Fruits with high acidity

Fruits with increased acidity - a ban or a benefit? Opinions on this issue are contradictory: on the one hand, fruit is an acid, which the stomach environment already contains in excess.

But on the other hand, many fruits have an alkaline effect, and also consist of vitamins, microelements and fiber we need. In a word, this question is quite interesting, and therefore we will dwell on it in more detail.

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Increased acidity in the stomach

The degree of acid in the stomach is one of the most important indicators of the normal functioning of the digestive system. It is through the gastric juice that all the food that enters the stomach is transformed. And the main role in this process is played by hydrochloric acid, the content of which in the stomach is not constant: its quantity can vary from time of day, and also due to various pathologies of the digestive tract. Such pathologies can develop as a result of infection in the GI system, or after the surgical interventions and malnutrition.

If the specific gravity of hydrochloric acid in the gastric environment is equal to or greater than 0.5%, then we can speak of an increase in acidity in the stomach. To determine this indicator it is necessary to undergo the procedure of PH-metry.

The most vivid sign of increased acidity in the stomach is heartburn - a feeling of discomfort, burning sensation in the area of passage of the esophagus. Even after the heartburn has stopped, discomfort continues to worry for some time. Of the accompanying signs, you can identify an acidic eructation, which arises more often against the background of heartburn, after taking "wrong" food.

Increasing the acidity of the stomach environment is already a diagnosis, and it must be treated. However, the use of medicines alone is indispensable here: to achieve positive results in treatment, it is necessary to adhere to a certain diet. From the daily menu, fatty, sharp, salty, fried foods should be excluded, the patient should switch to a fractional food and avoid overeating.

Can I use fruit snacks with increased acidity?

Healthy eating involves not only the right and balanced basic meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner), but also healthy snacks. Than we are accustomed to a snack? Of course, biscuits, crackers, chips, sandwiches and cola. Unfortunately, such nutrition can provoke the development of gastric pathologies, and, in particular, a change in the acidity of the gastric environment.

Adherents of a healthy diet know that the right snack should contain fruits, vegetables, dairy products. But what about the use of fruit with increased acidity?

You can eat fruit with a tendency to excessively acidic stomach environment. But you should choose non-acid varieties of fruits: bananas, pears, sweet apples, etc., both fresh and in the form of dried fruits. Sour oranges, tangerines, pineapple, grapefruit are prohibited. The same applies to orange juice.

Orange juice helps to disrupt the coordination of progressive muscular contractions of the esophagus, which can lead to spasm, especially if the esophageal walls are already actively irritated by the action of gastric acid. No matter how you like orange juice, with increased acidity, you should reduce its consumption to 40-50 ml at a time, diluting the juice with water or vegetable juice.

In general, as for fruit juices, it is important to note that juice from apples, grapes, orange or lemon strengthens the secretion of the stomach, and juice from raspberries or cherries, on the contrary, lowers it. The fruit juice, diluted with water, is considered to be the most useful, since they serve as a stimulant for the function of the pancreas. Undiluted juices inhibit its function, which can lead to severity in the stomach and digestive disorders. This refers to natural fresh juices. But it is undesirable to use packaged juices at all, especially with increased acidity: such drinks contain lemon and other acids, which will only aggravate the state of the stomach environment.

Well chew when you eat, and fruits including. Take food slowly, and after a meal should not just go to rest: keep the vertical position of the body at least for 40-50 minutes. This will protect you from getting gastric juice into the esophagus and will prevent the occurrence of heartburn.

What kind of fruit can be consumed with increased acidity?

People who suffer from increased acidity of the stomach environment, use fruits and dishes from them with caution, especially for acid sour cherries, sour apples, currants, gooseberries, citrus fruits. If it's really unbearable, you can use a small amount, but only after half an hour after eating, otherwise the effect of fruit acid will lead to an increase in the already high acidity of the stomach environment. This can be an impetus to the development and exacerbation of the inflammatory process of the walls of the stomach, or to the formation of ulcerative pathology.

Sweet varieties of fruit or berry mixtures, fruit marmalade, pastille, marshmallow on pectin, homemade jam and fruit jam are allowed.

• Pears: activate digestion, increase appetite, have a diuretic effect and lower fever temperature. Fresh pears contain a large amount of coarse dietary fiber, which increases the motor function of the intestine, so the fruit of the pear is useful for constipation and is not recommended for diarrhea. Pear in combination with honey is an excellent remedy against anemia and bronchitis. However, there are some features of eating pears: it is not recommended to eat on an empty stomach, and also to wash down with raw water. One ripe pear contains up to 10% of the daily intake of vitamin C, about 4 g of pectin.
• Melons: not quite fruit, but very useful with increased acidity of the stomach. However, one should not eat unripe melons, and also combine melon with fermented milk products and alcoholic beverages - this can provoke a digestive disorder. It is not recommended to use melon on an empty stomach: the best solution is to eat a few pieces of fragrant pulp in the breaks between meals, as a snack. Among the many useful properties of melon has a laxative effect, and also helps to fight with extra pounds.
• Kiwi: One or two fruits, consumed after a plentiful meal, can serve as a kind of alternative "mezim" - they will relieve the feeling of heaviness in the stomach, ease the manifestations of heartburn, and will relieve belching. It is curious that the use of kiwi after an abundance of fried foods reduces the harmful effects of carcinogenic substances on the body. It is not recommended to eat kiwi at the same time as dairy products - it threatens with digestion and flatulence.
• Apples: with increasing acidity in the stomach, it is preferable to eat ripe and sweet varieties of apples. During an acute course of gastritis, apples are also allowed to be used, after cutting the skin: in this form they can be baked or mashed. It is especially tasty and useful to eat apples in combination with carrots. To neutralize the excess stomach acid, honey can be cooked on apples: several sweet apples should be peeled, seeds removed, finely chopped and boiled over a low heat for about three hours, adding a little water. When the mashed potatoes become thick and brown, the dishes should be removed from the heat and cooled. In the cooled mixture mix a little honey to taste and take a few spoons for heartburn or belching. Also a good effect is observed when using compote from apples with the addition of cinnamon.
• Bananas: contain starch in their composition, so they are able to envelop the walls of the stomach, eliminating irritation of the mucosa. You should not eat rotten bananas, and brown spots and dark flesh should be removed. Also, it is not recommended to consume too many bananas in one sitting: thus, you will overload the pancreas, which will provoke difficult digestion of food and increased acidity in the stomach. In the end - all the same heartburn. Remember that everything is good in moderation (because even the vitamins so necessary for the body we do not eat with spoons). If you ate only one banana, and then you are tortured with heartburn - it means that increased acidity is not the only problem that your stomach suffers. Check with a medical professional.

So, let's sum up: fruits can be consumed with increased acidity, but:

• not on an empty stomach;
• not acidic;
• ripe and fresh;
• preferably separate from other types of food;
•  not overeating.

Do not give up fruit, refuse better from the wrong and harmful food. If you are in doubt, to eat or not any fruit or berry, you can consult a doctor-gastroenterologist or a nutritionist.

Fruits with increased acidity are not forbidden, only if it is correct to approach the issues of daily nutrition.