Diets for Stomach Acidity

Too much stomach acid can cause health problems, but having too little acid in the stomach can too, as stomach acid kills bacteria entering the body with ingested foods. Eating certain foods, however, and observing certain meal rules can reduce any excess stomach acid you currently have. Follow these diet guidelines, then, to reduce excess acid: add protein to each meal, choose particular foods to eat and refrain from eating several hours prior to bedtime.

Protein

You need to add a portion of protein food like meat, cheese, eggs, milk, beans or nuts to each of your three small meals consumed a day, as well as any snacks eaten. Drinking milk or eating milk products can neutralize the acid in your stomach fairly quickly, if it is not too acidic, but drinking or consuming milk products on a recurring basis throughout the day, in lieu of other dietary changes, will have the opposite effect on stomach acid, causing it to rise. So have a varied diet of non-acidic proteins to prevent your stomach acid from getting worse.

Fruits

Stay away from eating citrus fruits when you are battling stomach acidity, such as oranges, pineapples, sour apples and lemons. This will also include tomato products, which are considered a fruit by some and a vegetable by others. Instead, choose fruits like watermelon, cantaloupe, honey dew and bananas to eat until you have gotten your stomach acidity under control. You can also eat blueberries, strawberries, cherries, fresh figs and sweet plums as well, but they are slightly higher in acid content than the melon fruits and bananas.

Vegetables

Alfalfa, beets, broccoli, cucumbers, green beans and kale are just a few of the vegetables that you can eat to help alkalize your stomach acid. Cauliflower, lettuce, radishes and watercress are more vegetables that can be consumed in spite of stomach acidity. In fact, according to the North Dakota State University Extension Service, all vegetables are low-acid with the exception of most tomatoes.

Considerations

In addition to choosing foods low in acid for meal inclusion, you need to observe certain mealtime habits too when combating stomach acid. For example, don't eat snacks at least three hours before bedtime, as this can stimulate gastric acid production during the night. Eat slowly, chew your foods well and space meals and snack times so that you do not experience cravings or hunger. Eating smaller meals more frequently throughout the day, along with a couple of snacks is better than ingesting larger meals less frequently. And avoid caffeine-containing drinks and foods, including chocolate, while attempting to reduce stomach acid.