Dining out while suffering from acid reflux or GERD can be a challenging venture. This is because there are many things to consider not to regret your meal at the end of the day.
As a result, it's essential to know which popular fast food items are acid-forming and which can be safely consumed on a low-acid diet. What is more popular than pizza?
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Is Pizza Acidic?
Pizza is relatively acidic, mostly due to the acidity levels of its ingredients, such as toppings, pizza dough, and sauces. As a result, doctors advise against consuming large quantities of pizza if you're prone to heartburn and other acid reflux symptoms.
On the other hand, if you order or make a healthy pizza without any sauces and with healthy veggies, you can get some essential nutrients and minerals while still enjoying a delicious meal.
What is the pH level of pizza?
It's hard to determine the exact pH level of pizza as it depends on what toppings you choose and whether you douce it in various sauces. Nevertheless, pizza is a somewhat acidic food and can aggravate the symptoms of acid reflux and GERD.
Most of the acidity in a pizza comes from the tomato sauce, which is very acid-forming and high in sodium. This also makes pizza bad for your digestion, especially if you consume it in large quantities.
On top of that, the acidity of pizza depends on how the dough is prepared and how it's cooked. Generally, pizzas baked in a traditional pizza often are less acidic than commercially made ones.
As a result, consuming pizzas from a reputable pizzeria might be best to ensure that the ingredients used are healthy.
Is pizza good for you?
Pizza isn't classified as very healthy food, but it all depends on what you put on it. Generally, it's very caloric — one slice of pizza with veggies and meat contains around 300 calories.
This makes pizza very calorie-dense, which is particularly bad since people tend to consume more than one pizza slice in a sitting.
As a result, pizza can slow down digestion, lead to weight gain, and make you feel lethargic. This also means that it's best to limit your consumption of pizza.
Most of the calories in pizza come from fat and carbohydrates (from the dough). Unfortunately, these two macronutrients aren't particularly easy for your stomach to digest, which means that your production of stomach acid will be increased.
This, in turn, can lead to heartburn and other unpleasant symptoms of acid reflux and GERD. To combat this issue, try limiting how many pizza slices you consume in one sitting and try to eat slowly to let your stomach communicate with your brain and determine when you're full to avoid overeating.
On the other hand, pizza can be a healthy meal choice if you make it yourself. Making your own pizza dough and using natural, fresh ingredients as toppings is a wonderful idea to satisfy your craving while loading up on minerals and vitamins.
For example, putting less cheese and adding more veggies to your pizza can help you add fiber to your diet, which soaks up excess stomach acid, preventing it from leaking up to your esophagus. As a result, making your own pizza can be a better alternative to store-bought and takeout pizza.
The most acidic part about pizza is the tomato sauce. As a result, to prevent severe acid reflux flareups, try choosing other, less acidic sauces, such as the ones made from bell peppers.
They also have the same red color but have alkalizing properties that can help prevent the symptoms of acid reflux and GERD from developing. Furthermore, bell pepper sauce is rich in many minerals and vitamins that can help you stay healthy, so it's a great alternative to tomato sauce.
Can you eat pizza when you suffer from acid reflux?
Pizza can be a healthy meal as long as you use fresh ingredients and limit your portion sizes. To keep pizza as healthy as possible and to remove most of its acid-forming components, it's best to make this meal yourself since, that way, you have complete control over the recipe and what's in it.
Furthermore, you can substitute tomato sauce with other, less acidic sauces, which is something most restaurants and fast food joints don't offer.
When you order pizza in a restaurant or a fast food place, try to pick those without too many additives and unhealthy ingredients. This means, for example, avoiding particularly sodium-rich items and choosing whole ingredients, such as mushrooms, tomatoes, onions, or arugula.
That will also help you stock up on essential minerals and vitamins to stay as healthy as possible.
Is vegan pizza better for acid reflux?
Just like regular pizza, vegan pizza can also be highly processed, so it's also acidic. When they're bought frozen from the store or from a fast food place, both of these versions contain added sugars and lots of sodium, which are both unhealthy for you.
Sodium raises your blood pressure, increasing the risk of a stroke and heart attack, while sugars can cause type 2 diabetes and weight gain.
As a result, both of these pizza versions have the same effect on your body when it comes to acidity.
On the other hand, if you're not consuming meat, ordering or making a vegan pizza is a way healthier option, especially if you also have acid reflux.
Furthermore, some pizzas are served with seafood as toppings, which many people are allergic to, so opting for a vegan or even vegetarian pizza can be a better idea to avoid many health problems and allergic reactions.
Pizza is an acidic food, so it should be limited to a low-acid, stomach-friendly diet, especially when you purchase it from a restaurant or fast food joint.
On the other hand, if you choose to make pizza yourself, you can include more healthy, low-acid ingredients and substitute the tomato sauce with bell pepper sauce.
Doing so allows you to make your pizza even healthier and limit your sodium and unhealthy fats consumption.
Don't know what to drink? Check out these articles: 20 Most and Least Acidic Juices and 20+ Alcoholic Drinks Ranked by Acidity Level