when complications become evident. Symptoms vary for the individual. Most people will have mild symptoms that occur shortly after eating meals.
Heartburn that is frequent and disrupts sleep is a strong indicator that an individual may have
GERD. Acid regurgitation is the second most common indicator of GERD. When everything is
working properly, the stomach is the next stop after our chewed ingested food (bolus) goes
through the esophagus. The stomach has acid to help break down the food. With GERD
stomach acid abnormally goes into (refluxes) the esophagus. This can lead to more serious
damage in the esophagus. It can cause cell damage in the esophagus that can lead to a
condition called Barrett’s esophagus and ultimately cancer.
Although Heartburn and acid regurgitation are the most common symptoms, there are a
number of other symptoms that may be an indicator that someone is suffering with GERD.
These may include: Belching, Difficulty or pain when swallowing, Waterbrash (sudden excess of
saliva), Dysphagia (the sensation of food sticking in the esophagus), Chronic sore throat,
Laryngitis, Inflammation of the gums, Erosion of the enamel of the teeth, Chronic irritation in
the throat, Hoarseness in the morning, A sour taste, and Bad breath. (Murray, 2012)
CAUSE
GERD is most often caused by overeating. Some other common causes are eating chocolate,
spicy food, fried foods, acidic foods, citric juices, tomatoes, alcohol, certain oral medications,
obesity, and smoking. It can also be caused by genetics.
TREATMENT
Eliminating problematic foods from the diet is one of the best ways to treat GERD. As well as
incorporating foods that help lower esophageal sphincter muscles work better and stay closed
after you eat.
ESSENTIAL NUTRIENTS
Among the foods the GERD diet recommends you eat more is fiber. In a study published in the
World Journal of Gastroenterology, people with heartburn who had low-fiber diets were given
15 grams of a psyllium fiber supplement each day. After starting the extra fiber, they had
increased esophageal sphincter pressure, fewer incidents of acid backing up, and fewer
heartburn symptoms. A 2016 study published in Diseases of the Esophagus found that eating a
Mediterranean-style diet is associated with a lower risk of GERD.2 That makes sense because
the Mediterranean diet is known for being lower in fatty meats and processed foods. It is also
higher in seafood, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes (Gillson, 2022).
Generally speaking, foods that are good sources of protein will increase the lower esophageal
pressure and are recommended. Also, small, more frequent meals are another dietary
recommendation to decrease the incidence of reflux (Wildman, 2018).
Day Three of meal plan includes 179.4g of protein: Tuna steak, chicken, and turkey bacon.
Getting plenty of fiber in your daily diet is good for your overall health. Medical research shows
that it may also help prevent Barrett’s esophagus from worsening and lower your risk of cancer
in the esophagus (Iftikhar, 2019).
Day Three of meal plan includes 27.9g of fiber: two slices Dave’s killer bread, one large avocado,
One organic Banana, and collard greens.
Vitamin D is a key nutrient in the fight against GERD. According to the National Library of
Medicine’s website, Vitamin D deficiency is associated with idiopathic, but not diabetic
gastroparesis, suggesting that vitamin D deficiency may be responsible for the dysmotility in
idiopathic cases. So vitamin D deficiency might promote GERD either through subclinical
gastroparesis or esophageal dysmotility (Gastroenterol, 2019).Â
Day Three of meal plan includes 4106 IU of Vitamin D. Vitamin D supplement (2x1000u) and
Tuna steak (8 oz.). The remaining two days of the meal plan supply additional Vitamin D:
Baked catfish (8 oz.), Wild caught salmon (2 oz.) and a Vitamin D supplement.
For these reasons water, vitamin D, protein and fiber are essential nutrients in treating GERD.
Alkaline foods are recommended. Those foods with higher pH are alkaline and can help offset
strong stomach acid. Alkaline foods include: bananas, Melons, Cauliflower, Fennel, and Nuts.
Eating foods that contain a lot of water can dilute and weaken stomach acid. Choose foods such
as: Celery, Cucumber, Lettuce, Watermelon, Broth-based soups, and Herbal tea
(HopkinsMedicine.org, 2022).
A relatively new natural therapy for GERD is limonene, extracted from citrus fruit peel. Its
mechanism of action is similar to enteric-coated peppermint oil in that it is thought to improve
coordination of normal peristalsis. Surprisingly, taking 1,000 mg just once a week is helpful for
many suffering from GERD. The typical recommendation, however, is one 1000-mg capsule,
every other day, for 20 days, or a total of 10 doses. (Murray, 2010)
Carob’s beneficial effects are due primarily to its tannins and large sugar molecules. Unlike
many tannins, those found in carob are not water-soluble, so they do not bind to proteins and
render them unavailable, as many tannins do. Also, by making food more viscous in the
stomach, the dietary fiber and sugars provided by carob may reduce the reflux of acid into the
esophagus, providing relief for sufferers of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). (Murray,
2010).
LIFESTYLE RECOMMENDATIONS
There are exercises you can do to strengthen your lower esophageal pressure (LES) (Karrfalt,
2022). By strengthening your LES, it will help reduce the occurrence of acid reflux.
This is a disease that can affect you socially. We are social creatures that tend to incorporate
food and alcohol in our social gatherings. It can be hard to say no when the temptation is
always there. I would recommend checking the menu before you go to see if you need to bring
an alternative. Many foods that are prepared at social gatherings contain foods that can be
problematic for an individual with GERD. Such as fried foods, tomatoes, chocolate, and alcohol.
Being mentally prepared and going in with a plan and alternatives can help you get through
resisting the temptation to ingest problematic food. There will be the social anxieties from
refraining from drinking and smoking socially.
Gravity plays an important role in controlling reflux. Do not lie down within 3 hours of eating.
That is when acid production is at its peak, so plan early dinners and avoid bedtime snacks
(Fass, 2010). Allow yourself time to eat so you can eat slowly and take your time to ingest your
food.
Smoking is also another agitator of GERD. It is recommended that you do not smoke if you have
GERD or GERD symptoms.
Obesity is a factor so maintaining a healthy weight by eating right and exercising regularly can
help with the symptoms of GERD.
Eating frequent small meals is recommended. Large meals should be avoided.
RESOURCES/REFERENCES
1. Wildman, D.M.M.A.R. E. (2018). Advanced Human Nutrition (4th ed.). Jones & Bartlett
Learning. https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9781284157048
2. Murray, M. T., & Pizzorno, J. (2012). The Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine. Simon &
Schuster. https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9781451663013
3. Murray, M. T., & Pizzorno, J. (2010). The Encyclopedia of Healing Foods. Simon &
Schuster. https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/9781439103449
4. International Foundation for Gastrointestinal Disorders, Ronnie Fass MD, 2010,
10/2/2022, [https://aboutgerd.org/signs-and-symptoms/signs-and-symptoms-
overview/]
5. Karrfalt E (April 13, 2022) A Simple Exercise to Strengthen the Lower Esophageal
Sphincter and Eliminate Gastroesophageal Reflux: An Autobiographical Case Report.
Cureus 14(Fass, 2010): e24122. doi:10.7759/cureus.24122
6. Iftikhar MD, Noreen (Updated on May 1, 2019), Medically reviewed by Katherine
Marengo LDN, R.D., Barrett’s Esophagus Diet,
[https://www.healthline.com/health/barretts-esophagus-diet#foods-to-eat]
(10/1/2022)
7. Gillson, Sharon (Updated 4/13/22), What to Eat When You Have GERD
[https://www.verywellhealth.com/heartburn-diet-4014166] (10/2/2022)
8. Hopkins Medicine, reviewed by Ekta Gupta, M.B.B.S., M.D.
[https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/gerd-diet-foods-
that-help-with-acid-reflux-heartburn]
9. J Clin Gastroenterol. 2019 Nov-Dec; 53(10): 711–716., Association of Vitamin D and
Parathyroid Hormone with Barrett’s Esophagus,
[https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6395569/#:~:text=(1)%20Vitamin%20
D%20deficiency%20is,subclinical%20gastroparesis%20or%20esophageal%20dysmotility]
(10/25/2022)