# Why does oatmeal give me heartburn? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 5, 2006, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-oatmeal-give-me-heartburn/343129 "2006-02-05T19:20:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Jeepers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/65b543/32.png) [@Jeepers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeepers)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-oatmeal-give-me-heartburn/343129/21 "2013-04-28T21:54:29Z")
I’m another one who can’t eat grains of any kind. Cut out wheat 25 years ago, cut out all other grains, including corn, since then. Heartburn, “full feeling” for days, garden variety gastronomical upsets have completely gone away. If I slip up, I’m reminded again why I don’t eat grain. It doesn’t happen often. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2013, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-oatmeal-give-me-heartburn/343129/22 "2013-04-28T23:04:43Z")
Take a tablespoon of Mylanta (or the generic) a half hour before eating the oatmeal. I did that for years before I got my throat and stomach scoped. Doctor did the procedure and decided I needed to be on Omeprazole. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2013, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-oatmeal-give-me-heartburn/343129/23 "2013-04-29T00:24:23Z")
> [@barbitu8](#): > > That’s possible. I eat oatmeal for breakfast practically every morning (with nuts, bananas, a dash of maple syrup, **hemlock seeds** , chia, wheat germ, ground flax seed, and a frozen mixed berry from Costco’s (defrosted first, of course). With a cup of Joe, of course. After this meal, I always have to defecate. That’s a good thing I think. If the oatmeal gets a little thick while I’m eating it, I will add some more soymilk. I don’t use milk, just soymilk. I have eaten the oatmeal at McDonald’s with no after-effects. However, a person with whom I run and with whom I stop at McDonald’s after the run, did complain of those problems and has refused to eat oatmeal since. Hemlock seeds? ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2013, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-oatmeal-give-me-heartburn/343129/24 "2013-04-29T19:48:45Z")
> [@barbitu8](#): > > If the oatmeal gets a little thick while I’m eating it, I will add some more soymilk. I don’t use milk, just soymilk. I have eaten the oatmeal at McDonald’s with no after-effects Noticed it today too after having some oat biscuits that I haven’t tried in a long time. Absolutely dry and gave me a little touch of discomfort. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2013, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-oatmeal-give-me-heartburn/343129/25 "2013-04-29T20:13:18Z")
> [@needscoffee](#): > > Hemlock seeds? Oops. I meant hemp seeds: raw shelled hemp seeds. The bag I have, which I got from Costco, is called “Hemp Hearts.” ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2013, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-oatmeal-give-me-heartburn/343129/26 "2013-04-29T22:05:46Z")
So am I the only person on the planet who gets heartburn from rice? (brown or white or red or black, long or short) ---
**Author:** ![Haas2006](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e68b1a/32.png) [@Haas2006](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Haas2006)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2013, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-oatmeal-give-me-heartburn/343129/27 "2013-06-15T00:41:58Z")
I have a hiatal hernia (If I drink diet soda and open my mouth, a bystander can hear the bubbling) as well as gall bladder issues (too much of some types of fat gives me heartburn). Tums always works, crackers work, mustard (turmeric) always & good preventive; rolaids, mylanta, Gas-X - nope. But occasionally, even a couple of swallows of water will cause heartburn. I’ve started watching what I eat and have managed to keep the heartburn away (down to 1 jar of tums a year instead of 1 a month), except: 1 bite of cheerios, oatmeal (regardless of type), oatmeal cookie - always gives me heartburn within a very few minutes. Rice cereals (rice chex, rice krispies) - never. Could it be lactose (milk has always been my drink of choice, even with alcohol) or gluten (not really sure what that encompasses)? ---
**Author:** ![Gbro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Gbro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gbro)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2013, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-oatmeal-give-me-heartburn/343129/28 "2013-06-16T03:54:21Z")
have you ever taken a Pepcid or rinitadine or something like that if you know your going to generate that kind of acid? My .5 makes fabulace pasties and the crust is a pie crust that when combined with the Pasty will give me Heartburn but a Pepcid or such ten min. before i pour on the Catsup and wolf down one of the best Pasty’s ever and no effects what-so-ever. And we buy dozens of Church fund raiser pasty’s every couple weeks and they never cause heartburn and i eat them the same way, but they are way way inferior to the Ms. Gbro’s famious Pasty! Two of my daghters wont even eat a Church Pasty! And Tums, Rolaids, forget it! if i get a fire going it taks a much larger fire extingisher like a teaspoon of Arm and Hammer in a couple ounces of water. two rolls of those store boughts wont do a thing. One time while hunting Elk in Colorado i got a big fire and i couldnt find anything in my day pack. I spent a while drowing it with water and looking for wintergreen plants and was planning the 8 Mile hick out to the truck for a long ride to town, but when i spread everything in my daypack out i spotted the tooth past and the word WINTERGREEN! a nice long squirt of that and the fire was officially out anf no rekindle either. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![skidder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@skidder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skidder)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2013, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-oatmeal-give-me-heartburn/343129/29 "2013-06-26T19:59:06Z")
Wow, I’m glad I’m not alone. I can eat any kind of Mexican food, and spicy dishes for that matter, with no ill effects. Oatmeal on the other hand “SEVERE” heartburn. Sometimes so bad I feel like throwing up. I like the taste, and my doctor recommends it for my high cholesterol, but man it reeks havoc. I’ve tried all kinds and they all result in HEARTBURN. ---
**Author:** ![kargo27](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/96bed5/32.png) [@kargo27](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kargo27)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2013, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-oatmeal-give-me-heartburn/343129/30 "2013-07-19T21:59:11Z")
Same here. I googled “oatmeal heartburn” and it brought me here. I add a little brown sugar and cinnamon to mine, don’t know if that makes a difference but probably not since you other posters said you’ve tried all kinds. However, I’m going to reduce the portion size to see if that makes a difference. ---
**Author:** ![sylmar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b782af/32.png) [@sylmar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sylmar)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2013, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-oatmeal-give-me-heartburn/343129/31 "2013-07-20T01:25:20Z")
> [@Haas2006](#): > > I have a hiatal hernia “snip” > > 1 bite of cheerios, oatmeal (regardless of type), oatmeal cookie - always gives me heartburn within a very few minutes. > Rice cereals (rice chex, rice krispies) - never. Ditto, hiatal hernia and oatmeal plagues me with heartburn also. Not rice, wheat, barley, corn or any other starches that might swell. Just oatmeal. ---
**Author:** ![Not\_Alone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bc79bd/32.png) [@Not\_Alone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Not_Alone)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-oatmeal-give-me-heartburn/343129/32 "2013-08-12T19:26:01Z")
I have the same problem. A “Why does oatmeal give me heartburn?” Google search led me here. I, too, have a hiatal hernia. Guess that is the connection because I could eat it (and did daily) as a kid. But, now, no way. I can’t eat it any way - plain, sugar, butter. Nothing. The only other thing that gives me horrid heartburn is soda, which is easy to live with as I prefer lemonade or tea. But, really, I want to be able to eat oatmeal, especially in the winter. Panache, rice doesn’t give me heartburn. It causes issues a little further down the track. 😉 Bloats me up really bad. White and brown. I can, however, eat wild rice with no problems. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2013, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-oatmeal-give-me-heartburn/343129/33 "2013-08-12T20:39:13Z")
> [@Not\_Alone](#): > > I have the same problem. A “Why does oatmeal give me heartburn?” Google search led me here. I, too, have a hiatal hernia. Guess that is the connection because I could eat it (and did daily) as a kid. But, now, no way. I can’t eat it any way - plain, sugar, butter. Nothing. The only other thing that gives me horrid heartburn is soda, which is easy to live with as I prefer lemonade or tea. But, really, I want to be able to eat oatmeal, especially in the winter. > > Panache, rice doesn’t give me heartburn. It causes issues a little further down the track. 😉 Bloats me up really bad. White and brown. I can, however, eat wild rice with no problems. Try quinoa. ---
**Author:** ![Zyada](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zyada/32/3028_2.png) [@Zyada](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zyada)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-oatmeal-give-me-heartburn/343129/34 "2013-08-15T17:16:28Z")
> [@Not\_Alone](#): > > Panache, rice doesn’t give me heartburn. It causes issues a little further down the track. 😉 Bloats me up really bad. White and brown. I can, however, eat wild rice with no problems. And of course, wild rice isn’t really the same plant as rice - more of a distant cousin. My question for those who get heartburn from oatmeal - how do you prefer to eat yours? Chewy, soupy, wallpaper paste, straight out of the box? Butter, milk, sugar, raisins? ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [August 15, 2013, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-oatmeal-give-me-heartburn/343129/35 "2013-08-15T19:15:06Z")
People. If oatmeal gives you heartburn, stop eating it! Seriously, it obviously doesn’t agree with you. It’s hardly a necessary part of a healthy diet. Why put yourself through that? ---
**Author:** ![hectoralex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@hectoralex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hectoralex)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2013, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-oatmeal-give-me-heartburn/343129/36 "2013-08-27T17:25:43Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > So am I the only person on the planet who gets heartburn from rice? (brown or white or red or black, long or short) I also suffer from heartburn after eating white or brown rice as well as oatmeal… yet I lived in Japan for six years, and my wife is Japanese… oh, but I’m hispanic and mexican food don’t give me any problems… i’m on prilosec/omeprazole. ---
**Author:** ![Jakoul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f6c823/32.png) [@Jakoul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jakoul)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2013, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-oatmeal-give-me-heartburn/343129/37 "2013-09-24T03:36:49Z")
GERD and acid reflux come from a messed up ratio of bacteria in your gut. I used to be up all night just about coughing up mucus constantly and digesting food so slow that I’d often cough up things I ate 12+ hours before. The way you fix this is really simple; you eat probiotic foods. After eating probiotic vegetables and drinking probiotic kumbucha type drinks, my symptoms have gone away within days and are now getting better. The lump in my throat is gone, I can now swallow without drinking hot water, I can sleep for 8+ hours without issue and if I eat grains I get a mild reaction instead of my body trying to murder me for it. So basically, all you need to do is look up probiotic foods, make a list of what you want and eat nothing but that for awhile. I’ve been eating foods I know I shouldn’t be every few days, which is why I suspect I still get immediate (albeit mild) issues with grains, but if you eat nothing but probiotic foods for about a month I imagine you can completely fix the issue. Another thing to consider is foods nowadays are based on taste rather than nutrition. Dairy products? They aren’t good for us at all. Grains? Our bodies can’t digest it properly. Now consider that we have been eating highly refined versions of these foods that weren’t good for us to begin with. Yeah, our bodies can use SOME of the nutrients in these foods and there aren’t any negative effects if we eat it once or twice a week, but our bodies are not meant for this food and eating it on a regular basis is terrible for us. We need to remember the point of food, that is to keep us alive and healthy. ---
**Author:** ![Phil\_CostaMesa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Phil\_CostaMesa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phil_CostaMesa)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2013, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-oatmeal-give-me-heartburn/343129/38 "2013-09-24T18:50:40Z")
It’s simple. In a previous life you were very unkind to oats. Shame on you. Now you get your come uppance. ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2013, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-oatmeal-give-me-heartburn/343129/39 "2013-09-24T19:21:09Z")
I love oatmeal also, as well as oatmeal cookies, I also get heartburn but mild enough to put up with it and doesn’t seem to last too long. I have alwasy attributed it to the coffee oatmeal combo but not sure. Whole wheat cereals give me stomach cramps and lower gi issues. No problem with whole wheat bread. ---
**Author:** ![Ozigirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d07c76/32.png) [@Ozigirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ozigirl)\ **Post date:** [October 15, 2013, 9:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-oatmeal-give-me-heartburn/343129/40 "2013-10-15T09:39:36Z")
HoneyBadgerDC I have found 1 teaspoon of organic honey mixed with 1 teaspoon of organic apple cider vinegar morning and evening works well to prevent heartburn or GERD. Probiotics are also good to restore the bacterial balance in the stomach. It can be useful to check the amount of acid in your stomach with a simple test - first thing in the morning, on an empty stomach, drink a glass of water with 1 teaspoon of baking soda stirred through. If you burp once or twice your levels are ok, if more than that then you know that your stomach acid levels are too high. I am not a doctor or naturopath but have battled these conditions for ages and have researched and tried many things. You may need to address other items in your diet as well as grains. You could also visit this site which offers an indepth discussion on these issues [http://nomorereflux.net](http://nomorereflux.net). Hope this helps. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-oatmeal-give-me-heartburn/343129.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-does-oatmeal-give-me-heartburn/343129.md?page=3)