If you have acid reflux and are wanting to try out the keto diet you might be wondering if it’s a good idea, and if the keto diet can help your acid reflux symptoms.
The Keto diet is not the best kind of diet for acid reflux (GERD). That’s because of its high fat content which often can be more triggering for acid reflux. As the keto diet is also low in carbs that can also be counter productive as a lot of foods that are high in carbs in good for acid reflux.
Though there are some cases where the keto diet may be helpful for acid reflux it isn’t the norm. Today we will cover everything in more detail below.
Keto and Acid Reflux – Good Idea?
If you didn’t already know keto is a kind of diet that lowers the amount of carbohydrates and instead replaces them with fat content. When you lower the carbohydrate intake and replace it with fat it helps the body to burn fat for energy which is often great at helping to lose weight and lowering the risk of other diseases too.
While keto has been proven to be effective at helping to lose weight this kind of diet is not ideal for acid reflux. If you have ever read general advice and guidance for an acid reflux diet you will have come across foods or things to avoid. A common thing that is recommended to avoid is foods that are high in fat.
The reason why fatty foods are recommended to be avoided is because they will often worsen or trigger acid reflux symptoms. Fatty foods take longer to digest which in turn delays the emptying of the stomach and therefore increases the chances of acid reflux.
This is of course worth mentioning as the keto diet is high in fat. This only amplifies this effect in the stomach which increases the chances of acid reflux for a lot of people. Of course, while fatty foods generally are not a good choice in bigger quantities for most people, some people may be fine to have them without any downsides.
Of course, what triggers one person may not trigger another, but a general recommendation is to avoid foods that are high in fat because of how they typically increase chances of acid reflux.
The second element to the keto diet is lowering carbohydrates. Typically, this is not the best for acid reflux. The reason for this is because foods that are high in carbs are often a great choice for helping and calming an over acidic stomach.
Foods like rice, pasta, and potatoes for example are all high in carbohydrates and all of them are usually great choices if you have acid reflux. That’s because they are great at helping to absorb excess acidity and to settle the effects of acid reflux too. Therefore, lowering their intake can have a negative effect on acid reflux and simply the reduced intake of them can lead to problems for certain people.
Therefore, typically speaking the keto diet is not the ideal kind of diet if you have acid reflux. And following a different kind of diet for acid reflux would be better.
If you are already following the keto diet or really want to try it out you of course can. Just keep in mind that if you notice your acid reflux symptoms getting worse there is a chance it could be because of the keto diet. If you notice no negative affects you can continue with the diet if you prefer.
If you do follow the keto diet it is effective for helping to lose weight. If you are overweight and have excess weight particularly around the stomach, losing weight here can make a big difference to helping acid reflux and for some people can be their ‘magic’ cure for their acid reflux.
The reason for this is if you have excess weight around your stomach then this puts extra pressure on the stomach. When there is too much pressure on the stomach, the valve above the stomach known as the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) will open when it shouldn’t. This often leads to acid reflux problems and the acid refluxing up and into the esophagus and even the throat for some people.
If you have acid reflux and want to loss weight it would instead be better to avoid the common trigger foods and opt for a natural diet like my Wipeout Diet, which is tailored for people with acid reflux.
Also, for more help and guidance you can book a Private Acid Reflux Consultation Here.
Important Related Questions
Can Keto Cause GERD?
Keto is more likely to contribute to GERD than outright cause it. Though there are some situations where prolonged following of the keto diet may in fact cause acid reflux or GERD.
Can a Low Carb Diet Cause GERD?
Low carb diets typically do not cause GERD though usually lowering carbs intake is worse for acid reflux. That’s because a lot of the common foods that are high in carbs are also great choices for people with acid reflux.
Do Carbs Make GERD Worse?
No carbs do not make acid reflux worse in most cases. In fact, foods that are high in carbs usually are in fact quite good for acid reflux. For example, rice, pasta, and potatoes are all great choices if you have acid reflux or GERD.
Why Does Low Carb Help GERD?
Low Carb is not guaranteed to help GERD though there may be some circumstances where reducing carbs may be effective for some people with GERD. This can sometimes be due to foods like bread which while high in carbs also have gluten which can be problematic for certain people. Also, wheat can be troublesome for some people with gut issues such as SIBO and IBS to name a couple.
Can Keto Mess Up Your Digestive System?
For some people keto might not agree with their digestive system. Usually increasing fat intake is not a good idea for people especially ones with more serious acid reflux like GERD or LPR.
Also lowering carbohydrate intake often will make acid reflux worse because a lot of foods that are high in carbs are also good and helpful for calming acid reflux. For instance, rice and potatoes can help absorb excess stomach acid and calm an over acidic stomach or digestive tract.