Acid reflux or GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), aka heartburn, affects 50 percent of Americans. One in 10 Americans suffer from heartburn symptoms at least once a week. Heartburn happens when you eat something that didn’t agree with you, while GERD is when food and acid travels back up into your esophagus, causing trouble more than twice a week.
Fortunately, heartburn isn’t a hopeless situation. If you’re one of the many people suffering, before you reach for OTC antacids or prescription drugs, you might want to try some natural ways. These aren’t FDA approved, so check with your doctor before trying any. Here are 15 natural remedies that might bring you relief:
- Lose weight – losing 10 percent of your body weight can improve acid reflux symptoms.
- Anti-reflux diet – unfortunately, that means reducing some of your favorite things, like chocolate, alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, spicy and fatty foods.
- Raw almonds –an alkaline-producing food that’s a good source of calcium can balance your pH.
- Aloe Vera juice – drinking two unprocessed ounces daily can reduce inflammation in the stomach.
- Cup of warm water and fresh lemon juice – start your day by drinking on an empty stomach and 15 minutes before eating anything else. It naturally reduces acid levels and is a great digestive aid.
- Baking soda – a tablespoon in half a cup of water can neutralize stomach acid.
- Red Delicious apple – can calm your stomach after eating unfriendly meals.
- Saccharomyces boulardii – a supplement with a probiotic strain specifically for the small intestine, helping optimize absorption of key vitamins to aid in digestion.
- Slippery elm – a supplement in a capsule, powder or lozenge form that helps coat and protect the stomach.
- Chamomile tea – may help reduce acid reflux symptoms.
- Gum – chewing after meals can help reduce acid.
- Sleep on your left side – offers relief as opposed to right side or stomach sleepers.
- Licorice – stomach-healing properties by increasing the mucus coating of the esophageal lining, helping calm the effects of stomach acid.
- Melatonin – a supplement that can help protect the digestive tract.
- Apple cider vinegar – 1-2 teaspoons daily mixed with honey in tea. People think all acid reflux and indigestion is caused by an overproduction of acid, but the opposite may be true. Too little acid to adequately digest food could be the problem, so this works well to help stimulate acid.
Again, after talking to your doctor, why not try one or a few of these? Who knows? Maybe the answer to your problem might not be in your medicine cabinet, but rather your pantry or refrigerator. If you continue to experience acid reflux after trying some of these natural remedies, visit us at Houston Heartburn.