You can tame heartburn with a healthy lifestyle, study suggests

Five factors appear to prevent about 40 percent of symptoms of Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

That conclusion comes from a research letter published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

Researchers found those who followed five healthy lifestyle choices had 40 percent fewer GERD symptoms every week:
– Healthy body weight with a body mass index of between 18.5 and 24.9.
– Not smoking.
– Limit coffee, tea, soda limit to 2 cups per day.
– Healthy diet.
– 30 minutes of daily moderate to vigorous physical activity.

Carrying extra weight is a key factor since weight at the waist can push on the stomach, forcing stomach acid into the esophagus, according to Harvard Health.