Digestion: Which Foods Help And Hurt?

By Amanda Gardner

In theory, you should be able to digest just about any type of food you put in your mouth. But changes in food processing and preparation (think fried) not to mention lifestyle (think sedentary) mean our stomachs don't always react well to everything we eat.

It's best to avoid some food -- like fatty meats -- to avoid upset tummies. But, fortunately, nature also provides foods that can ease our digestion. Here's a guide to what's good and what's bad when it comes to keeping your system running smoothly.

Comments

[darlenebonny]

11:25 AM on 12/21/2011

Corporate food research= heartburn.

[Dee Amschler]

03:01 AM on 12/21/2011

Was this written and proofed by a committee? Some of the "information" is flat out contradictory. Several of the "worst" foods are bad due to being or containing cow's milk, then one of the best is yogurt which is made of cow's milk. If you have so much trouble with cow's milk you can't even handle the bit in milk chocolate, there's a good chance that cow's milk yogurt can be a problem too. Either my doctors are idiots (which in some cases could be possible) or the author needed to double check what they were told or reading. The things that annoy IBS aren't necessarily going to annoy heartburn or GERD. In many cases, what's good for one is bad for the other (or so the doctors here in the Seattle area keep telling me).

But a lot of it comes down to doing things in moderation and figuring out which foods and beverages YOU tolerate. I can eat spices, I can't drink cow's milk or eat yogurt or soft cheeses (milk allergy) But my GI problems start off with gastritis so eating boatloads of fiber are bad for me - and anyone who has to be around me. They're definitely NOT on my "best" list. And this is the problem with making "best and worst food lists", they may make a good starting point, but they don't work for everyone and they MUST start with good research (which is something I question with this one).

[Rochelle Ybarra]

02:43 PM on 12/20/2011

Moderation and knowing how things effect you is key to getting the most out of nutrition

[Broke13]

02:22 PM on 12/20/2011

Broccoli makes me deathly ill, so everyones different

[StephanieBostic]

02:14 PM on 12/20/2011

I agree with the comments-- not terribly well researched. Celiacs, for example, can eat whole grains. Just not the ones containing gluten: wheat/barley/rye/common oats! Brown rice, millet, quinoa, etc are all fine.

[jenncasper01]

02:00 PM on 12/20/2011

eat Paleo and see how your life changes.

[undrgrndgirl]

12:17 PM on 12/20/2011

actually, there is a study out of stanford university that says food does not actually affect heartburn/gerd. i have found the hot chili peppers actually HELP (aid in digestion)...

"in the May 8 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, Gerson and two other physicians at the School of Medicine—Tonya Kaltenbach, MD, and Seth Crockett, MD—published the results of a systematic survey they conducted of more than 2,000 studies published worldwide on heartburn, also known as acid reflux or GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), between 1975 and 2004.

Their conclusion: There is currently no evidence to show that any of the dietary restrictions usually recommended make a difference. They found only two lifestyle changes for which there was evidence of a clear benefit from making a change. First, if you're overweight, then losing some pounds will reduce or even eliminate the amount of heartburn you suffer. Second, raising the head of your bed will cut down on the amount of stomach acid that can enter your esophagus while you sleep."

[kenwoodfl]

01:58 AM on 12/21/2011

Interesting, I have been following you because you are usually fact keen. I read this article. Thank you!

[donnamae1956]

09:22 PM on 05/13/2012

I agree. I find Chili Peppers soothing for IBS and GERD. Some of these are common sense tips and others not so much when we are fed some misinformation about what to follow. Everyone is different and react in other ways and can tolerate those bad stuff. Each to their own.

[trowgotn]

11:28 AM on 12/20/2011

I try to eat a banana and or apple every day, I do eat one or more servings of yogurt every day. I have colitis and know what I can and can't put in my body. But I can still enjoy Christmas dinner and snacks with common sense, portion size and impusle control everyday not just on Holidays.

[Azlegit]

09:31 AM on 12/20/2011

Ok..what doesn't cause heartburn???????

[Darreltheman]

09:00 AM on 12/20/2011

Eat Kim-chi and drink a beer. With that combo you can clear a room FAST. HEHEEH

[hattie54]

08:46 AM on 12/20/2011

They forgot to list raw garlic and onions which I adore along with raw ginger.I will keep eating it coz its good for me and so tasty.

[Mig15]

07:39 AM on 12/20/2011

Looks to me like the government wasted money on another grand to those who want to be the food police. I'll eat whatever the hell I want and pay no attention to what anyone says about it.

[StrawHat]

06:02 AM on 12/21/2011

It's health advice for people with digestive problems.

If you don't have digestive problems, it's not for you.

No food police will be calling at your door. Sheesh.

[50PlusSam]

06:15 AM on 12/20/2011

In general we should avoid foods that contain fat and sugary foods also and on the other hand increase in foods containing fiber.
http//:www.lifestyle-after50.com/nutrition.html

[AnaM]

04:07 AM on 12/20/2011

Most of the research is correlational, so it will vary from person to person. I've read other positive things about coffee, so many studies have recently 'linked' it to decreased heart attacks and so on.
No one can really be certain unless they sample foods and personally experience what they experience.
As for myself, I find most breakfast cereals to be a horrible experience an hour after ingestion.

[Mason McClellan LAc]

12:55 AM on 12/20/2011

I'm not so sure about this list. Butter and cream are fantastic, milk not so much--all dairy is not equal. French fries are usually pretty easy on stomachs depending on the situation.