1. As Old as the Hills
If you prefer to stop your acid reflux without medication, try ginger. It's an ancient cure for nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. With its soothing effect on stomachs, it does seem to have some use when it comes to treating mild cases of acid reflux and heartburn. That's because ginger absorbs acid. It also has some anti-inflammatory and analgesic benefits. You can buy it in capsules at your health foods store, and take it after meals. Although ginger is thought to be one of the safest herbal remedies around, too much of it can lead to just the opposite of what you're hoping, and you'll end up with another case of heartburn. You'll need to experiment to find just the right amount that works, but experts say as a rule you shouldn't take more than four grams in a day. Doctors say too much ginger can also interfere with drugs used to treat severe cases of heartburn or acid reflux, so you should definitely discuss using ginger with your health care provider. You shouldn't take ginger before certain surgeries because it can up your risk of bleeding. People who have bleeding disorders or take blood thinning medications, including aspirin, should never take ginger. And, too much ginger can have a sedating effect and actually lull you to sleep.
2. Mom Knows Best
When you were sick as a child, your mother most likely dosed you with chicken soup and flat ginger ale. Indeed, studies have shown that ginger root capsules can be just as effective as over the counter medications for motion sickness. You can try ginger ale or gingersnap cookies for acid reflux, too. But read the labels carefully. Some manufacturers don't even use real ginger in ginger ale or ginger cookies. You can buy fresh ginger root in the produce department of your grocery store, and make your own gingersnaps.
3. Have a Cup of Tea
If you're planning to down a meal of spicy Mexican food, ginger might be just your cup of tea--ginger tea, that is. You can find ginger tea at health foods stores. If you can't track down ginger tea, just improvise. Simply steep regular ground ginger from your spice collection in one cup of hot water for about five minutes. You can also substitute 1 tsp. of grated fresh ginger in you happen to have some on hand.
