As you probably know, I am not a doctor. I did try to enlist the aid of a couple specific medical professionals for this edition of Pretty Good, but was unable to connect with them. All that is to say that, while I’ve done plenty of research around this topic, this post is ultimately about something that worked for me, and trying to figure out why. Your results may vary.
Heartburn hit me young. I remember spouts of occasional acid reflux in high school, splashes of stomach acid leaping into the back of my throat and scalding it raw. In college, I developed the habit of “pregaming” a night of Mexican food and margaritas by popping a few Tums before going out. By my mid-twenties, I had the Costco-sized Tums Fruit Smoothies bottle always stocked in the medicine cabinet. I had accepted some form of regular heartburn as simply normal, as had a number of my friends.
One day, during the pandemic, it occurred to me that my heartburn had stopped. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt that burning seize in my chest after a burp, or been awoken in the middle of the night by a gurgle of acid in my throat. It took me a while to try to figure out what had changed. Yes, I was getting more exercise, which certainly couldn’t hurt. But my eating and drinking habits were largely the same (if not even slightly unhealthier, especially in the spring of 2020). I wasn’t cutting back on spicy food, or alcohol, or coffee.
I started trying to isolate for controls. As thrilled as I was to be rid of it, I needed to understand why. The only times I’ve felt even a hint of heartburn returning in the last couple years, I’ve been able to immediately identify that I’ve gone several days without eating a banana. As someone who is naturally skeptical of any magical, quick fix cures for, well, just about anything, this has come as quite a surprise.
According to Johns Hopkins, roughly 20% of the population suffers from gastroesophageal reflux disease, which is known more colloquially as just acid reflux. A few years ago, it was reported that a whopping 50 million Americans were taking proton pump inhibitor drugs, or PPIs, which have been linked to a wide range of side effects. Some researchers believe that a majority of those who take PPIs regularly shouldn’t even be doing so. For some, there may be a simpler, cheaper, less fraught fix.
While who does or doesn’t suffer no doubt depends on some number of genetic factors, the first line of defense and treatment is diet. Although dietary changes are often thought of or prescribed in the form of moderating fatty, fried, acidic foods, one can also take a proactive approach to eating more foods that can help stem the reflux tide. And one of the leading ones on seemingly every list around the web is bananas.
Not only are bananas an alkaline fruit, helping balance out the acidity of your diet, they can help ease acid upflow in your esophagus by coating the lining.
Bananas will not work for everyone. Tragically, it turns out that they can actually trigger heartburn for those with irritable bowel syndrome, as they can cause bloating. Also important — unripe bananas can be very starchy, which can also be a heartburn trigger. But they become less so, and sweeter, as they ripen, making them easier to digest. Indian researchers actually used banana powder in tests back in the early 90s and found it to help with relieving indigestion.
If you’re a heartburn sufferer (without IBS) who doesn’t already eat bananas, I’d like to challenge you to eat a (ripe) banana every day for the next week and see if you notice any changes. If that doesn’t help, I’d encourage you to keep isolating and controlling for the foods that either might trigger or alleviate your symptoms. If, like me, you’ve simply accepted regular heartburn, I promise you that your quality of life will be measurably better if you’re able to address and reduce it, or maybe even eliminate it entirely.
It helps that I actually enjoy eating bananas, though I’m fully aware that’s not the case for everyone, whether for taste or textural reasons. That’s why I’m leaving two of my favorite, very different ways of incorporating bananas into your diet below.
An actually tasty green smoothie
Despite the color, this smoothie tastes entirely like peanut butter. I promise.
½ cup frozen spinach
1 banana
2 tbsp peanut butter
1 cup milk of your choice
Add ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. You can substitute fresh spinach, but frozen helps deliver the right temperature for a quality smoothie texture. You can also add a neutral protein powder or collagen to this without impacting taste, but may need slightly more liquid to adjust for texture.
Power pancakes
Who doesn’t love pancakes? These come together despite a set of ingredients that don’t seem like they should work, creating a slightly sweet, slightly savory breakfast that’s great if you’ve got a big day ahead of you.
⅓ cup oats
1 banana
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
Heavy pinch salt
Butter to cook and for serving
Maple syrup for serving
Add oats, banana, eggs, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt to a food processor and blend until you have a smooth batter. Melt 1 tsp butter in a (preferably) non-stick skillet over medium-low heat until bubbling, then pour batter and cook as you would with a normal pancake, flipping once sides are set and bubbles are popping. Repeat to make 2-3 cakes. Top with butter and maple syrup.