Savor Indian Cuisine Without Heartburn: GERD-Friendly Tips and Dishes

Heartburn can quickly become heartbreaking when it causes you to miss out on your favorite foods. Indian cuisine, for example, often contains GERD triggers. However, adaptations can help you maintain a healthy relationship with your diet.

Understanding GERD: Navigating Indian Flavors with Care

Let’s recap GERD quickly. GERD is an uncomfortable burning sensation in the throat, an acidic taste in the mouth, or chest tightness after eating. It may result from eating too much, slowed digestion, or specific dietary triggers. Common GERD triggers can include high-fat foods and spicy foods, both of which are found in Indian cuisine in the form of butter, ghee, and various seasonings.

Luckily, not all seasonings come with a side of heartburn! Cardamom, coriander, garam masala, cloves, and fenugreek are generally well tolerated. Some may potentially alleviate GERD symptoms. Garam masala is one of those spices. Research shows that it may help speed up gastric emptying, in other words, the amount of time it takes for your food to leave the upper part of your digestive system. Cardamom has also been studied for its potential effects on reducing gastric ulcers and nausea and, therefore, may have some benefit in reducing GERD. Meanwhile, fenugreek may help with GERD partially due to its fiber content. High-fiber foods are linked with reduced episodes of GERD and aid in quick digestion.

Spices common to Indian cuisine that should be used cautiously include curry powder, black pepper, cumin, and turmeric. However, it’s important to note that triggers may differ from person to person. While some GERD sufferers may not tolerate these spices altogether, others may do okay when they are limited to specific quantities.  With that in mind, let’s explore some dishes with GERD-friendly variations and perhaps some new-to-you dishes worth trying.

Comforting and Delicious: GERD-Friendly Indian Dishes 

Let’s start with lentils. Lentils are a high-fiber, gut-friendly legume that also provides a protein punch. Try masoor dal (red lentil dal) and swap ghee or butter for olive oil. You can keep it creamy by using coconut milk. Season it with garam masala, salt, and vegetable broth, and utilize spices like turmeric and chili flakes sparingly based on your tolerance. You can also make moong dal khichdi, a rice and lentil dish, using similar strategies on your swaps.

Speaking of rice, try a vegetable biryani or vegetable pulao. For flavor, go light on the spice and heavy on the herbs; these will be less triggering. If you prefer a different carb choice, prepare rotis or parathas. Make them more gut-friendly by switching to whole wheat flour and using less butter or ghee when frying them.

Need a side dish? Raitas are a cooling and refreshing option. This dish is typically prepared with curd or plain yogurt, herbs, cumin, and onion. To make it easier on the tummy, swap out the onion for cucumber and leave out the cumin. Additional coriander will provide plenty of flavor. If high-fat foods trigger your heartburn, look for a reduced-fat yogurt option.

Shrikhand is another yogurt dish that can be used to finish off the meal. It combines reflux-fighting cardamom with powdered sugar, nuts, and saffron strands for a sweet treat. Rabri combines similar flavors of cardamom and nuts with rose water and a milk base instead of yogurt. Again, choose a low-fat option if full-fat dairy is problematic!

Healthy eating goes beyond the effects on your body; it also means choosing foods that bring you joy or are culturally significant. GI concerns shouldn't stop you from doing that! Embrace the meals you love, like the above Indian-cuisine dishes, with a GERD-friendly twist to keep your heart full and not on fire.

1. _{Kochhar, K. P., Bijlani, R. L., Sachdeva, U., Mahapatra, S. C., Padhy, A. K., & Tandon, R. K. (1999). Gastro-intestinal effects of Indian spice mixture (Garam Masala). Tropical gastroenterology : official journal of the Digestive Diseases Foundation, 20(4), 170–174.}
2. _{Ozgoli, G., & Saei Ghare Naz, M. (2018). Effects of Complementary Medicine on Nausea and Vomiting in Pregnancy: A Systematic Review. International journal of preventive medicine, 9, 75. https://doi.org/10.4103/ijpvm.IJPVM_430_16}