Heartburn and acid reflux affect millions of people, and many don’t get relief from medications alone. Scientists reviewed dozens of studies to see if changing what you eat and how you live could help. The good news: specific dietary changes—like eating less carbs, avoiding trigger foods, eating more plants, and losing weight—can significantly reduce heartburn symptoms. Some people even stopped needing their medications. While these approaches show real promise, researchers say we need more long-term studies to understand which changes work best for different people.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Whether changes in diet and lifestyle could reduce heartburn and acid reflux symptoms without relying only on medications
  • Who participated: This was a review of many different studies involving thousands of people with heartburn, including those whose symptoms didn’t improve with standard medications
  • Key finding: Specific dietary changes—especially eating fewer carbs, identifying personal trigger foods, choosing plant-based foods, and losing weight—reduced heartburn symptoms by 23-50% and helped nearly half of patients reduce or stop their medications
  • What it means for you: If you struggle with heartburn, trying dietary changes before or alongside medications may help you feel better. However, what works varies from person to person, so you may need to experiment to find your personal triggers and best approach

The Research Details

Researchers looked at many published scientific studies about heartburn and diet to understand what actually works. They focused on studies that measured results carefully using standard heartburn symptom questionnaires and special tests that measure acid in the food pipe. They examined how different diets affect the body’s acid production and reflux, and looked at whether people actually felt better and could reduce their medications.

The researchers organized their findings by looking at different dietary approaches: low-carbohydrate diets, elimination of trigger foods, plant-based eating patterns, and weight loss programs. They also examined how these approaches work in the body and which ones showed the strongest evidence of helping people.

This approach is important because it brings together all the best available evidence in one place, making it easier to understand what dietary changes have real scientific support. Rather than relying on one small study or personal stories, reviewing many studies gives us a clearer picture of what actually helps most people with heartburn.

This is a comprehensive review that looked at many different studies with various quality levels. The researchers used validated symptom measurement tools and objective tests (like 24-hour acid monitoring) to measure results, which is more reliable than just asking people if they feel better. However, because different studies used different methods and measured different things, it’s harder to make one-size-fits-all recommendations. Most studies were relatively short-term, so we don’t know how well these dietary changes work over many years.

What the Results Show

Low-carbohydrate diets showed strong results, reducing the amount of acid in the food pipe by about 2.8% more than other approaches. This may sound small, but it represents a meaningful reduction in acid exposure.

When people systematically identified and eliminated their personal trigger foods (foods that made their heartburn worse), they experienced a 23% improvement in heartburn symptoms on standardized measurement scales. Remarkably, 45% of these people were able to stop taking their heartburn medications entirely.

Plant-based diets (eating mostly vegetables, fruits, grains, and legumes instead of meat and animal products) showed the strongest protective effect, reducing heartburn occurrence by 50%. People who ate more animal-based foods had nearly twice the risk of heartburn compared to those eating more plants.

Weight loss produced exceptional results in overweight people. When overweight patients lost weight, their heartburn prevalence dropped from 37% down to 15%, and about two-thirds of people experienced complete symptom relief.

The research also found that structured, personalized approaches to dietary changes worked better than generic advice. When people worked with standardized protocols to identify their specific trigger foods, success rates were high. The combination of multiple dietary changes (weight loss plus trigger food elimination, for example) appeared to work better than single interventions alone.

These findings align with and expand upon previous research showing that lifestyle changes can help heartburn. However, this comprehensive review provides stronger evidence than earlier studies by including more recent research and using more rigorous measurement methods. Previous studies often relied on people’s subjective reports, while these studies increasingly used objective measures like 24-hour acid monitoring. The finding that nearly half of people could reduce medications through diet is particularly significant and suggests dietary approaches deserve more attention as first-line treatment options.

The studies reviewed had significant differences in how they were conducted, making it difficult to draw universal conclusions. Most studies lasted only weeks or months, so we don’t know if these dietary changes continue to work over years. The research didn’t clearly identify which specific people would benefit most from which dietary approach—what works for one person might not work for another. Additionally, the review didn’t include information about how well people stick to these dietary changes long-term, which is crucial for real-world success.

The Bottom Line

If you have heartburn, consider trying these evidence-based dietary approaches in this order: (1) Identify and eliminate your personal trigger foods through a systematic elimination diet (high confidence—45% of people reduced medications); (2) If overweight, focus on weight loss as a primary intervention (high confidence—most effective for overweight individuals); (3) Consider increasing plant-based foods and reducing animal products (moderate-to-high confidence—50% reduction in heartburn risk); (4) Try a low-carbohydrate approach if other methods don’t fully work (moderate confidence—measurable acid reduction). These approaches work best when combined rather than used alone. Work with your doctor before stopping any heartburn medications.

Anyone experiencing heartburn or acid reflux should consider these approaches, especially those whose symptoms persist despite medications. These strategies are particularly effective for overweight individuals and those with mild-to-moderate symptoms. People with severe GERD, Barrett’s esophagus, or other serious conditions should work closely with their doctor rather than relying solely on dietary changes. Those with food allergies or specific medical conditions may need to modify these approaches.

You may notice improvements in heartburn symptoms within 1-2 weeks of eliminating trigger foods or starting dietary changes. More significant improvements typically appear within 4-8 weeks. Weight loss benefits usually take 8-12 weeks to become noticeable, though some people see improvements sooner. Long-term success requires maintaining these dietary changes—symptoms often return if you resume old eating habits.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track daily heartburn severity (1-10 scale), foods eaten, and meal timing. Note which specific foods or eating patterns correlate with symptom flare-ups. Monitor weight weekly if pursuing weight loss. Record any changes in medication use.
  • Start a 2-week elimination diet by removing common trigger foods (fatty foods, spicy foods, citrus, chocolate, caffeine, alcohol). Reintroduce foods one at a time while tracking symptoms to identify your personal triggers. Simultaneously, implement meal timing changes: eat smaller meals, avoid eating 3 hours before bed, and slow down while eating.
  • Create a personalized heartburn diary within the app showing your specific trigger foods and safe foods. Set reminders for meal timing and water intake. Track weekly symptom scores and weight trends. Review patterns monthly to identify which dietary changes provide the most benefit for your individual situation. Share reports with your healthcare provider to guide medication adjustments.

This review summarizes scientific evidence about dietary approaches to heartburn, but it is not medical advice. Heartburn can indicate serious conditions requiring professional evaluation. Do not stop taking heartburn medications without consulting your doctor. Individual responses to dietary changes vary significantly. People with severe GERD, Barrett’s esophagus, or other serious digestive conditions should work with a healthcare provider before making major dietary changes. This information is intended to support conversations with your doctor, not replace professional medical care.