Overweight is one of the factors that can promote gastric reflux, which is the return of gastric juices from the stomach to the esophagus – explains Professor Silvio Danese, gastro-enterologist and Head of the Chronic Intestinal Inflammatory Diseases Center at Humanitas hospital and professor at Humanitas University. – Therefore, weight gain for example in pregnant women promotes the onset of continuous acid reflux from the stomach by increasing the abdominal pressure on the diaphragm, which is the muscle that helps to keep the acid in the stomach. Generally, reflux appears with its classic symptoms, such as burning behind the chest and acid regurgitation in the mouth, and can also be caused by food, but also by anatomic, functional, hormonal, and pharmacological factors. Preventing gastric reflux is difficult, but it can be done by managing your weight and avoiding the consumption of foods, such as chocolate, mint, coffee, alcohol, tomato, citrus, and fried foods.
