If you have acid reflux, can you eat pineapple or not?

People who have stomach acid problems such as ulcers are said not to eat and drink acidic ones. So, what about pineapples?

Check the nutritional content in pineapple

Having a fresh sweet and sour taste, it's no wonder that pineapple is favored as an appetizing dessert. However, make no mistake. Behind its deliciousness, pineapple is also enriched with a number of important nutrients that are beneficial to the body.

According to Indonesian Food Composition Data from the Indonesian Ministry of Health, every 100 grams (gr) of pineapple contains 40 calories, 0.6 grams of protein, 0.3 grams of protein, 9.9 grams of carbohydrates, and 0.6 grams of fiber. Not to mention the various essential vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin C which helps maintain endurance.

So if pineapple is useful, why is this fruit respected by people who have ulcers?

What is ulcer disease?

Ulcer is actually not a type of disease. There is no term "ulcer disease" in an official medical dictionary. Ulcer is a term used by ordinary people to describe various complaints related to stomach acid problems. In other words, ulcers are a group of symptoms that indicate a certain digestive disorder.

You see, the human stomach naturally produces acidic fluids that help the digestive process. However, the stomach may overproduce acid if you experience certain problems or disorders. When the amount exceeds the limit, then a variety of common ulcer symptoms appear. Starting from abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, and feeling like vomiting

Particularly due to GERD, the stomach ring muscles become weak, causing stomach acid to back up into the esophagus. This condition is also known as heartburn or acid reflux. Reflux can cause the chest to the throat to feel hot as if it is burning, as well as the mouth to taste sour.

Can eating pineapple make stomach acid increase?

If you have an ulcer, you should not carelessly consume food and drinks. This prohibition is not without reason. Some foods and drinks can indeed trigger stomach acid to rise, making symptoms recur easily or feel worse.

One type of food that most often triggers ulcers is acidic foods. Fruits that are acidic should be avoided because they can trigger acid reflux. Yes! That means including pineapple. Especially if eaten while the stomach is still empty. With a pH level of 3-4, pineapple is even one of the most acidic fruits among other acidic fruits.

Its ulcer-triggering properties also come from the bromelain content in pineapples. One study published in the Journal of Medical Sciences in 2013 states that eating pineapple can trigger sores on the stomach wall. Bromelain is a special type of enzyme that works to break down proteins in the body. Including collagen protein found in the stomach wall tissue.

Even so, not all people with stomach ulcers, stomach acid reflux, and GERD will always have their symptoms recur every time they eat pineapple. We recommend that you consult further with your doctor to make sure you can eat this fruit or not.

Natural way to deal with stomach acid

Apart from the consumption of drugs, there are still other ways that can be done to help deal with recurrence of acid reflux. The key is to adopt a healthy lifestyle by doing several things including:

1. Avoid trigger foods

So that ulcer symptoms don't recur easily, pay attention to what foods you consume every day.

Apart from pineapple, you also need to eat less too much other foods that can trigger the symptoms. For example:

• Oranges (grapefruit, lemon, lime, lime)
• Tomatoes and processed tomato products, such as sauces
• Fatty and greasy foods, such as fast food, fried foods
• Chocolate
• Onions (garlic, shallots, onions)
• Spicy food
• Coffee and tea (caffeine)
• Soft drink
• Mint leaves
• Alcoholic beverages

Avoiding trigger foods and drinks is highly recommended to help control ulcer symptoms.

2. Eat healthy for the stomach

The food you eat affects the amount of acid your stomach produces. That's why eating the right foods is the key to controlling stomach acid reflux.

Actually there is no food that can really treat high stomach acid. It's just that, adjusting your diet to be healthier can at least avoid the risk of recurrence.

Fulfill your daily nutritional intake from high-fiber food sources such as vegetables, nuts, and fruits that are not acidic. For example bananas, apples, watermelons, papayas, melons, and others.

It is also important to adopt a diet low in fat but rich in protein. In addition to keeping you full longer, this diet can also help reduce the risk of the severity of your acid reflux symptoms.

In fact, you can even take a minute to eat chewing gum after eating. Why? In addition to relaxing the mind, chewing gum can help increase saliva production, thereby minimizing the amount of stomach acid that rises into the esophagus.

Don't forget, make sure your eating hours are always regular every day. An empty stomach condition can trigger stomach acid to rise, causing various symptoms of indigestion. Of course you don't want stomach acid to come back, right?

3. Set daily meal portions

Try to remember again, how did you eat so far? It turns out that the number of portions of food has an important role in the condition of your stomach. Yes, eating small portions of food can help reduce excess pressure on the stomach, which will automatically prevent stomach acid from rising up into the esophagus.

Instead of eating large portions at once, it's best to divide or separate the food into several portions so that they eat less. By eating smaller portions but more often, at least it can help reduce the possibility of acid reflux, one of which is marked by stomach pain.

In addition, it is also important to avoid lying down or sleeping after eating to prevent stomach acid from rising to the top. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, it's best to give a gap of about 2-3 hours after eating before you finally sleep or lie down.

It would be better to sleep with the pillow slightly elevated. This aims to prevent stomach acid from rising back up.

4. Stop smoking

Smoking is a taboo for people with acid reflux, such as ulcers and GERD. The reason is, smoking can damage the function of the lower esophageal sphincter, which is supposed to prevent stomach acid from coming back up into the esophagus.

When the muscles of the lower sphincter weaken as a result of frequent smoking, you are at risk of experiencing more frequent abdominal pain, a burning sensation in the chest (heartburn), as well as other discomfort due to increased stomach acid. That is a sign, now is the time for you to quit smoking if you are an active smoker.

Meanwhile, for those of you who often experience increased stomach acid but don't smoke, avoid smoking as much as possible because it can worsen your health condition.

5. Relaxation

Increased levels of stomach acid in the body, whether due to ulcers, stomach acid reflux, or GERD, can make the body feel "tense". In this case, a tense body condition is caused by the muscles of the esophagus which tend to be stiffer due to the extra work to keep stomach acid in the digestive system and not back up.

In order to restore the body's condition to the way it was after stomach acid rises, for example by eating pineapple, one way that can be done is by applying relaxation techniques. For a long time, relaxation techniques have been believed to be a tool to relieve stress, emotions, and insomnia.

The good news is, this one method can also be used to relieve high stomach acid by relaxing the body and mind, so you don't feel tense. There are various relaxation techniques you can do, for example yoga, deep breathing techniques, or meditation. Do this several times a day.

Choice of ulcer medication at the doctor

If your stomach feels uncomfortable after eating pineapple or something else, chances are that your stomach acid is going up. This condition should not be underestimated. Uncontrolled acid reflux and getting worse can increase the risk of esophageal cancer.

Therefore, you should immediately solve your digestive problems by using ulcer drugs. There are various types of ulcer drugs, both over-the-counter or those that doctors prescribe. For example

1. Antacids

This drug is tasked with fighting the bad effects of increased stomach acid. Antacids are a class of over-the-counter drugs so you can easily get them without having to redeem a doctor's prescription.

Examples of these drugs are Alka-Seltzer, Maalox, Rolaids, Riopan, and Mylanta. But sometimes, doctors can also recommend giving this drug, especially if your ulcer symptoms recur.

2.Histamine-2 receptor blockers (H-2 blockers)

H-2 blockers are responsible for reducing stomach acid levels. The medicinal effect is stronger and longer lasting than antacids. The difference is, the antacid class drugs work faster to relieve stomach acid than the H-2 receptor antagonists.

The histamine contained in this medicine can trigger acid production if taken after meals. It is advisable to take H-2 blockers before eating, approximately 30 minutes beforehand to prevent stomach acid from rising.

H-2 receptor antagonists include Ranitidine (Zantac), Tagamet, Famotidine (Pepcid), Axid, and Cimetidine. Some of these types are available over the counter, while others are only available by prescription. You can take this type of medicine when stomach acid recurs due to eating pineapple or other acidic fruits.

However, these drugs can sometimes cause side effects in the form of nausea, vomiting, constipation (constipation), diarrhea, and headaches.

3.Proton pump inhibitor (PPI)

These drugs include Omeprazole, Aciphex, Nexium, Prevacid, Prilosec, Protonix, and Zegerid. Its job is to prevent gastric acid secretion. PPI drugs are also believed to have a better effect than other stomach acid drugs.

PPIs are usually more recommended for people who have GERD to drink. The action of this drug in controlling stomach acid is considered to be stronger than that of the H-2 receptor antagonist drugs.

Basically, the various drug choices are safe and effective to drink. But like most drugs, drugs to treat stomach acid are not necessarily suitable for everyone.

Therefore, make sure you always consult your doctor first regarding how to use it as well as the risk of side effects. Consultation can also help determine which type of acid reflux medication is most suitable for your condition.

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