Including meat protein in your diet is beneficial as it’s very nutritious and helps fuel your whole body. It keeps your muscles healthy and contributes to improved exercise performance.
One of the most common types of meat is turkey, which is delicious, versatile, and good for a well-balanced diet. But if you suffer from acid reflux or other digestive system issues, it’s important not to consume too many acidic foods. So, is turkey meat acidic?
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Is Turkey Meat Acidic?
Turkey meat, just like other types of meat, has acid-forming properties. Because of that, it may aggravate the symptoms of acid reflux and GERD, making you feel much worse. A diet high in acidic foods may also change the pH balance of your whole body, so it’s important to keep that in mind.
On the bright side, if you enjoy turkey meat, you’re in luck as it contains essential nutrients necessary for good health.
What is the pH level of turkey meat?
The pH level of turkey meat ranges between 5.70-6.10. Even though the pH level doesn’t seem too low or too high, most meats, including turkey, have acid-forming properties.
Because of that, if you suffer from acid reflux, you should consume turkey in moderation. If you want to reap the health benefits from turkey meat, though, it’s best to stick to darker meat as it tends to be less acidic than white turkey meat.
On the other hand, if you like turkey and your digestive system can tolerate it, even if in small amounts, this type of meat is incredibly nutritious. It contains a lot of essential minerals and vitamins that can help keep your digestive system healthy.
As a result, it can also prevent some acid reflux and GERD symptoms and ease digestion as long as you consume it in moderation and don’t overcook it.
Is turkey meat healthy?
Turkey is one of the leaner meats, making it a great source of protein. One serving of turkey breast contains around 212 calories and, in that, 32g of protein.
This macronutrient gives your body energy and helps fuel your muscles, thus preventing them from becoming an energy source. What’s more, a diet high in protein can help you lose weight by filling you up and preventing overeating.
Turkey meat is a great source of niacin, also called vitamin B3. This micronutrient improves blood fat levels, reduces blood pressure, boosts brain function, and improves skin health. A single serving of turkey breast contains more than half your daily recommended need for this vitamin and also a good number of other vitamins from group B.
Because of that, eating turkey meat is one of the easiest ways to help you reach your daily recommended value for this vitamin.
This type of meat is also rich in various minerals, especially selenium. This powerful antioxidant helps flush out free radicals out of your body, preventing oxidative stress and damage to your tissues and cells.
Selenium may also protect your heart against disease and heart attack as well as reduce your risk of certain types of cancer. Foods like pork, beef, chicken, fish, and turkey are packed with this nutrient, so as long as you follow a balanced diet, you won’t need any supplements.
As a general rule, if you’re a big meat lover, your might get more health benefits from eating turkey meat instead of red meat. Studies show that consuming a lot of red and processed meat may lead to an increased risk of gastric cancer. On the other hand, white, leaner meat is higher in nutrients and doesn’t pose the same health risks as red meat does.
It’s also important to remember how to prepare your turkey meat since frying in oil or butter makes your turkey meat more acidic and worse for your health. Because of that, the best cooking methods include dry-heat, broiling, or grilling.
Can you eat turkey meat on acid reflux?
Just like all meat types, turkey is acidic and make worsen your acid reflux and GERD symptoms. Because of that, it’s best to limit how much turkey meat you include in your diet. If you load up your diet with highly acidic foods, you can risk stomach acid rising up your esophagus, causing heartburn and other symptoms.
On the bright side, certain parts of a turkey are less acidic than others. For example, dark turkey meat has a higher pH level than white turkey meat. Dark meat is also higher in vitamins and nutrients and usually juicier, so it’s tastier for most people. Because of that, your digestive system might tolerate darker meat better, thus lowering the risk of acid reflux symptoms.
If you want to eat turkey but you worry about its acidity, try using lighter cooking methods that cook the meat slower. For example, broiling and oven cooking doesn’t require you to douse the meat in oil, which is a known contributor to worse acid reflux symptoms. As a result, turkey meat cooked this way will be less acidic and easier for your digestive system.
Is turkey bacon bad for acid reflux?
Turkey bacon has a similar pH level to that of fresh turkey. But it might be worse for your digestive system due to the additives it contains. Turkey bacon has added salt and is highly processed.
Foods high in sodium are bad for your health as they can raise your blood pressure and increase your risk of stroke.
Processed foods, in some cases, may cause many adverse health side effects and even an increased risk of cancer and obesity. Because of that, it might be best to limit your consumption of turkey bacon and replace it with fresh, leaner meats, such as chicken, fresh turkey, or salmon.
Turkey meat has acid-forming properties, which means that it might not be suitable for a low-acid, stomach-friendly diet, especially if your symptoms are severe. On the other hand, if you can tolerate small amounts of turkey, this meat makes for a great addition to a healthy, balanced diet due to all the essential nutrients it contains.
Don't know what to drink? We made a list of more than 20 most and least acidic juices and 20+ alcoholic drinks ranked by acidity levels.
