Is Green Tea Good For Acid Reflux?

Acid reflux is a very common ailment and a lot of people deal with it every day. It is basically a condition due to which the acid in the stomach along with the undigested food splashes back into the food pipe.

There is hydrochloric acid in the stomach which is quite powerful. Its job is to break food down and fight pathogens. While the lining of the stomach is protected from the acid, the case with the esophagus (food pipe) is not so.

There is a valve called the gastroesophageal sphincter that prevents food in the stomach from getting back into the esophagus or food pipe. The failure of the valve in doing so causes heartburn, a symptom of acid reflux.

Apart from the burning sensation in the chest, the symptom includes bloating, belching, difficulty swallowing, and a lot more. In short, it makes a person feel quite uncomfortable.

Does Green Tea Prevent Acid Reflux?

While the condition can be treated with medicines, a lot of people try natural home remedies to get relief from acid reflux. One way of treating the health condition is drinking green tea.

Though tea should be avoided by those who suffer from acid reflux, green tea is safe to consume. This is because green tea is processed differently.

Green tea undergoes steaming and drying, unlike black tea that is dried and crushed. In spite of the fact that both the tea varieties come from the same plant Camellia sinensis, green tea is alkaline.

The pH value of freshly brewed green tea is more than 7.2.

Green tea has a chockfull of polyphenols in it that possess antioxidant properties. They help in digestion and prevent the flow of acid and undigested food back into the food pipe.

Also, the antioxidants prevent the damage caused to cell structures because of free radicals. Moreover, the presence of the amino acid L-theanine in green tea helps in calming the nervous system down.

Is decaffeinated green tea good for acid reflux?

To avoid the caffeine and leverage the beneficial compounds present in green tea, you can opt for decaf green tea. Drinking decaffeinated tea is safe as it does not trigger the symptoms associated with acid reflux.

Is bottled green tea as good as a green tea blend for acid reflux?

The combination of other teas like yerba mate or mint tea with green tea is often regarded as a green tea blend. This kind of green tea is highly potent for soothing acid reflux.

While bottled green tea is also beneficial to the body like the green tea blend. But is it good or bad for acid reflux?

There are many fusses about the consumption of bottled green tea before, during, and after acid reflux. This is because most bottled green tea is always preserved with ascorbic acid or other acidic preservatives that may trigger acid reflux.

However, if bottled green tea is your go-to, ensure you take those without acidic preservatives. You can even opt for the ones with little or no preservatives.

Can Green Tea Be Bad for Acid Reflux?

Overall, most of the compounds in green tea are helpful in dealing with acid reflux. However, on the contrary, by drinking green tea or any true tea for that matter, you can aggravate the condition.

This is because of the presence of caffeine in green tea. Even other caffeinated beverages like coffee and soda trigger the symptoms of acid reflux.

Yes, caffeine is a naturally occurring compound in green tea but it is half of what is present in black tea. Green tea can be good for acid reflux if brewed right.

Lightly brewed green tea has lower caffeine content. To reduce the caffeine content in green tea you need to use simmering hot water and not boiling water.

Also, you should not brew it for more than 4 minutes. The ideal time for brewing the tea is between 1.5 minutes to 3 minutes.

Can Matcha Trigger or Aggravate Acid Reflux?

If you are fond of starting your day with a cup of matcha green tea, it is pertinent you know if it can trigger or aggravate acid reflux.

Matcha, just like other varieties of green tea, cannot trigger or aggravate acid reflux if taken in moderation. Matcha has the highest caffeine among all the types of green tea (about 32 mg in one 8 oz cup).

So, whenever you drink matcha excessively, too much caffeine will be released, thereby loosening the lower esophageal sphincter, which could later result in acid reflux.

No doubt, matcha has the highest caffeine among varieties of green tea. But, the level of caffeine in matcha also depends on the brand and the time you spend brewing the tea.

For instance, matcha powder brewed for 7 minutes will be more caffeinated than the one brewed for 5 minutes.

Therefore, if you must drink matcha before, during, or after acid reflux, ensure you don’t steep it for long and go for the brand with little caffeine.

Also, serve your matcha cold instead of hot because cold matcha is less caffeinated than the hot one.

Does Green Tea Make GERD Worse?

Perhaps you’ve been having heartburn or difficulty swallowing food lately, and you are wondering if it is the green tea you drank that caused it. Surprisingly, it is not!

One of the factors that can predispose you to GERD is indigestion. Thankfully, green tea can help aid digestion due to the polyphenols in it.

The tea also has anti-inflammatory properties and packed loads of antioxidants to help ease difficulty swallowing food or other GERD symptoms. Just ensure you take the tea moderately.

Else, it may make your GERD worse than.

Please note – GERD is different from acid reflux. GERD is Gastroesophageal reflux disease. It is a form of acid reflux but is a more severe one. It is a chronic ailment and you have it when there is acid reflux more than two times a week. One common symptom of acid reflux and GERD is heartburn.

My Final Thoughts

Green tea contains health-promoting compounds that are beneficial for those suffering from acid reflux. The only compound that can be a problem is caffeine.

However, when brewed lightly, the caffeine content in green tea is quite low when compared to black tea.

Additionally, decaf green tea is a good option to remove caffeine from the path. Green tea has health-promoting compounds that are actually good in preventing the symptoms of acid reflux.

Also, note that food triggers are different for everyone with acid reflux or GERD. What suits one person may not suit everyone.