Q. Can you tell me how much acid is in bananas? My doctor told me not to eat them because they could cause acid reflux problems.
I love half a banana in my cereal. I’ve been eating this for years with no trouble. Does it make sense for me to stop eating my daily half-banana? I have no symptoms of heartburn.
A. Ripe bananas have a pH of about 5, making them a mildly acidic food. That does not mean that bananas cause heartburn or reflux, however.
Decades ago Indian researchers tested banana powder and found it helpful for relieving symptoms of indigestion (The Lancet, March 10, 1990). More recently, animal research demonstrates that banana extract helps heal drug-induced ulcers (BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, online, Nov. 5, 2013). The banana extract actually worked better than the acid-suppressing drug omeprazole.
We can’t imagine a reason for you to give up the half-banana on your cereal. Reports on the Internet suggest that a few people do develop heartburn as a reaction to eating bananas, but since you do not, you might as well enjoy them.
People who find themselves puzzled about which foods may cause heartburn, and how to combat it, might appreciate our Guide to Digestive Disorders in which we offer a number of remedies.
