Is Ginger Ale Good for Acid Reflux?

You might be thinking if you drink ginger ale is it a good choice if you have acid reflux and should you even drink it at all?

No ginger ale is not good for acid reflux. In fact, it’s quite a bad choice for acid reflux because of its high acidity and carbonation.

There are also other things that are not good about it which we will cover more in detail below.

Is Ginger Ale Good for Acid Reflux?

You might have thought ginger ale is a good choice for acid reflux, but you would be wrong. Even though ginger itself it’s a great choice on its own for acid reflux and digestion in general there is typically very little ginger included in ginger ale. You can expect less than 2% of the total ginger ale drink to be ginger.

As I said ginger ale is not a good choice if you have acid reflux. That is because of a few different reasons which we will list and explain below.

Too Acidic

Probably the main reason you will want to avoid ginger ale is because of its acidity. Typically, ginger ale is around a pH of 3-3.5. This is considered quite acidic and will more likely than not worsen acid reflux symptoms especially for someone with more severe acid reflux like GERD or LPR.

If you have acid reflux or are prone to things like heartburn or indigestion it’s a good idea to avoid ginger ale especially because of this.

Carbonation

The second bad thing about ginger ale is the carbonation. When you drink something that is carbonated it increases distention in the stomach and the digestive system in general.

When you have too much of a gas build up in the stomach from the carbonation it increases the pressure in the stomach. When the pressure is increased in the stomach like this it increases the chance of the valve above the stomach called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) to open.

When this valve opens when it shouldn’t it greatly increases the chance of acid reflux symptoms like heartburn and indigestion. Therefore, drinks with carbonation are generally not a good choice especially if you drink too much of them.

High Sugar Content

Another problem with ginger ale is the high sugar content. Sugar generally is an okay choice for people with acid reflux in moderation but in higher quantities it’s more likely to cause a negative reaction.

Drinks that have a little sugar are okay but the problem here is ginger ale typically does not have a little sugar but instead a lot. In a 12 fl. Oz you can expect around 7 teaspoons of sugar which simply is too much sugar to drink is one sitting. This can lead to irritation in the digestive system. For alternative drinks check out our Wipeout Diet Plan.

Preservatives and Extras

In addition to the other issues with ginger ale you also have added extras that are used for flavoring and preserving the drink. These are ingredients like citric acid or sodium benzoate as a couple of examples. These kinds of ingredients contribute to making the drink more acidic and less natural which generally is not good for people with acid reflux.

Could Ginger Ale Be Good for Acid Reflux in Any Way?

The couple of ways you might think ginger ale could be good for acid reflux is the ginger included. The problem is that the ginger contents is too low to bring about a noticeable benefit and the bad factors negate any benefit that the ginger itself could help with.

Ginger tea would be a better choice, because it just has ginger included and is made with water only.

If you have low stomach acid there is a chance that the higher acidity could help and aid your digestion though this kind of drink really is not the best way to go about it because of the other factors which could make your acid reflux worse like the carbonation for example.

A better and more natural alternative would be apple cider vinegar or betaine HCL tablets. Though low acidity causing your acid reflux problems is not a common cause.

For alternatives to ginger ale and what you should drink if you have acid reflux check our Wipeout Diet Plan. Also for support and treatment advice consider a Private Acid Reflux Consultation Here with me.

Interesting Related Questions

Does Ginger Ale Make Acid Reflux Worse?

Typically, ginger ale is more likely to make acid reflux worse than better. Because of the reasons we mentioned earlier such as higher acidity and carbonation.

Is Canada Dry Ginger Ale Good for Acid Reflux?

No, it is not a good choice for acid reflux. Which is a similar story regardless of the brand that you opt for.

Is Ginger Ale Acidic?

Yes ginger ale is acidic with around a pH of around 3-3.5 pH. This is quite acidic and for someone with acid reflux or digestive problems and could likely irritate or cause acid reflux problems such as heartburn or indigestion to name a couple.

It has a similar acidity to other soft drinks like Sprite or Coco Cola to name a couple