Why Do Tomato-Based Foods Cause Heartburn?

You’ve just finished off a plate of spaghetti when you feel the burning, tingling sensation of heartburn spreading across your chest. Foods can increase the likelihood of experiencing heartburn, and tomato-based products are part of this list due to their acid profile, according to the website eMedTV. If you experience heartburn symptoms more than twice a week, consult your physician, as this can indicate more-serious problems.

Tomatoes contain citric and malic acids, which are responsible for giving tomatoes their flavor profiles. The higher the levels of acid, the more tart and flavorful the tomato is considered to be, according to the “Illinois Times.” While these acids can give tomatoes a tart, fresh taste, the acids can also contribute to uncomfortable heartburn symptoms.

Inside your stomach is a powerful acid known as hydrochloric acid. This acid allows your body to break down foods, allowing the nutrients within to travel through your digestive system for absorption. Your stomach has a protective lining that keeps acid from seeping outside your stomach, but there is one place the acid can go: up, from your stomach to your esophagus. Because your esophagus does not contain this protective lining, you can experience heartburn. Symptoms include a burning pain in your neck and throat that worsens after eating and can last for two hours, according to the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.

Tomato-based foods can aggravate heartburn because they increase the production of stomach acid, according to the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. When your stomach makes more acid and you already have extra food in your stomach, the acidic contents can reflux back up into the esophagus and cause heartburn symptoms. Imagine this process like an overflowing sink: when the sink contains excess contents, those contents will come up and over the basin.

Even if you love spaghetti and lasagna, continuing to eat these foods and overlooking heartburn symptoms can have negative consequences. Persistent acid reflux can weaken your esophagus, as well as the ring of muscle called the lower esophageal sphincter that is designed to act as a valve between your stomach and esophagus, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. Over time, this can lead to damage to the esophageal lining and increase your risk for esophageal cancer. For this reason, if tomato-based foods contribute to your heartburn, eat them in smaller amounts or avoid them entirely to reduce heartburn.

Article reviewed by TimDog Last updated on: Apr 20, 2012

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