Most of the reasons of heartburn can be traced back to an incompetent cardiac sphincter. This is the muscle group that closes off the esophagus and usually will prevent a backup of acid (or food for that matter). Its located at just about the level of the xiphoid process (that little bony notch at the bottom of your breastbone. The trigger foods are generally those that would cause a lot of acid production in the first place. they don’t actually cause the acid to come up. The tactic of making the stomach more alkaline [vinegar, bicarbonate of soda, kangen water (that’s a huge scam!!), or Tums] doesn’t really help the problem. It just balances out the acid with a base so the pH of what comes up is normal and doesn’t “burn”. But it still comes up. This is really a longish discussion people should have with their doctor. Recurrent heartburn should be reported to your doctor as you may be at risk for other things as a consequence.
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