GERD & Heartburn Support Group
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is defined as chronic symptoms or mucosal damage produced by the abnormal reflux of gastric contents into the esophagus. This is commonly due to transient or permanent changes in the barrier between the esophagus and the stomach. If you are afflicted with GERD or heartburn, join the group and find support.
I can't get my head around the idea that milk is acidic. I always thought it was mild, although sometimes it does give me the squirts a little.
Then again, I've read that some people recommend milk for heartburn.
So, which is it?
Then again, I've read that some people recommend milk for heartburn.
So, which is it?
Milk/dairy can feel soothing in the moment of consumption (true for me) but, over time, the build-up of dairy on the GI tract can be quite abrasive.
And that is because that many people don't handle it well. Dairy is an animal's hormone. Breastmilk of sorts for animals. Some people can tolerate it better if their ancestors lived in regions where it was in plenty and heavily consumed, and so on.
I personally have mixed emotions about dairy. I was raised on LOTs of dairy and on the surface, my body seems OK with it, but I think, on a deeper level, my body really turns it into inflammation and my GI tract does a lot of extra work to process it.
One MD I talked to said nut milk would be much more alkaline and I should try to shift over to that and I have for the most part. I find this very helpful. Unsweetened almond vanilla milk is pretty darn close to cow milk but my body finds it enormously less acid.
That's just my 2 cents from years of reading and experience with this problem. You probably won't know for yourself unless you try eliminating dairy* and see what happens.
*One note about elimination ... if you eliminate too long, I've heard it can be difficult to add it back in (almost like an adult weaning/leading to intolerance) so perhaps just try cutting back 75% but not entirely and see if that helps you, if you are game to try it.
Best wishes!
From a scientific perspective milk is NOT acidic. The pH of milk is close to 7 meaning it is neutral. Anything below pH 7 is acidic. Anything above pH 7 is alkaline.
Each pH unit represents a ten-fold change of acidity.
pH 6 (honeydew melon) is ten times more acidic than pH 7.
pH 5 (watermelon) is 100 times more acidic than pH 7.
pH 3 (apple juice) is 1000 times more acidic than pH 7.
pH 2 (lemon juice) is 10000 times more acidic than pH 7.
...
Now this myth about " milk is acidic" comes from the fact that milk is high in calcium. Calcium raises the level of gastrin in the bloodstream. Gastrin levels determine how much gastric acid the stomach produces. More gastrin = more gastric acid.
So to answer your question - milk in itself is NOT acidic. HOWEVER the calcium in milk can cause the stomach to produce extra acid.
Each pH unit represents a ten-fold change of acidity.
pH 6 (honeydew melon) is 10 times more acidic than pH 7.
pH 5 (watermelon) is 100 times more acidic than pH 7.
pH 4 (tomato juice) is 1000 times more acidic than pH 7.
pH 3 (apple juice) is 10000 times more acidic than pH 7.
pH 2 (lemon juice) is 100000 times more acidic than pH 7.
I also wanted to add that Mechellebelle's reply on this is incredibly interesting & useful too.
LittleMart - I would say milk & dairy is a "grey area" food for GERD & gastritis. Safe in moderation for some, but not for others.
The fact that milk can buffer & neutralise acid is a useful property to quench an immediate burn... but it might subsequently increase stomach acid production later on. I think some people experience this more than others... whereas some don't get it all.
Personally if there's a glass of milk or a glass of apple juice to choose from... the milk would be far safer for me to drink! :-)