Can I Eat Almonds With GERD? (Research Based Answer)

Have you ever had that irritating feeling in your throat and frequent heartburn? Well, that might be GERD; a fancy abbreviation for Gastroesophageal reflux disease. It’s more like acid reflux that irritates the lining of your stomach and food pipe. 

GERD happens with a lot of people and researchers say that it occurs when the stomach acid flows back into the esophagus that connects the stomach with your mouth.  Symptoms can vary from person to person, but since we all have the same stomach anatomy, some common symptoms may include continuous heartburn, the feeling of food getting caught in the throat, coughing, pain in the chest, vomiting, and regurgitation. 

It is certain that GERD happens to a lot of people but most people don’t even know if they have it. Also, they don’t know that some simple changes to their diet can save them! Well, that’s where the problem grows! Because, wrong food choices can aggravate your GERD which may have unpleasant consequences. So, a GERD-friendly diet is always recommended.

If you are making your GERD-friendly diet plan and are confused whether to include almonds, this article is for you. So, keep reading!

Almonds and GERD (Are They Good?)

Seeds and different nuts are fibrous. They add fiber to the diet along with nutrients. These are capable of reducing stomach acid when taken with food. 

Researchers suggest that nuts and seeds add monounsaturated fats into one’s diet which help absorb the acid in the stomach thus reducing heartburn. To be specific Almonds are healthy choices in this case. 

Almonds provide protein and calcium along with fibers that neutralize stomach acid thus assisting heartburn and reducing the symptoms of GERD. In addition, almonds also help with constipation. The added fiber contents into the diet ensure that the digestive system works properly to have regular bowel movements along with reducing acid reflux. 

In short, if you ever feel a burning sensation in your throat or heartburn you can crunch some almonds and then let them do their magic.

Nutritional Benefits of Almonds

Speaking of Almonds, why not investigate what other nutritional benefits these small round balls of nut have?  

Statistically, an ounce of almond provides about 6 grams of protein, 14 grams of fat, 6 grams of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, and about 164 calories. With such an impeccable nutritional profile, they can provide you with some amazing benefits. 

Let’s look at them one-by-one.

Almonds for weight loss

Almonds have high concentrations of antioxidants and Vitamin E thus helping and supporting weight loss. People looking to lose weight should definitely include almonds in their diets. 

As almonds are low in carbs and have high concentrations of fiber and protein, they reduce hunger by simultaneously decreasing the collective calorie intake of a person. Also, proteins and fiber tend to increase the feeling of fullness which then helps you to eat lesser and lesser calories. 

Finally, studies suggest that 1.5 ounces of almonds a day stimulates fat burning.

Almonds for the reduction in risk of heart diseases

The LDL-C is a known risk factor for causing heart diseases. Almonds reduce the amount of LDL-C in the blood flow and thus reduce the risk of any coronary heart disease. 

Studies and clinical trials recently have shown that almonds also help maintain and increase HDL-C levels which are helpful in maintaining good heart condition. In addition, frequently eating and adding almonds to your diet can also help you reduce inflammation that is relevant to heart diseases and diabetes. 

Did you know that almonds also improve artery health? Well, if you didn’t then now you know so make sure to add these salty and crispy little nuts to your diet.

Almonds for Improved Blood Sugar Control

If you would know that in just 12 weeks, consuming almonds could improve your blood sugar levels, would you go for it? Then don’t wait further because according to some research studies, almonds can reduce the increased blood sugar and help reduce insulin levels after a meal.

Can Almonds Trigger GERD Symptoms? 

Well, there is no one-size-fits-all answer to this! 

If you have been the victim of acid reflux and heartburn, then you know that it is a huge pain. A lot of different foods can trigger this heartburn but it happens with so many people that sometimes it can be very tricky to figure out the exact cause or the exact foods that can be the reason for triggering this condition. For some people, almonds can be the reason for relief from GERD but for some, it can be the reason for exacerbating symptoms for others. 

For example, almonds are high in fiber and also a low-acid food which can be helpful for getting relief from this condition. On the other hand, almonds are highly rich in fat. And researchers suggest that fatty foods are a triggering element for acid reflux. 

So, some of you people might experience symptoms of GERD after intake of almonds. 

In this case, you will need to pay attention to your own symptoms and determine how much of these nuts or almonds, might affect your condition, and if they do worsen then it is better to avoid them. 

To conclude, there is a medium to high potential that almonds may cause or worsen GERD if not monitored and incorporated into a diet without any consideration.

How to safely incorporate almonds into your diet?

Well, if you’re worried now about how to safely incorporate almonds into your diet then don’t worry, we have got you. Follow the following instructions for incorporating almonds into your diet and reducing the risk of triggering GERD:

  • Because almonds have an oily character, thus use only a handful at times and not more, this will help reduce acid reflux.
  • Almonds have enzyme emulsion, which enables them to break down glycoside amygdalin into glucose, thus helping to speed digestion. Only eat about 2 ounces a day for maximum benefit.
  • If possible only eat sweet almonds because studies show only sweet almonds have proven beneficial to alleviate heartburn in most of the people.
  • Almond milk is beneficial to reduce heartburn as well. The milk helps neutralize the stomach acid thus causing relief from GERD.
  • Eating almond skin is good for reducing acid reflux. The almond’s skin is an amazing pre-biotic and thus helps with the growth of friendly bacteria in the stomach. These bacteria help the gut and the acid to improve digestion and limit acid refluxes.

Conclusion

GERD is something that all people may face once in their lives and everyone has varying symptoms, but the most common symptoms of GERD are a burning sensation in the chest, stomach, and esophagus, trouble swallowing, vomiting, heartburn and coughing. 

Almonds have a lot of nutritional benefits, and it does help some people with GERD as it is high in fiber and has monounsaturated fats which help in the absorbance of acids in the stomach and neutralize them. 

Potential benefits of almonds are that they have fiber in them along with nutrients and absorb stomach acid, are used as a home remedy by some people because of their ability to neutralize stomach acid and are used to soothe acid refluxes as they contain unsaturated fats in them. 

On the downside, almonds can trigger GERD if not taken in healthy amounts. Actually, it triggers acid reflux due to huge amount of fatty acids, and can also cause the feeling of a distended stomach. For your information, if the fat intake is too much it results in exerting pressure on the esophageal sphincter in the lower abdomen. 

While many studies cannot back up the benefits or harms of using almonds for GERD, in some people, it can help alleviate heartburns while in some it can be the triggering cause of acid reflux. But mostly if taken with consideration and used with care in diet almonds have proven to help with GERD and heartburn.