If frequent heartburn is getting in the way of your daily routine, and over-the-counter medications, lifestyle and diet changes don't relieve your symptoms, you need to speak with your doctor. But if that burning sensation just behind your breastbone occurs only occasionally, ginger juice may help your symptoms.
Causes and Symptoms of Heartburn
The burning sensation you feel in your chest with heartburn is the stomach acid backing up into your esophagus. The esophageal sphincter, located between the tube where your food goes down and your stomach, weakens or relaxes, causing food contents and acid to flow back up. It can be worse when you lie down or bend over. Certain foods may cause heartburn, such as alcohol, fried or fatty foods, peppermint or vinegar. See your doctor if ginger juice or OTC medications do not help or you experience the heartburn more than twice a week.
Ginger Juice
Ginger juice comes from the root, or rhizome, of the ginger plant, which is native to Asia. Ginger has been used for over 4,400 years as a culinary spice and for medicinal purposes; use of the squeezings, or juice, of the ginger root can be traced back over 2,000 years. Ginger can also be found as an extract, a powder or an oil. The essential oils and phenol compounds found in ginger juice provide an array of medicinal uses for stomach upsets, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, indigestion and heartburn. The University of Maryland Medical Center recommends that you take 1.5 to 3.0 mL, or 30 to 90 drops, daily.
Heartburn and Ginger Juice
The Food and Drug Administration does not regulate herbal remedies and supplements, so the effectiveness and safety of these treatments may be hard to determine. However, ginger juice and other forms of ginger have been used for digestive disorders for centuries. A study reported in January 2011 in the "World Journal of Gastroenterology" looked at the effectiveness of ginger on gastric mobility and abdominal symptoms. The study found that ginger promoted faster emptying of the stomach, which may decrease acid reflux.
Precautions
Although ginger juice may help relieve the discomfort of stomach upset, too much of it may actually make the heartburn worse. Adverse reactions are rare, but they also include diarrhea, belching, upset stomach and sore mouth. Ginger in any form should be avoided if you are scheduled for surgery, if you are on blood thinners, or if you have gallstones. You should always talk to your doctor before taking ginger or any herbal remedy.
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