If you have acid reflux or heartburn you might be wondering if drinking some Sprite will help.
No, Sprite does not help acid reflux and more likely than not, will make your acid reflux worse. That’s mainly because of its higher acidity and carbonation and how they can cause or worsen the acid reflux effects.
Below we will get into this in more detail to explain why Sprite is not a good choice and if there is any possibility it could help.
Does Sprite Help Acid Reflux?
Most of the time Sprite will not help acid reflux. That’s mainly because of its higher acidity and being carbonated.
The first and most prominent thing is its higher acidity. Sprites pH is around a 3.3 pH which is considered very acidic. When you drink something that’s very acidic this will of course increase the acidity in the stomach and there digestive tract which usually increases the chance of acid reflux. Also due to its higher acidity passing down the digestive tract as you drink it means more likelihood for irritation.
The second thing that makes Sprite not good is the carbonation. When you drink something that’s carbonated the gas enters your stomach and digestive system, this increases the pressure due to the gas buildup.
If you have too much pressure build up in the stomach this increases the chance of the valve above the stomach called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) to open. When the LES opens when it shouldn’t this often leads to acid reflux and symptoms like heartburn. Also, because the carbonation increases the chance of burping this can also make the stomach acid come up and out of the stomach giving the acid reflux symptoms.
Sprite also has other ingredients that are not good for acid reflux. For example, the excess sugar is not particularly great especially for people with more severe acid reflux like GERD or LPR. Also, you have acidity regulators and lemon and lime which are all quite bad when it comes to acid reflux.
Therefore, as you can see Sprite is not a good choice for digestion and acid reflux and generally should be avoided.
Is Sprite Good for Acid Reflux or Heartburn?
In most cases Sprite will not help acid reflux but make it worse. But I’ll consider if and how Sprite could help acid reflux.
If your digestion is not good and your stomach does not have enough acid drinking Sprite in theory could at least have some benefit. That would be mainly because of how Sprite would increase the acidity of the stomach which could in theory aid digestion thanks to the higher acidity. Though you always have the other downside effects such as the carbonation and generally acidic ingredients and sugar which would likely make it worse or negate that benefit.
Instead of drinking Sprite you would be best to drink something alkaline that would neutralize the acidity and help calm down the stomach. One of the best things for this is alkaline water. Alkaline water has a pH of more than 7. Ideally you would drink alkaline water with more than an 8 pH for the best effect possible. The higher the pH the more alkaline and the lower the more acidic.
Also, a great home remedy is baking soda. Basically, you mix a little baking soda with some water. Doing this makes the water much more alkaline and when you drink it will help calm any acid reflux or heartburn effects that you might be experiencing. For more on this and how to make the mixture check our article here – baking soda for heartburn.
Another thing that can work well to calm any acid reflux effects is to eat some food that has a cooling effect that aren’t too acidic. The best examples of this include cucumber, celery, and watermelon. For more complete information on the best foods for acid reflux and a complete acid reflux diet plan check our Wipeout Diet Plan.
Interesting Related Questions
What Drinks Sooth Acid Reflux?
One of the best drinks is alkaline water. This kind of water helps neutralize and balance out the acidity in the stomach which in turn will help calm acid reflux symptoms. Another couple of good options include chamomile and marshmallow root tea. Both have a calming effect and help protect the throat and the whole digestive tract down into the stomach.
Does Sprite Hurt Heartburn?
Sprite is more likely to hurt or worsen heartburn than make it better. The same can be said for other similar drinks like 7up or Coco Cola.
Is Water Good for Acid Reflux?
Water can help acid reflux. Though it can depend on how acidic or alkaline the water is on how helpful it can be. Sometimes water alone will not be helpful depending on the severity of acid reflux and the root cause. Also drinking too much water when eating may make symptoms worse.
What is the Fastest Way to Neutralize Stomach Acid?
Baking soda mixed with water is a good quick option. You can also opt for taking Gaviscon which should make you feel better relatively quickly.
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