By VERA AWUAH –
Heart burn is best described as a painful burning sensation that occurs in the lower chest area. It is a symptom of acid re-flux – a condition where stomach acid escapes into the esophagus, the tube that delivers food and beverages to your stomach. Heartburn affects many people around the world every month. Normally, stomach acid cannot escape into the esophagus because of a barrier called the lower esophageal sphincter. This is a ring-like muscle that naturally stays closed, and normally only opens when you swallow or belch. However, in people with acid re-flux, this muscle is often weakened. This is one reason people with acid re-flux experience heartburn. The food or diet we take plays an important role in heartburn. Many foods can relax the lower esophageal sphincter, which allows food to escape into the esophagus and cause heartburn.
Here are some major basic foods that can cause heartburn in your system.
High-fat Foods: High-fat foods may cause heartburn in the human system. Unfortunately, this includes incredibly healthy and nutritious foods like avocados, cheese, and nuts.
There are two ways that high -fat foods can trigger heartburn: First, they may relax the lower esophageal sphincter – the muscle that acts as a barrier between the esophagus and the stomach. When this muscle relaxes, the stomach acid can escape from the stomach into the esophagus and cause heartburn. Secondly, high -fat foods stimulate the release of the hormone cholecystokinin (CCK). This hormone may also relax the lower acid reflux. In addition, CCK encourages food to sit in the stomach longer so it can be better digested inside. Sadly, this may also increase the risk of acid reflux, which can cause heartburn. It is important to note that this does not only apply to healthy foods that are rich in fats. It also applies to especially fried foods and take-out meals that are high in fat. Fats also promote the release of CCK, which actually may relax the sphincter and let food sit in the stomach for longer time – both risk factors for heartburn. 
Mint: Mint, like peppermint and spearmint, are often thought to soothe digestive conditions. However, there’s some evidence that these mints may cause heartburn. Studies found that high doses of spearmint were linked with acid reflux symptoms. Another study of more than 500 people found that those who consumed peppermint tea daily had twice the risk of heartburn. Studies also suggest there is limited evidence of a link between mint and heartburn. If you feel that Mint makes your heart worse, then, it best to avoid them.
Citrus Juice: As we all know, citrus products are acidic-based foods. Drinking citrus juice may trigger heartburn symptoms in your body. For examples, in a study of 382 people with heartburn, 67percent of participants experienced heartburn after consuming orange juice. In another study of approximately 400 people with heartburn, 73 percent experienced heartburn after drinking orange or grape fruit juice. Findings suggested that the amount of acid in citrus juice may have been responsible for causing heartburn symptoms. However, it’s not entirely certain how citrus juice can cause heartburn.
Chocolate: Chocolate is another common trigger for heartburn. 
Like high-fat foods, chocolate can relax the lower esophageal sphincter. This may allow stomach acid to escape into the esophagus and cause heartburn. In addition, chocolate is made of Cocoa, which contains the “Happy hormone” serotonin. Unfortunately, serotonin may relax the lower esophageal sphincter as well. Lastly, chocolate also contains the compounds theobromine and caffeine. Both can stimulate the lower esophageal sphincter to relax. This may be due to its fat content, serotonin levels or other naturally occurring compounds.
Alcohol: Alcohol as we all know, the way it reacts – weather moderate or excessive alcohol intake can also cause heartburn. Alcohol can do this in many ways. 
For example, it can relax the lower esophageal sphincter, which may allow stomach acid to escape into the esophagus and trigger heartburn. In addition, alcoholic beverages, especially beer and wine, can increase your amount of acid, which can increase the risk of heartburn. Lastly, excessive alcohol intake may directly damage the lining of the esophagus over time. This can make the esophagus more sensitive to stomach acid.
Soda and Carbonated Beverages: Soda and carbonated beverages are also common culprit of heartburn. Research suggests that these beverages may relax the esophagus sphincter and increase the acidity of the stomach acid – two risk factors for heartburn.
In one study, scientists observed the sleeping pattern of more than 15,000 people, finding that approximately 25 percent experienced night-time heartburn. After further investigation, many researchers found that night-time heartburn was strongly linked to several factors, including drinking carbonated soft drinks. 
Another study found that people who consumed carbonated beverages had a 69 percent higher risk of developing reflux symptoms like heartburn.
Heartburn is a symptom of acid reflux. It affects millions of people every month. Many foods can cause heartburn by relaxing the lower esophageal sphincter, a ring-like muscle that acts as a barrier between the esophagus and stomach.
If you experience heartburn frequently, try removing some of the foods in this list from your diet to see if your symptoms improve. It’s a good idea to keep a food diary so you can track which foods give you heartburn. You can also try adding foods to your diet that help relieve heartburn, such as bananas, melons, oatmeal, grains, potatoes, ginger, and green veggies.
You can take the above-mentioned foods to relieve you from heartburn.
Happy healthy Eating!
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