7 Super Effective Home Remedies for Heartburn

Acid reflux is an uncomfortable disease, to say the least.

Its main symptom is a burning sensation in the chest which is why it's commonly known as heartburn. Other unpleasant symptoms include burping, bloating, and a sour taste in your mouth, especially when liquid backs up into your throat. Not fun at all!

Acid reflux happens when the valve at the top of your stomach doesn’t close all the way. The acid in your stomach moves the wrong way, up into your esophagus.

Some people get heartburn from time to time but others suffer with it frequently, even daily. That's when you have a bigger problem that you want to get control of quickly.

Frequent acid reflux is also known as GERD, or “gastroesophageal reflux disease.” There are a few things that can put you at risk for it. These include:

  • Laying down right after a meal
  • Being overweight or obese

A recent study found that weight gain of 10 to 20 pounds was associated with a threefold increase in heartburn symptoms.

  • Eating spicy or fatty foods, chocolate or mint
  • Drinking coffee, tea, alcohol or drinks with bubbles
  • Smoking
  • Being pregnant
  • Some drugs, including blood pressure medicine, Aspirin or Ibuprofen and muscle relaxers

The good news is that people who have acid reflux have a few options for how to deal with their condition.

There have been a lot of recent findings on the detrimental impact of long-term use of common prescription medications used to treat GERD. This may leave you searching for an alternative, more natural way to find relief.

7 Natural Remedies for Acid Reflux

1. Baking Soda

Remember the old “plop plop fizz fizz” ads for Alka-Seltzer? The popular over the counter medicine was only made of three things. One is baking soda or Sodium Bicarbonate. It works because it turns the acid in your stomach into a lower pH. But you don’t need to take a pill or go to the drug store.

Just put between 1/2 a teaspoon and 1 whole teaspoon of baking soda into 8 ounces of fresh water. Stir it and drink it down.

2. Aloe Juice

The aloe plant is known for healing skin burns. The good news is that it also reduces burning on the inside. Drinking

Drinking a ½ cup of aloe juice before meals should do the trick. Just know ahead of time that it is also a laxative, so be careful!

3. Apple Cider Vinegar

It may sound strange that adding more acid to a problem caused by acid would work, but it does. Here’s why. When you put a high-acid fluid next to the valve at the top of your stomach, it is a signal that it should tighten up and close.

Just mix 3 teaspoons of raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar with 6 to 8 ounces of fresh water. Drink it up before each meal to help relieve heartburn.

4. Bananas or Apples

Both neutralize the acid in your stomach. You can either eat a banana or an apple before bed to ease your heartburn pain.

5. Gingerroot Tea

Ginger is well known for curing nausea, and it helps with acid too.

The tea is easy to make. Just take a few slices of fresh, peeled ginger and steep them in 2 cups of boiling water.

Remove the ginger and drink about 20 minutes before a meal.

6. Mustard

Mustard has a low level of acid in it. The acid comes from the vinegar that’s used to make it. It will have the same effect as apple cider vinegar, making the valve close and neutralizing the pain.

7. Cilantro

Fresh cilantro is a tasty way to get relief. It stimulates the release of digestive enzymes and if you just love spicy food, adding a handful of fresh cilantro can be a useful hack to reduce heartburn symptoms that often follow those spicy meals.

Yours in health,

Danette

P.S. Please share this with your friends who suffer from frequent heartburn and I welcome your comments below.