Nowadays, many people suffer from acid reflux and must avoid or strictly limit foods that trigger or worsen their symptoms. These foods are often different for different people and can seem innocuous until an unpleasant attack of heartburn after eating.
Many people, including some experts on the subject, claim that chocolate triggers acid reflux. But how could this most beloved of sweet treats cause heartburn?
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Why Does Chocolate Cause Heartburn?
Unfortunately, the cocoa, caffeine, and sugar in chocolate may trigger acid reflux, leading to symptoms like heartburn. All of these irritate your stomach and esophagus, stimulating excess stomach acid production.
Is Chocolate Acidic?
The pH of chocolate ranges between 5.6 and 6.7, with white chocolate being the lowest. However, all types of chocolate are acid-forming.
So, people susceptible to acid reflux and GERD should limit their chocolate consumption.
Dark chocolate containing at least 75% cocoa is the least likely to trigger your symptoms.
How Does Chocolate Cause Heartburn?
Cocoa is acidic, and eating too much increases your serotonin levels, which can lead to heartburn. Cocoa also relaxes your stomach and intestinal muscles, allowing acid to reflux.
Cocoa contains caffeine and theobromine, also found in coffee, which negatively impacts acid reflux and GERD.
Although few studies have been conducted, caffeine and theobromine may relax your esophageal muscles and increase esophageal pressure, leading to heartburn.
Is Chocolate Healthy?
Dark chocolate is rich in iron, copper, magnesium, and manganese. It's also an excellent source of antioxidants, which flush out harmful free radicals from your body, preventing oxidative stress and cellular damage.
Some studies also suggest that the flavanols in 75% cocoa dark chocolate may relax arteries, improving blood flow and lowering blood pressure.
The compounds in dark chocolate may protect your skin from sun damage, improve blood flow to the skin, and increase skin density.
Which Chocolate Is Better for Acid Reflux?
All types of chocolate may cause heartburn, but darker varieties seem less likely to than white.
Most people should be able to eat at least a little chocolate without suffering heartburn; however, if you're unfortunate enough to suffer an attack after just a bite or two, you may need to eliminate it from your diet entirely.
Don't know what to drink? Check out these articles: 20 Most and Least Acidic Juices and 20+ Alcoholic Drinks Ranked by Acidity Level