Friday, May 4, 2007

How to put an end to heartburn

Heartburn usually results from excess acidity in the stomach, or
from improper functioning of your digestive system.

At the point where the esophagus and stomach join, a special
muscle opens and closes the esophagus. When we swallow food this
muscle relaxes to let the food pass into the stomach after which it
closes again.

But it can happen that the muscle malfunctions. The contents of
the stomach then rise back up the esophagus, irritating the area. And
this results in the infamous feeling of heartburn.

How to stop it? Avoid acidic foods (lemons, etc.), alcohol, fat
or fried food, food that is overcooked, coffee, juice, tomato base
products and chocolate. But don’t deprive yourself too much. Rather,
observe which foods bring on heartburn and avoid them. Also, don’t
go to sleep right after eating (you should eat supper around 7 o’clock)
and don’t smoke, especially after meals.

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