Food Guide / Thai

🇹🇭 Thai food and acid reflux

Staple dishes: Pad Thai, Green Curry, Tom Yum, Papaya Salad, Massaman Curry. Below is every Thai ingredient we've rated, grouped from safest to riskiest, with the actual mechanism — not just a red flag.

✅ Safe

Lemongrass

Antispasmodic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory. Widely used in Thai cooking safely.

Found in: Tom Yum, Curries

Galangal

Related to ginger; anti-inflammatory and digestive properties.

Found in: Tom Kha, Curries

Thai/Holy Basil

Anti-inflammatory. Slightly different from Italian basil but equally safe.

Found in: Pad Krapow, Stir fries

🟢 Low Risk

Kaffir Lime Leaves

Aromatic citrus leaves; milder than lime juice. Usually well tolerated.

Found in: Curries, Tom Kha

Coconut Milk

Medium-chain triglycerides; moderately fatty but cooling effect helps some patients.

Found in: Curries, Tom Kha

🟡 Moderate

Shrimp Paste (Kapi)

High salt + fermentation. Used in curry pastes in small amounts.

Found in: Curry pastes, Papaya Salad

🔴 Avoid

Fish Sauce

Extremely high sodium + fermentation acids. A few drops add significant salt load.

Found in: Nearly every Thai dish

Lime Juice

pH 2.0–2.5 — standard finishing acid in Thai cooking. Use lemon zest as alternative.

Found in: Papaya Salad, Tom Yum

Tamarind Paste

pH ~3.0; concentrated sour flavoring agent. Used heavily in Pad Thai.

Found in: Pad Thai, Curries

⛔ Critical

Thai Bird Eye Chili

Among the hottest culinary chilies — extreme TRPV1 receptor activation in esophagus.

Found in: Most Thai dishes

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