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Heartburn
is something that most adults will experience during their lifetime. It is
characterized by an uncomfortable burning sensation right behind the breastbone
that often times creeps up the throat, and is a symptom more so than a disease.
It
is caused by acid reflux, which occurs when the ring of muscle that allows food
into your stomach (the lower esophageal sphincter, or LES) relaxes when it
shouldn’t. The result is acid from your stomach goes back up your esophagus,
which then causes the sensation of heartburn.
Think
about it…its acid burning your throat…ouch! It’s actually possible to have
reflux without heartburn, but it is not possible to have heartburn without
reflux.
15 Natural Remedies
for Heartburn
While
over-the-counter and prescription medications are available, if you suffer only
from occasional heartburn, lifestyle changes and using these home remedies for
heartburn may be the route you want to take.
1. A spoonful of baking soda…
A
spoonful of sodium bicarbonate, or teaspoon-full to be exact, can help put an
end to the gnawing, burning, sensation of heartburn caused by acid reflux.
Baking
soda, as sodium bicarbonate is more commonly known, can help your reflux and in
turn help your heartburn because it is a base substance.
It
has a pH higher than 7.0, and therefore neutralizes stomach acid. Neutralizing
the stomach acid means that if/when your LES decides to be lazy and acid comes
up your throat, you don’t get “burned.”
You will need…
-1/2 teaspoon or 1 teaspoon of baking soda
-a glass of fresh water
Directions
Mix either a ½ teaspoon or 1 single teaspoon of baking soda into a glass of water that is no more than 8 ounces. Give it a good stir and drink all of the mixture.
You
can repeat this as needed but should not exceed seven ½ teaspoon doses in a 24
hour period. Also, avoid using this as a remedy for more than a week straight,
as it is high in salt and can have side effects such as swelling or nausea.
2. Soothe your stomach with
aloe juice
Aloe
is a plant used to soothe burns, and people often think of using it to help
something like sunburn, but it can do more than that. It may be able to help
with heartburn too because it reduces inflammation.
This
means when your tummy starts getting irritated and inflamed, or your esophagus
is getting eaten away at, a nice glass of aloe vera juice may be just the thing
to help calm it down.
You will need…
-1/2 cup aloe vera juice
Directions
Drink
a ½ cup of aloe juice, cool or room temperature, before meals. Keep in mind
that aloe can act as a laxative, so unless you’re looking to fit in a few extra
bathroom Sudoku puzzles, look for a brand that has the laxative component
removed.
3. Chew gum
The
Journal of Dental Research conducted a study that showed people with symptoms
of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), or chronic heartburn, experienced
relief when they chewed a piece of sugar-free gum for 30 minutes after a meal.
This
is because chewing gum stimulates the salivary glands, and increases the flow
of saliva. Any acid that has built up in the gut is diluted and washed away or
cleared out more quickly. The clearance of acid then improves the symptoms of
GERD.
It
is possible that the same school of thought could be applied to occasional heartburn
as well. It’s our regular saliva that we swallow that actually makes normal
bouts of reflux here and there completely painless.
You will need…
-1 piece of sugar-free gum
Directions…
After a meal, pop in a piece of sugar-free gum and chew for 30 minutes to help ward off heartburn.
4. Chin up (and don’t lie down)
Heartburn
tends to get worse at night, thanks to the fact that you’re lying down when you
sleep. Gravity works against you, and it’s easier for the digested contents of
your stomach to back up into your esophagus, along with acid.
Try
elevating your head about 6 inches when you sleep by placing bricks, books, or
blocks under the legs at the head of your bed. You could also try a
wedge-shaped pillow under your mattress, but don’t simply pile up extra pillows
as it’s easy to slip off of them at night.
Don’t
lie down within 3-4 hours after eating, because lying down with a full stomach
makes stomach contents press harder against your lower esophageal sphincter.
5. How, what, and when
Watch how you eat: Don’t inhale giant
mouthfuls of food. Take smaller bites and eat slowly, allowing your stomach
time to digest and without giving it an excuse to pump out excess acid.
Watch what you eat: You’re probably
aware that specific foods trigger heartburn, usually foods high in acid
(tomatoes or citrus fruits, for example,) or spicy foods. Avoid these as best
you can to ward off
Watch when you eat: Don’t eat within
3-4 hours before bed. Lying down puts more pressure on your LES and increases
the likelihood of acid sneaking through.
6. Get more acid
When
you have acid burning your esophagus, it seems quite counterintuitive to ingest
even more acid.
In
many cases though, acid reflux is caused by having not enough acid in your
stomach, rather than having too much, as over-the-counter or prescription “acid
blockers” imply (although that can also be the case, among other factors.)
It
is the acid itself that tells the lower esophageal sphincter to tighten and
close off. If you don’t produce enough acid, your LES is going to think it’s no
big deal to loosen up for a little bit. Then of course, you get a reflux of
acid into your esophagus.
If
you think this may be your case, try drinking some pure, raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar to see if this
prevents your reflux, or cuts it off.
You will need…
-3 teaspoons or 1 tablespoon of raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar
-6 to 8 ounces of fresh water
Directions
Mix 3 teaspoons, or up to 1 tablespoon, of apple cider vinegar into 6-8 ounces of fresh water, and drink.
You
can do this before each meal (probably the most effective,) before bedtime, or
2-3 times during the day. If you feel is worsens your reflux, do not continue
to ingest it. Too much may also contribute to the problem.
7. Eat a banana or an apple
Bananas
contain natural antacids that can act as a buffer against acid reflux. If you
want to try out the simplest home remedies for heartburn first, try letting a
few bananas ripen up nicely and eating one every day.
Another
option is to try an apple a day. Slice one up and eat it a couple of hours
before bedtime to relieve or prevent discomfort.
8. Make gingerroot tea
Gingerroot
can help ease up a number of stomach woes, from nausea to acid reflux. Sipping
a cup of fresh tea about 20 minutes before a meal can help calm down your tummy
and act as an acid buffer.
You will need…
-3 quarter sized slices of gingerroot
-2 cups of water
Slice
up 3 quarter sized pieces of gingerroot and simmer gently in 2 cups of water,
covered, for 30 minutes. Remove the ginger pieces, or leave them in, pour into
a glass, and drink all of it about 20 minutes before a meal.
9. Track your triggers
It
takes time, energy, and dedication, but tracking what triggers your heartburn
may be what ultimately makes it go away in the end.
Instead
of going crazy with what you eat and relying on over-the-counter medications to
keep the acid at bay, keep a little diary of sorts that makes note of what you
ate, and if/when it caused heartburn.
Also
keep track of activities and what you’re wearing (explained in #10.)
10. Avoid tight fitting clothes
Things
cinched tightly about your waist or middle can worsen heartburn. If you have
super tight jeans on, when you sit down, the waistband is going to sink into
your abdomen region. Same goes for tight belts-and even shirts can be a problem
for some.
This
is because all of the above puts extra pressure on your lower esophageal
sphincter, which make it more likely stomach contents, will push through and
you’ll experience reflux.
11. Smoking + alcohol = heart
on fire
Smoking
cigarettes and drinking alcohol can set you up for terrible reflux. The
nicotine and alcohol both work to weaken your LES, making it that much easier
for stomach contents and acid to splash up into your esophagus. Alcohol is also
going to irritate your stomach in general.
The
solution? Quit smoking, and drink less (if at all.) Doing both will improve
your health overall, in addition to relieving acid reflux.
12. Maintain a healthy weight
Being
overweight increases your risk of GERD, and you’re going to suffer from
occasional heartburn a lot more as well.
This
is because unnecessarily added pounds will put pressure on your lower
esophageal sphincter. It will be more likely to loosen, and overtime it may
simply weaken.
13. Mustard.
Mustard
is an alkalizing food that is full of minerals, and contains a weak acid in the
form of vinegar. Consuming mustard straight, while it may make you grimace at
first, may ultimately end up making your smile.
Because
of its alkaline properties, it will help neutralize the acid that may come
creeping up your throat, and therefore may neutralize the pain of acid reflux.
It seems to be the most helpful if you’re feeling a bout of heartburn creeping
up, or if you’re in the midst of one.
You will need…
-1
teaspoon of good quality yellow mustard
Directions
Muster
up some courage, and just take that little sucker straight.
14. Snack on almonds
A
natural remedy for heartburn from Reader’s Digest, eat some almonds after every
meal, every snack, every time you ingest something basically. Try to track down
organic almonds if possible.
These
tasty nuts do something to seemingly neutralize the juices in your stomach,
relieving and preventing some instances of heartburn.
You will need…
-3 to 4 almonds
Directions…
Directly
after every meal, every snack, basically every time you ingest something, eat
3-4 almonds afterwards. There’s no need to eat more, unless of course you want
to munch on some more.
But
keep in mind that in excess some people have found almonds trigger heartburn,
kind of like how they help tension headaches but can trigger
migraines.
15. A cup of chamomile
Having
a spot of chamomile tea about ½ – 1 hour before you plan on going to sleep can
help reduce inflammation in your stomach, and possibly balance out the acidity
levels as well.
Chamomile
tea also does wonders for relieving stress, which can trigger acid reflux, and
will help you sleep through the night as well. You can use instant chamomile
tea, or you can easily make your own fresh.
You will need…
-1 teaspoon dried chamomile flower petals
-Strainer
-1 cup of boiling water
-Honey or lemon (optional)
Directions
Boil
one cup of water in a cooking pot, and then reduce the heat. Stir in 1 teaspoon
of dried chamomile petals, and let them simmer for 45 seconds.
Remove
from heat and let the petals soak for another minute or two before straining
them. Pour the tea into a mug, and add a bit of honey or lemon if you wish.
When
I was very young, around 5 or 6, I remember hearing my babysitter talk about
heartburn, and I was horrified. I asked her if it meant your heart was on fire
and she said “yes.”
I
paused and then said “like, there are actually flames around your heart?” My
babysitter nodded solemnly.
Now,
of course, I know better than that, but it’s still called heartburn for a
reason. The searing, burning, pain does indeed feel like someone lit a fire in
your chest, and let the flames spread to your throat.
Certain
medications may quell the discomfort, but they can have long-term side effects,
create dependency, are hard on your system, and often times aren’t even
necessary for occasional acid reflux.
It
may be awhile of trial and error when using these natural remedies for heartburn to find what works
best, but in the long run, it’s well worth it.
By Claire Goodall
(a bee-obsessed natural-convert from Minnesota) who is a holistic health lover.
She is the author of Everyday Roots Book.
It's a Book that
she creates to help you replace the toxic products and medications in your home
with healthier, all-natural alternatives.
It contains 215+
effective home remedies and covers everything you will need to protect your
family and save money every month.
