Barrett’s esophagus-friendly diet

Eddie Money passed away today. May he RIP!

I also was diagnosed with BE but had no symptoms. Wondering if the BE could have been caused by bile reflux rather than acid reflux since I had my gall bladder removed years ago? Did your Dr. say anything about bile being a potential source of the problem?

That would be great. The Acid Watcher Diet is a great place to start, but there are still questions about long term do's and don'ts.

My thyroid cancer did not affect thyroid function; so it was not detected until it showed up coincidentally on a scan for possible heart disease. It was already stage 3, with no symptoms. The thyca.com support group is terrific, with lots of practical information.

I've been trying to stay on the acid watcher diet as much as possible, which has been difficult while traveling on vacation the last few weeks. What suggestions/guidelines do you have for condiments/dressings/sauces? Mayo? mustard? lemon substitutes for fish?
I switched to almond milk years ago; so that has not been a problem. I have it in my cereal or oatmeal, to which I add blueberries, raspberries and/or strawberries. Is that okay? I hardly ever get heartburn; so, even with a hoarse voice, I continued to eat foods that led to my diagnosis 6 months ago of Barrett's Esophagus. I welcome your advice.

I'm in a similar position. I was diagnosed last March and have been trying to modify my diet ever since, since that seems to be the only proactive thing we can do, along with taking the meds prescribed for us. All suggestions are welcome.

No vinegar based foods when you have BE! No blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries unless in a smoothie with almond milk to neutralize the acid.No Mayo, mustard, ketchup, lemon or limes. Too acidic. No soda, booze, fruit drinks. Melon is OK to eat. Ripe bananas have less acid in them.
No fried fatty foods. I cut out salt and all peppers. Drink more water. I drink healthwise low acid coffee in the a.m. No Italian or Mexican foods. Cut out fast foods. On my last EGD my BE was nowhere to be seen. I hope it doesn't come back. Good luck on your new diet!

Thanks for your very prompt reply. It's wonderful that there's now no evidence of BE. Congratulations! That's my goal; so I want to be very careful about my diet. I'm already following most of your suggestions, having read The Acid Watcher Diet. You said no berries unless in a smoothie. I haven't been making smoothies, but I've had berries with almond milk in cereal or steel cut oatmeal. Do you think that's okay? I also mistakenly thought that sourdough bread was okay; so I've been eating that, plus rye and pumpernickel. Are any of those okay? Also, I thought honey mustard was okay, as well as Hellman's light or olive oil mayo. Any suggestions there? I've switched to Celtic salt and Bragg's amino acids instead of soy sauce. I've cut out spicy foods and am only contemplating adding cooked garlic and onions back in, in moderation of course. I haven't had soda, juices or carbonated drinks in years, and I cut out alcohol, chocolate and caffeine as soon as I was diagnosed. The killer is that morning coffee! I can't wait to add it back in the way you have. Know any good vodka drinks? Something like my favorite apple martini? Are pink lady or honeycrisp apples okay? They're not mentioned in the book. Have you discovered a great homemade salad dressing? I'm still trying to figure that one out. Any further advice is welcome. And congrats again.

I drink my coffee with unsweetened almond milk as the creamer,that should kill some of the acid in it. I stay away from apples and I gave up booze 16 yrs ago. I don't eat salads due to the vinegar or acid in them. The bread should be ok as long as there is no High Fructose corn syrup in the ingredients.

@robertatheriveter @riflemanz64
My Barrett's too seems to be in remission. My doctor does not say it's cured, and he does have me continuing to take a medication. I am currently on Famotidine. I was on Omeprazole but I asked to be switched because of potential side effects of it.

I don't recall ever being told to not eat berries. I have been having oatmeal with either blueberries, strawberries, raspberries in it every morning for years! Maybe the oatmeal neutralizes the acid? I also frequently have salads with chicken and strawberries in them. I guess my Barrett's was not that severe. I think some of these things will do no harm unless your Barrett's is severe - as my mother-in-law used to say, "all things in moderation". Of course you should check with your doctor on that. When I checked with my gastroenterologist about coffee when I first had Barrett's he said if I really enjoy my coffee to not be concerned with one cup in the morning. I do not drink it in excess, and I generally drink dark coffees. They have less acid due to the extra roasting time.

I do use occasionally use mayo, mustard, and ketchup also but the other things are things I tend to not eat anyway, except for Italian food. My husband is of Italian heritage so we do have Italian food about once a week.
JK