In order to minimize your symptoms, it’s important to know why bananas can cause heartburn in the first place as well as what to do when it happens.
Why Can Bananas Cause Heartburn?
Dr. Jamie Koufman, MD, a leading acid reflux expert and the author of Dropping Acid: The Reflux Diet Cookbook and Cure, says that for the majority of people, bananas do not cause heartburn. “Most fruit is acidic, but bananas are not. They are very good for reflux,” she says. That means that if you experience heartburn regularly, there’s no need to cut bananas from your diet unless they specifically have been a trigger for you. But Dr. Koufman says that for about five percent of people who experience heartburn, bananas are a problem food. Registered dietitian Lauren O’Connor, RD, also known as the healing GERD dietitian, says one reason for this is because bananas can cause bloating for some people, which in turn can lead to heartburn, particularly in people with irritable bowel syndrome. “According to a review in the American Journal of Gastroenterology, the odds of having GERD is four times more likely in those who suffer from IBS than those who don’t,” O’Connor says. She explains that gas and bloating can lead to acid reflux because stomach distension can put pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter. “The pressure can open the valve—when it should remain closed—allowing the backflow of stomach acids, which can trigger heartburn,” she says. How ripe the banana is can also be a factor. “The more ripe the banana is, the more likely someone is to experience reflux,” Dr. Koufman says. O’Connor says that this is because ripe bananas have high levels of oligo-fructans (chains of fructose sugars), which make them a high-FODMAP food. FODMAP foods, she says, can cause gas and bloating in people with IBS. However, even green bananas can cause bloating, which can then lead to heartburn. “Green bananas have higher amounts of resistant starch which ferment in the colon, and thus may cause bloating,” O’Connor says.
How to Get Rid of Heartburn Caused by Bananas
If you’ve eaten a banana and it’s given you heartburn, you want relief ASAP. O’Connor recommends either taking an antacid, like Tums, or slowly drinking a mixture of baking soda and water, which will neutralize the acid. However, both experts say that what’s most important is getting to the bottom of why you are experiencing heartburn in the first place so that it’s not something you have to deal with on a regular basis. “If you’re getting heartburn, you need to do a program for a minimum of two weeks,” Dr. Koufman says. This entails recognizing your trigger foods, maintaining a diet low in acidic foods for two weeks, and then slowly introducing more acidic foods into your diet in increments. Dr. Koufman also advises not relying on proton pump inhibitors, like Nexium and Prilosec, because they have detrimental side effects when taken regularly for a prolonged amount of time.
How to Get Enough Potassium When Bananas Are Giving You Grief
If you know that bananas are a trigger food for you, they’re off the table until you get to the bottom of your heartburn woes. So how can you get enough potassium in the meantime? If you’re looking for a swap to include in your smoothies, O’Connor suggests using avocado instead. They’re just as creamy and also a good source of potassium. For a banana substitute as a snack, O’Connor suggests low-fat Greek yogurt, another great source of potassium. Other foods that are high in potassium but aren’t acidic include spinach, sweet potatoes, edamame and broccoli. While it’s helpful to know what high-potassium foods you can eat in the meantime and what will help relieve your heartburn when it happens, both experts reiterate the importance of getting to the root cause of why you are getting heartburn in the first place and not just relying on Band-Aid solutions. This may mean working directly with a G.I. doc or a registered dietitian that specializes in GERD. The good news is that there are effective solutions available. You aren’t doomed to worry about heartburn forever or to avoid bananas. With the help of a health expert, you’ll be adding them back into your smoothies in no time. Next up, find out if heartburn could be a sneaky sign that you have COVID.
Sources
Dr. Jamie Koufman, MD, leading acid reflux expert and the author of Dropping Acid: The Reflux Diet Cookbook and Cure Lauren O’Connor, RD, registered dietitian specializing in GERD and author of several books including 28-Day Mediterranean diet Heart-Healthy Solution
