|  | Conditions Treatments | Heartburn GERD

Alcohol & GERD

Gastrointenstinal esophageal reflux disease or GERD is a medical condition where acid from your stomach leaks into your esophagus, causing pain. If you suffer from GERD, reducing the amount of alcohol you drink could help control your symptoms.

  1. Side Effects of Alcohol

    • Alcohol relaxes the muscle that keeps acid contained in your stomach, disrupts the contractions in your esophagus that aid swallowing and increases the amount of acid produced in your stomach, explains the American Heartburn Alliance.

    Results

    • Because of alcohol's effects upon your stomach, drinking alcohol has the potential to exacerbate the severity of GERD symptoms, such as pain, a sour taste in your mouth, coughing and difficulty swallowing.

    Clinical Evidence

    • A 2008 study conducted at the Yokohama City University School of Medicine in Japan and published in the BMC Gastroenterology Journal found that the severity symptoms of GERD in male study participants increased proportionately with how much alcohol they consumed. In other words, the more alcohol the men drank, the worse their symptoms became.

    Expert Insight

    • The National Heartburn Alliance suggests that you limit your intake of alcohol to one to two mixed drinks, 12 to 16 oz. of wine, or two to three beers per day in order to decrease the symptoms of GERD related to alcohol. The Mayo Clinic also advises that you avoid alcohol as much as possible if you suffer from GERD.

    Considerations

    • Foods like peppermint, chocolate, garlic, onion and caffeine also increase symptoms of GERD, reports the Mayo Clinic. You may want to reduce or eliminate your intake of these foods to further decrease your symptoms.

Heartburn GERD - Related Articles