Douse that fire in your belly!

(##includemsid=2162032,type=11 ##) But new research suggests that eating at a leisurely pace hasa much more practical benefit: preventing heartburn. So, the next time you headout for that meal, resist the urge to gulp down that masala pomfret with raw,crunchy onion rings and paneer makhanwala with butter naan. Chew it slow andconsider ordering a side of buttermilk to go with it. In fact, thereis now medical evidence to support this fact. A snippet of news put out by anews wire outlined that at the Medical University of South Carolina, 20volunteers were recently invited to eat a 690-calorie meal consisting of achicken burger, French fries on two separate days. The first meal they scarfeddown in five minutes flat. The next occasion they consumed the food over aleisurely half hour. Episodes of heartburn were much less likely to occur whenpeople ate slowly. One reason may be that the volunteers chewed more andproduced more saliva, which neutralizes stomach acid.What���s onyour dinner menu may also make a difference. Researchers at the University ofArizona College of Medicine recently found that people who drink carbonated sodaare at higher risk of developing heartburn, especially at night. Aeratedbeverages are high in phosporic acid and contain carbon dioxide. Eating foodshigh in fibre, say various studies, may be protective. Whereas previous studieshave shown that high-fibre diets protect against the risk of cancer of theesophagus. ���Cold foods help in the treatment of acidity. Milk contains anatural antacid. A long time ago, when modern antacids weren���t available,we would prescribe sipping some cold milk as a symptom reliver. It neutralisesacidity.��� says Dr BK Shah, MBBS.Sometimes, acidity can beconfused with trouble of a more serious kind ��� heart problems. But howdoes one tell the difference between the burning sensation you get after ameal and heart problems? ���Hyperacidity gives one a burning session. Italso affects smokers and drinkers who have hard alcohol. H Pylori also causes alot of pain and belching. Also, when the epiglottis does not close properly, weget acidity. It���s tough to differentiate between heart problems andacidity. If there is heartburn with sweating, pain which radiates to the arm orback, with palpitations or dizziness warrants immediate medical attention and anECG to be done immediately,��� says consulting physician Dr AnilBallani.Slowing down and eating more high-fibre foods could fightheartburn in another way. Weight-loss experts have long counselled dieters toeat more slowly so the stomach has time to signal when it���s full. There isgood evidence that high-fiber diets help people feel full on fewer calories. Ifthat in turn helps people shed pounds, it could also ease heartburn. ���Ifyou eat food slowly, you���re giving your brain enough time to get a signalfrom the stomach that you���re eating food. You eat slowly and you���renot overloading your stomach too soon. The benefit is that if you���re on adiet, you also end up eating more sensibly. The trick to succeed in any diet isto never be in a position where you���re too hungry at any given point oftime,��� says nutritionist Dr Niti Desai. Dr Ballani adds,���Being overweight or obese adds to the risk of gastric reflux because theextra weight puts pressure on the stomach, making it more likely that food canbe forced back into the esophagus.���So apart from eating milk,experts say that walking can also ease heartburn simply because it keeps youupright and uses the force of gravity to keep food down. Apparently, stretchingout on the sofa after a big meal is the worst thing you can do.