Your Go-To List of Low-Acid Fruits and Vegetables for Acid Reflux

If you have gastrointestinal issues like acid reflux or GERD, your doctor may recommend eating low-acid foods, which can help keep acid reflux at bay.

Even if you're not managing a specific health condition, many low-acid foods are considered healthy picks (as they're primarily fruits and vegetables) and can be valuable to your daily diet.

While there are health benefits to eating non-acidic foods, especially if you have GERD or kidney disease, that doesn't mean you should avoid acidic foods altogether. A food's pH value will determine whether a food is acidic or non-acidic (neutral or more alkaline) and where it lies within the spectrum.

The pH scale measures the acidity or alkalinity of a solution, according to the U.S. General Survey (USGS). Scientists use a logarithmic scale to measure pH levels, which generally range from 0 to 14.

• ‌Basic/Alkaline:‌ A pH of more than 7 indicates that the subject is basic or alkaline.
• ‌Acidic:‌ A pH of less than 7 indicates that the subject is acidic. The closer to 0, the more acidic something is.
• ‌Neutral:‌ A pH of 7 indicates that the subject is neutral.

While pure water is neutral, neither acidic nor basic, the fluid produced in food can vary along the scale. Any food may measure as acidic but may produce an alkaline reaction in your body. So if you're seeking a lower acid diet, you want to look for alkaline-producing foods.

The human body produces fluids that also vary along the pH scale, according to October 2011 research in the ‌Journal of Environmental and Public Health‌. Bile, for example, is typically 7.6 to 8.8 along the pH scale, so it's neutral to slightly alkaline. Your skin is slightly acidic, between 4 and 6.5. Urine ranges from 4.6 to 8, depending on what you eat, while gastric fluid, which breaks down protein, is 1.35 to 3.5, which means it's pretty acidic.

The term "non-acidic fruits" might be a bit of a misnomer: Low-acid foods will still fall on the "acidic" side of the pH scale, but they'll be closer to that neutral 7. The pH value of 4.6 divides low- from high-acid foods. The greater the pH number, the less acidic the fruit, per Oklahoma State University.

Some examples of low-acid fruits include, per Oklahoma State University:

Some examples of low-acid vegetables include, per Oklahoma State University:

There's no conclusive scientific evidence to support the central claim of the alkaline diet, as neither food nor drink can change your blood's tightly controlled pH, according to a June 2016 review in BMJ. But eating more low-acid fruits and veggies could certainly still have benefits, per MD Anderson Cancer Center.

That's in part because you'll be cutting back on some acid-producing foods (i.e. red meats) to fill your diet with more produce. Decreasing animal meat in favor of more fruits and vegetables helps reduce urine acidity, a culprit in promoting kidney stones, per the National Kidney Foundation. And a May 2016 study in the ‌Iranian Journal of Kidney Diseases‌ suggests a low-acid diet is tied to a lower risk of chronic kidney disease.

Emphasizing more vegetable protein in lieu of red meat may even help manage heartburn symptoms and issues related to GERD. Vegetable proteins are associated with fewer incidents of acid reflux within the first hour after eating, according to an April 2018 study in ‌Gastroenterology Research and Practice‌‌.‌

"High-fiber food helps with the movement of contents in the stomach through the digestive tract," says Madathupalayam Madhankumar, MD, a surgical gastroenterologist. "The food stuck in the stomach for a long time causes acid generation and pressure on the esophageal sphincter, which will result in acid reflux."

Low-acid diets may be necessary for GERD treatment. As previously mentioned, highly acidic foods — in addition to spicy foods, caffeine and alcohol — can irritate the throat and esophageal tissue.

GERD can lead to Barrett's esophagus, a precancerous condition, according to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Only a small percentage of people with Barrett's esophagus end up with esophageal cancer.

You don't have to worry about determining the acidity of every single food, unless your doctor recommends it. Most people don't need to be so pH-specific. Instead, focus on eating a nutritious diet rich in vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains.