What to Do About Excess Stomach Acid?

Stomach acid is an important part of digestion, but too much often leads to acid indigestion or other digestive problems. Cooking foods longer than necessary breaks down important enzymes needed for digestion, as does eating refined or processed foods that have been stripped of valuable nutrients. These types of foods take longer to digest, leading to discomfort after meals.

Occurance

• To help your stomach digest over-processed foods like sandwich meats, high-calorie snacks, refined breads and pastas, convenience meals or cooked foods that have lost enzymes, the stomach produces a large amount of stomach acid. This over-production of acid leads to discomfort such as acid indigestion. The food also moves into the intestines, creating bloating, gas or other chronic digestion issues.

Causes

• Foods that cause excess acid production include high-sugar and fatty foods, alcohol, tea, coffee and soda. Beer causes stomach acid to double in volume. Many drinks, especially those with carbonation, stimulate the production of acid, increasing the risk of excess in the stomach.

  Milk has long been a home remedy for digestion discomfort, but it usually ends up only making the problem worse. Milk increases the production of stomach acid through digestion, leading to discomfort later on.

Reduction

• Instead of eating large meals at each sitting, consume smaller meals throughout the day. Eating smaller portions will reduce the amount of acid the stomach needs to digest foods. Eat plenty of complex carbohydrates like pasta, whole grains and rice to soak up any excess acid and create smoother digestion.

  Avoid eating fast foods, which often contain a large amount of fat. This fat takes longer to digest, increasing the risk of excess acid production. Never lie down after eating a meal, since doing so can cause indigestion and heartburn. Try to stay up for at least one hour after eating to prevent any digestive discomfort, and always sleep with your head elevated at least 6 inches.

  Be cautious about taking too many over the counter anti-acids or acid blockers such as Pepcid AC instead of changing your lifestyle habits. Using them may temporarily take care of symptoms, but they might also prevent nutrient absorption.