Heartburn is that terrible feeling in your stomach and chest where it feels like a hole is burning through you. In addition, there are foods that just don't sit well, causing bloating, over-fullness and belching. These are symptoms of acid reflux, a condition where food and acid backs up from the stomach into the esophagus, causing pain and discomfort. Fortunately, there are inexpensive, natural remedies for heartburn and acid reflux.
Baking Soda
Try bicarbonate of soda, also known as baking soda for quick relief of heartburn. Drugs.com suggests taking ½ tsp. baking soda in an 8-oz. glass of water every two hours until the pain is relieved. Take no more than a total of 2 tsp. baking soda a day. Bicarbonate of soda can raise the blood pressure, so ask you our doctor to advise you on dosage and frequency.
Apple Cider Vinegar
In his book "Alkalinize or Die", Dr. Theodore A. Baroody speaks highly of the effectiveness of using organic apple cider vinegar to treat heartburn and other acidic conditions in the body. ACV is alkaline-forming in the stomach, and stimulates digestive juices helping to neutralize them and in the process relieves heartburn symptoms. Combine 2 tsp. ACV in 8 oz. water and drink several times a day as needed for relief.
Honey
Add some raw organic honey to your apple cider vinegar for added comfort from heartburn pain. High in potassium and soothing on the stomach lining, Dr. Baroody advises taking 2 tsp. raw honey straight on a spoon or to mix it with the ACV for relief. He also suggests taking a spoonful at bedtime or in the middle of the night to relieve excess acid pain.
Extract of Radish
Life Extension.org claims that extract of radish may enhance motility through the digestive tract, encouraging food to move out of the stomach faster and lessening the length of time needed to produce stomach digestive juices thus reducing acid reflux symptoms.
Apples
Eating a piece of sweet red apple offers relief from heartburn symptoms to some folks. Apples help create an alkaline environment in the stomach, neutralizing acids. Earth Clinic Folk Remedies say to experiment with the amount of apple needed and with the type of apples used. It seems the sweeter apples work better to relieve symptoms. Make homemade applesauce or juice your apples in a power juicer for a nice variety of this age-old folk remedy for heartburn. Try a piece of apple at bedtime to ward off reflux at night.
References
- Drugs.com
- Alkalinize or Die, Dr. Theodore A. Baroody, 1991
- The pH Miracle, Balance Your Diet, Reclaim Your Health, Robert O. Young Ph.D. and Shelley Redford Young, 2002
