Can I eat Chinese food with acid reflux?
In this brief article, we will answer the question ‘Can I eat Chinese food with acid reflux?’. We will also take a look at what acid reflux is, its triggers, some acid reflux friendly chinese food, and how to tailor chinese cuisine to avoid reflux.
Can I eat Chinese food with acid reflux?
Yes, you can eat Chinese food with acid reflux. However, it should be kept in mind that Chinese food does not contain any ingredients that can trigger the reflux. Especially incase of take outs or dining out, inquire about the ingredients that are problematic for you and request the minimal usage while preparing your dish.
In case of home cooked chinese meals, acid reflux is easily manageable by avoiding the triggering foods and ingredients. Avoiding extra spices, especially MSG while making Chinese st home can help keep acid reflux in check.
What is acid reflux?
Acid reflux or heartburn is a condition that occurs when the acidic content of the stomach flows into the esophagus due weak sphincter muscles or its inability to close after food passes through.
The back flow leads to the burning feeling and discomfort in the chest. If the frequency of reeflux become more than twice a week then condition is called as GERD (GastroEsophageal Reflux Disease)
How can acid reflux get triggered?
There are several ways acid reflux can get triggered. The reasons vary from medical conditions to simple dietary choices and lifestyle habits. Some of the causes of acid reflux can be listed as:
- Obesity or being overweight
- Hiatal hernia
- Pregnancy
- Smoking
- Lying down soon after a heavy meal
- Consuming a fatty meal
- Taking snacks right before the bed time
- Consuming certain caffeinated and alcoholic beverages, like tea or coffee, beer.
- Intake of acidic foods like tomatoes, garlic, ginger, onion, chocolates.
Why do foods trigger acid reflux?
There are several other common ingredients that can trigger acid reflux. The reason behind this is the acidic nature of these foods. Stomach produces hydrochloric acid to break down food. When ingredients of acidic nature reach the stomach it aggravates the acidic conditions and reflux is more likely to happen.
Same happens with fatty and spicy foods. Spicy and fatty foods take a long time to metabolize, hence they sit in the stomach for a longer period of time, which keeps stimulating the acid production in the stomach. The overproduction and accumulation of acid is more likely to cause the reflux.
What are some reflux friendly chinese dishes?
To keep your reflux in check while enjoying your favorite chinese food, we have narrowed down some dishes that are less triggering. These mentioned options can also be consumed while dining out where you don’t have much control over the ingredients and added sauces.
These dishes include:
- Vegetable soups
- Chicken soup (Except hot and sour soup)
- Steamed dumplings
- Miso Soup
- Steam fish and other meats
- Steam prawn and seafood mains
- Peking duck
- Summer rolls
- Sauteed vegetable sides
- Steamed buns
- Steamed chicken main
How to tailor Chinese cuisine to avoid reflux?
You get a lot of freedom over ingredient choice while making chinese at home. Like any other dish you can tailor Chinese food to your taste and preferences that are not hard on reflux. Although different people have different ingredient triggers, we have made some general recommendations that can help you tailor Chinese Cuisine according to your dietary needs.
- Avoid the generous use of sauces while cooking
- Instead of frying the meat products for main dish, saute them in light oil
- Keep the use of oil to minimum
- Avoid garlic rich gravies
- Steer clear of the use of excess spices and heavy sauces like schezuan
- Avoid cooking in and using chili oil
- Keep the seasoning light
- Use ample amount of vegetables
- White rice with gravies can help with avoiding the reflux
Conclusion
In this brief article, we answered the question ‘Can I eat Chinese food with acid reflux?’. We also took a look at what acid reflux is, its triggers, some acid reflux friendly chinese food, and how to tailor chinese cuisine to avoid reflux.
