If you’re unfortunate enough to regularly experience acid reflux, you’ll know that some food and drinks can really set it off. No matter how tasty, how alluring, they’re just not worth tucking into because of the price you’ll pay afterwards.

One common food that can trigger acid reflux is tomatoes. According to health experts at HealthCentral, this is because they are highly acidic, causing reflux to come up and irritate the digestive system. 

However, some culinary experts think they may have found the solution and chances are, it’s already in your kitchen cupboard.

The simple way to stop getting acid reflux from tomatoes

Chef Tim Frey posted on his Instagram saying: “A spoonful of baking soda in your tomato soup or sauce will reduce the acid – making the soup taste a little better and making it less severe on people who have acid reflux issues.

“Just make sure to mix it thoroughly and then cook it for another 20 minutes. Uncooked baking soda doesn’t taste very good.

“A lot of people add sugar to reduce the acid. It doesn’t work that way. Adding sugar just makes it taste sweet and does nothing to the acid.”

How baking powder can help to reduce acid reflux

To learn more about why this works, HuffPost UK spoke with Elena Rolt, registered nutritional therapist and certified functional medicine practitioner at Health Miro. 

“Tomatoes are naturally high in citric and malic acids, which can trigger heartburn by increasing stomach acid production,” Rolt explained.

“Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is an alkaline compound that reacts with the acids in tomatoes, creating a milder pH balance.”

She suggested that adding a small pinch of baking soda to tomato-based dishes may help neutralise excess acidity in tomatoes, potentially reducing the likelihood of excessive acid production in the stomach that can irritate the oesophagus.

The nutritional therapist advised that a small pinch (or 1/8 of a teaspoon) of baking soda can “subtly tone down the acidity” without affecting flavour significantly. “However, excessive use may alter taste,” she added.

The NHS advises that you can speak to your pharmacist if you’re struggling with acid reflux but, if you have heartburn most days, you should book an appointment with your GP.