Heartburn and Foods: Dos and Don'ts Everyday Health Menu NewslettersSearch Digestive Health Heartburn and Foods Dos and Don' ts Heartburn can be triggered by a number of specific foods. Learn simple changes you can make in your diet to avoid the burn. Medically Reviewed Common Avoid Peppermint Peppermint and spearmint, whether in candies or used as a flavoring in other foods, can aggravate acid reflux by irritating the Watch the Chocolate Take It Easy on the Tomatoes These tasty, Be Careful With Citrus Citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and grapefruits are also high in acid and irritating to the digestive tract. The extra acid from these foods aggravates reflux and worsens heartburn. Remember that orange juice, lemonade, grapefruit juice, and products made with citrus fruit juices, such as some marinades, will have the same negative effect. Choose Pass on Greasy Fatty Foods Fried, greasy, and fatty foods can all cause heartburn and lead to reflux because they prevent the lower esophageal sphincter from fully tightening; this creates an opening for stomach acids to flow upward. Greasy, heavier foods are also harder to digest; so the stomach empties more slowly, which can trigger heartburn. And eating too much fried and high-fat foods increases your risk of obesity, which in turn increases the chances of experiencing uncomfortable acid reflux. Skip the Alcohol Alcohol is a substance that irritates the stomach and esophagus, so alcoholic beverages should be on your list of suspected heartburn causes. Prevent or reduce the risk of reflux by avoiding or limiting your intake of alcoholic beverages — including wine, beer, and hard liquor — if they tend to aggravate your stomach and cause you to experience heartburn. Opt Out of Coffee and Soda Any type of Steer Clear of Spicy Foods Foods with a fiery, spicy flavor may add some kick to your diet, but you'll feel that kick burning in your chest again when heartburn happens. Spicy dishes containing a variety of chile peppers and related ingredients like cayenne pepper are well-known Watch How and When You Eat How and when you eat may have as much to do with heartburn as what you eat. In addition to avoiding foods that trigger your heartburn, watch the volume of food you consume as well as your timing. Chowing down on hefty portion sizes is often a sure-fire recipe for a bad bout of heartburn — keep Stick to Low-Fat Foods and Protein Keeping a log of foods that aggravate your heartburn is the best way to know what foods to avoid. Now put together a list of foods that promote good health. Try to build your meals around healthy and lean protein choices and foods low in fat to help reduce reflux. 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