If you have acid reflux you might be wondering if orange juice is a good choice and if you should drink it if you have acid reflux.
Orange juice is not a good choice if you have acid reflux. The main reason why you most likely will want to avoid orange juice if you have acid reflux is because of its high acidity. This high acidity can trigger and worsen acid reflux symptoms in a lot of people. While it may not happen with everyone with acid reflux it is known as a common trigger.
Below we will talk about orange juice in more detail and its pros and cons.
Is Orange Juice Good or Bad for Acid Reflux?
If you have acid reflux chances are that you should be avoiding orange juice. The main reason you want to avoid orange juice is because of its acidity. Orange juice has a pH of around 3.5. This makes it very acidic on the pH scale and can quite often trigger and irritate acid reflux symptoms.
Therefore, for a lot of people they will notice the orange juice can cause their acid reflux to start or it may even reaggravate recent or past acid reflux damage that has happened.
On top of the acidity, orange juice has naturally occurring citric acid. Citric acid is very acidic too and is also an irritate when drank especially for people with more sensitive digestive systems.
More often than not orange juice should be avoided for people with acid reflux though some people have said that drinking orange juice has actually helped their acid reflux symptoms. While this is not the norm it does seem to happen for certain people.
There are a few potential reasons for this. One of them is when someone drinks orange juice it increases the acidity of the stomach. If someone doesn’t have enough acid and acidity in the stomach it can mean digestion doesn’t work properly.
When you drink orange juice it will increase the acidity of the stomach which for some people may help improve digestion. This in turn may help alleviate some acid reflux that has been caused by a lower stomach acidity than normal.
Also, orange juice has a lot of vitamin C included. Vitamin C is a great antioxidant which can help to reduce inflammation. As acid reflux often causes inflammation in the digestive tract then this sometimes can have a beneficial effect. Of course, this benefit is often negated because of the high acidity actually causing and worsening the acid reflux.
Round Up
If you have acid reflux it will likely be best to avoid orange juice because of its high acidity level which will often irritate or trigger acid reflux problems.
This means for people with more severe acid reflux like GERD or LPR that orange juice should always be avoided. If you have more minor acid reflux then you can try some orange juice in moderation and see how you fair from there. If you notice no downsides then you can try a little more the following time if you prefer to.
For more advice on diet for acid reflux check our Wipeout Diet Plan. And for tailored advice and guidance book a Private Acid Reflux Consultation Here.
Important Related Questions
What Juice is Good for Acid Reflux?
A couple of good juice options for acid reflux are carrot juice, or other juices including watermelon, cucumber, or celery to name a few.
These juices should be freshly juiced and ideally made yourself. Store bought juices are more likely to have added preservatives that often make the juice more acidic and therefore more problematic for acid reflux.
Therefore, it’s best to opt for homemade juices that you made yourself or juices with no preservatives or added sugars etc.
What Drinks Make Reflux Worse?
Lots of drinks can and often will make acid reflux worse. For example, most sodas (like Coke or Sprite) and fruit juices are too acidic and will often worsen or trigger acid reflux problems.
Therefore, the best drink choices for acid reflux are usually water or certain herbal teas like chamomile or marshmallow root tea which are safe to drink without concern for making acid reflux symptoms worse.