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Eating Tips For the Holiday Season | |
By DR. BASIL LUCAK A pinch of moderation and a dash of common sense can help prevent your holiday meals from becoming a recipe for heartburn and the discomfort that goes with it. Heartburn is an irritation of the esophagus - the tube connecting the throat and the stomach. It is often caused by eating too much too quickly. Ordinarily, after you swallow, food travels down the esophagus to the junction of the esophagus and stomach where there is a valvelike mechanism known as the lower esophageal sphincter. This muscular ring generally opens only to allow food into the stomach or to permit the escape of excess gas in the form of a burp. When you overeat or eat too fast, you strain the capacity of the digestive tract to process the food and cause a buildup of pressure in the stomach. This excess causes a buildup of pressure in the stomach that forces the opening of the lower esophageal sphincter. As a consequence, the acids and gastric juices used in digestion within the stomach reflux, or flow back into and irritate the esophagus. Pacing yourself and taking time to enjoy the food you eat can help prevent one part of the problem. But it's also important to monitor when and what you eat and drink. If you want to reduce the chance of reflux, begin by avoiding an excess of alcoholic drinks or caffeinated beverages, such as coffee, tea or colas. All of these drinks stimulate increased acid secretion in the stomach, and the greater the amount of acid present, the more the chance for reflux. Alcoholic drinks pose additional problems because they serve as irritants to the digestive tract. Other factors that influence the potential for heartburn include increased acid secretion, slowed stomach emptying, and relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter. Another step to avoid heartburn is to limit the amount of fried or high-fat foods that you eat - gravies, sausage stuffing and ham for example. It generally takes between two-to-three hours for digestion within the stomach to be completed and the stomach to empty. But high-fat foods slow the digestive process, leading to an uncomfortable, bloated sensation. They can also stimulate reflux by inducing relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter. When you eat also contributes to heartburn. Late heavy meals delays the emptying of the stomach and increases the chance that you will go to bed with a full stomach. Lying down with a full stomach puts you at a gravitational disadvantage, encouraging the acids and gastric juices to flow up into the esophagus. Try to avoid eating late at night or stay up for a few hours to give yourself time to digest the food. If this is impossible, and you are going to bed on a full heavy stomach, prop up your head so gravity works in your favor to keep acids down. Despite their best intentions, many people overdo their holiday cheer. If this is the case, medications, such as antacids or histamine receptor antagonists, now available over-the-counter, can provide relief. Be aware, however, that these medications are for occasional use and are not a substitute for restraint at the dinner table. --- Dr. Basil Lucak is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at New York University School of Medicine. Copyright 1996 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | |