Apple cider vinegar has acidic contents that may worsen acid reflux symptoms. Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, causes frequent acid reflux. If you experience acid reflux more than two times a week, you may have GERD, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. Acid-reducing medications help prevent symptoms. Avoiding trigger foods and practicing a low-fat, high-fiber diet provide long-term protection.
Trigger Foods
Trigger foods weaken an esophageal muscle, which normally contracts after food enters the stomach to prevent stomach acid backup. A weakened muscle does not contract properly and allows acid reflux to occur. The stomach acid rises back up into the esophagus and may cause heartburn, the burning or painful feeling in your upper chest and throat. You may experience a sour taste in the back of your mouth.
Acidic Content
You may have specific foods that trigger acid reflux, but people respond to foods differently and have different triggers. Foods that commonly cause acid reflux include fatty or fried foods, chocolate, caffeine and alcohol. Citrus fruits and tomato-based products may also trigger acid reflux because of acidic content. The acetic acid in apple cider vinegar may be among the triggers. Foods high in acid may worsen GERD symptoms.
Folk Remedy
Some people use apple cider vinegar as a home remedy for quick relief from heartburn, claiming that it somehow manages to neutralize stomach acid. Scientific research does not show vinegar can reduce acid reflux from GERD, according to Jennifer Rackley, a nutritionist with Health Central. It possibly produces a placebo effect but could worsen the problem because apple cider vinegar contains highly acidic properties. The acetic acid in the vinegar may even burn the esophagus. An article by Jennifer LaRue Huget in "The Washington Post" points out that although many people tout the remedy, no authoritative sources back the idea.
Dietary Considerations
If you want to experiment with apple cider vinegar as a possible treatment for heartburn, try it out carefully. An acid reflux diet, however, may reduce and eventually eliminate symptoms when you practice it regularly. Acid reflux diets usually include non-citrus fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat protein foods. Fatty foods may encourage acid reflux. Consuming lean meat, skinless poultry, fish and low-fat or nonfat dairy products provides you with healthy protein while reducing the risk of acid reflux.
References
- National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse; Heartburn, Gastroesophageal Reflux (GER), and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD); May 2007
- Health Central; Natural Remedies for Acid Reflux & GERD; Jennifer Rackley; May 2008
- "The Washington Post"; The Cider Vinegar Heartburn Cure?; Jennifer LaRue Huget; November 2008
- Jackson Siegelbaum Gastroenterology: Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease Diet
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