Gasoline prices in California and across the nation appear to have hit a plateau after soaring for weeks, although experts warn that more increases could be on the way.

California's average price for a gallon of regular hit $3.63 on March 17, after breaking records every day for two weeks. Then the state's average started inching down by fractions of a penny per day.

By Wednesday it had fallen 0.3 cents, according to data from the AAA auto club.

San Francisco's average now stands at $3.77 for regular, down from a record of $3.78 on Monday. Oakland drivers pay $3.65, down from $3.66. San Jose also peaked at $3.66 and has fallen 0.3 cents.

Prices have flattened out across the country. The national average peaked a day earlier than California's, hitting $3.29 on Sunday, and now stands at $3.28.

Granted, it's not exactly cause for celebration. Few price-shocked drivers have even noticed.

"Honestly, once it reaches a certain price, I stop looking, because it's just too painful," said Karolina Michniewicz, 29, a San Francisco teacher, as she filled up for $3.82 per gallon on Wednesday. "I have to drive to work."

Many commuters will welcome any lull in the increases, which have added 51 cents to California's average gas price in five weeks. But experts warn that it could be just that - a lull, a pause before prices start climbing again.

Why? Americans typically drive more in spring and summer than they do in fall and winter. That strains gasoline supplies and pushes up the price.

So far this year, high prices and a weak economy have forced many drivers to cut back on the amount of gasoline they buy. Gas sales in the past four weeks were down 2.5 percent compared with the same period last year, according to MasterCard, which tracks nationwide gasoline purchases.

Without conservation, prices probably would have soared higher.

"As challenging as the current situation is, it would likely be worse if consumers hadn't made a concerted effort to use less fuel," said Sean Comey, spokesman for AAA of Northern California.

But the drop in gasoline sales could end as warm weather lures more people onto the road.

"As we get into the Easter-and-beyond season, we tend to have more spring breaks, more vacations," said Douglas MacIntyre, senior oil market analyst with the federal Energy Information Administration.

This year's run-up in gas prices was caused by the bull market for crude oil, the raw material for gasoline.

Speculative investors have poured money into the market, viewing oil as a way to protect themselves from inflation, volatile stocks and the crumbling U.S. dollar. And because oil is traded in dollars, foreign investors whose currencies are gaining strength can now buy more.

"It's like gold," said Ken Medlock, an energy research fellow at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy.

"Gold has (intrinsic) value. There's a finite amount of it in the world. We don't use it to drive our cars, but it's the same logic."

As a result, oil sold on the New York Mercantile Exchange has never cost more, even when adjusted for inflation. But for most of March, oil's price has stayed relatively stable, somewhere between $102 and $110 per barrel. It closed Wednesday at $104.48.

MacIntyre said gas prices have finally caught up to crude.

"We probably, at this point, have had most of the crude oil increase factored in," MacIntyre said. But "that doesn't mean gasoline prices aren't going to rise again because we are just about to reach peak gasoline season."

MacIntyre's agency predicts that the national average for regular gasoline will peak near $3.50 per gallon sometime this spring. Some regions could hit $4. A handful of Bay Area stations already charge that much.

There remains a chance that gas prices won't resume their upward march.

With prices this high, drivers may keep trying to conserve. Should the country slide into a serious recession, they'll need to save money any way they can. That could undercut the annual summertime increase in gasoline sales and keep prices from soaring anew.

"The thing that could be the saving grace at the pump, in terms of the price we see, is if we are indeed moving into a recession, people won't take those drives, those vacations," Medlock said.

E-mail David R. Baker at dbaker@sfchronicle.com.

This article appeared on page C - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle

Sit up straight and eat small meals to beat acid reflux

Comments (3)

I desperately need help controlling acid reflux. Despite being slightly underweight, I eat healthily - porridge for breakfast; homemade soup for lunch; and meat, chicken or fish with vegetables, rice or pasta for dinner - but a nutritionist recently told me my diet was too acidic. Can you give me advice, please? Andrea Baguley, Maidstone, Kent.

Jane says: Acid reflux can be caused by a number of things, including hiatus hernia, excess weight around the midriff and as a side-effect of certain drugs.

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Acid reflux can be caused by a number of things and is not easy to tackle

It occurs when the valve between the stomach and oesophagus (the gullet) weakens, allowing acid to creep up.

This causes pain, discomfort and a horrible bitter taste in the mouth, all of which, as you know, can start making life a real misery.

Acid reflux is not easy to tackle, but obviously it's important to look at your food choices. You're right to stick to white meat and fish, though a little oily fish and/or red meat may well be fine.

There's no physiological reason why the body can't digest lean red meat as well as it does white meat, but for some reason some people find it aggravates reflux.

Certain foods increase acid production, so it makes sense to avoid these. They include spicy and fatty foods - creamy sauces, buttery pastries and too much olive oil.

Fruits and vegetables can be troublesome, especially citrus fruits, berries and under-ripe fruit, so watch these.

You might be better off with apples and pears (nicely ripe ones). Cooked fruit may suit your gut more. But try to avoid having any fruit on an empty stomach.

Rice and pasta should be soothing. But it's worth experimenting to see if any types of bread suit you better than others.

Of course, everyone quite rightly extols the virtues of wholemeal bread for its fibre, B vitamins and so on, but not only can the fibre be a little harsh on an already sensitive gut, it's also more filling than white bread, which means you eat less generally.

As people with acid reflux sometimes need to put on a little weight or, at least, don't need to lose any more, you might be better off with white bread.

Sometimes rye or a sour-dough sits better. Try a range of breads, keep a note and see how your gut reacts.

Drink-wise, I would try to avoid having much just before and during mealtimes, as this fills you up and makes it more likely that food will repeat on you.

I'd also watch your caffeine intake - coffee, tea and cola - and chocolate, which contains theobromine, a milder form of caffeine.

All of these can cause the valve at the top of the stomach to relax and make the meal repeat.

It might be worth giving up caffeine to see how you fare. Watch fizzy drinks, too - see the question that follows about fizzy water.

Keep herbal teas on the weaker side as, surprisingly, strong herbs, even mint, can also increase acid secretion (though a weak warm mug of mint tea is good for soothing a fierce stomach).

While these are useful, general suggestions, I should point out there are no hard and fast rules for acid reflux.

Recent research has shown that the "classic" triggers - spicy food and caffeine - may not be a problem for many people with acid reflux.

As well as food choices, one thing that can make a big difference is looking at how you eat.

Eating too quickly means you're likely to swallow larger pieces of food that sit uncomfortably in the stomach as it struggles to break them down.

You may also swallow a lot of air, so when you burp (which happens more often if you have a tendency towards reflux or heartburn), the forcing up of air can bring acid with it.

So, slow down, chew thoroughly and ideally give your body a good 45 minutes in an upright position after you've eaten.

Meals which are fluid-like, for example the porridge and soup you're having, can also have a tendency to swish up from the stomach.

For breakfast, you might be better with wholegrain toast or a smaller portion of porridge and some toast.

You should definitely have something dry at lunchtime with your soup.

Eat smaller meals, more often - you'll have less food in your stomach in one go, which can make it more comfortable.

Make sure that your meals and snacks are nutritious - don't get into the habit of constantly nibbling, and not having a balanced meal.

You might feel that always having something in your stomach helps soak up the acid, but the result is a poor appetite at mealtimes.

And you can soon start missing out on the basic foods you need overall to stay well.

This is a trap a patient of mine had fallen into, who had ended up snacking on rice cakes and bland foods lacking in protein.

I would like to know if drinking sparkling/carbonated water is as good for you as uncarbonated.

I drink three litres a day and wondered if the carbon dioxide is detrimental to my health. Also, does it contain any calories? Simon Howard, by e-mail

Jane says: Water has zero calories, so even the most serious of dieters can sip away to their heart's content.

As to the carbon dioxide in carbonated water, you breathe in more in the air than you get from water, so don't worry on that front.

But it's worth considering the following when trying to decide if a particular fizzy water is the best for you to drink.

The first is the gassiness. As you will see if you read the previous answer, if you have a sensitive gut or suffer from conditions such as acid reflux, hiatus hernia or irritable bowel syndrome (which brings with it uncomfortable bloating), drinking water with gas in it can aggravate your symptoms more than still water.

The other consideration is that the sodium content of some bottled fizzy waters is high - sodium is one of the key minerals which make up salt.

So if you need to watch your salt intake, for conditions such as high blood pressure, fluid retention (water containing lots of salt can cause you to retain more water) or poor bone health, for example osteoarthritis, you should check the label.

You need to multiply the sodium by 2.5 to get the salt content. I think it's best to keep to waters that contain less than 20mg of sodium.

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