Natural Home Remedies for Heartburn
When you're suffering from heartburn, food might seem like the enemy. However, you'll find many home remedies in your kitchen that can actually reduce or prevent heartburn.Home Remedies from the Cupboard
Almonds. Chewing 6 or 8 blanched almonds during an episode of heartburn may relieve the symptoms. Chew them well, though, to avoid swallowing air and causing yourself more discomfort.
Baking soda. Take 1/2 teaspoon in 1/2 glass water. Check the antacid use information on the box before using this remedy, however.
Warning! If you're on a salt-restricted diet, do not use baking soda. It's loaded with sodium. And do not use it if you're experiencing nausea, stomachache, gas, cramps, or stomach distention from overeating.
Cream of tartar. For an acid neutralizer, mix 1/2 teaspoon with 1/2 teaspoon baking soda in a glass of water. Take 1 teaspoon of the solution as needed.
Brown rice. Plain or with a little sweetening, rice can help relieve discomfort. Rice is a complex carbohydrate and is a bland food, which is less likely to increase acidity or relax the sphincter muscle
Soda crackers. This is an old folk cure that actually works. Soda crackers (preferably unsalted) are bland, they digest easily, and they absorb stomach acid. They also contain bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar, which neutralize the acid. Tip: You know that package of soda crackers they always give you at the restaurant, that you leave on the table? From now on, take them with you. These come in handy when you're plagued by heartburn and can't seek immediate relief.
Vinegar. Mix 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey, and 1 cup warm water. Drink at the first sign of heartburn.
Home Remedies from the Drawer
Paper and pen. Keep a food diary. This can tell you which foods or food combinations cause that heartburn.
Home Remedies from the Faucet
Water. Drink water in between meals, not with meals. If you drink fluids with meals, you increase the volume of stomach contents, which makes it easier for heartburn to happen.
Home Remedies from the Refrigerator
Apples. They cool the burn of stomach acid. Eat them fresh, with the skin still on, or cook them for desserts.
Apple honey. This is a simple remedy that will neutralize stomach acids. Peel, core, and slice several sweet apples. Simmer with a little water over low heat for three hours until the mixture is thick, brown, and sweet to the taste. Refrigerate in an airtight container and take a few spoonfuls whenever you have the need.
Buttermilk. This is an acid-reliever, but don't confuse it with regular milk, which can be an acid-maker, especially if you are bothered by lactose intolerance.
Cabbage. Like apples, this is a natural fire extinguisher for stomach burn. For the best relief, put the cabbage through a juicer, then drink it.
Fruit juices. Skip juices from citrus fruits, but try these stomach-cooling juices for heartburn relief: papaya, mango, guava, pear.
Papaya. Eat it straight to reap the benefit of its natural, indigestion-fighting enzyme papain. Or drink 1 cup papaya juice combined with 1 teaspoon sugar and 2 pinches cardamom to relieve acid.
Warning! Pregnant women should not eat papayas; they're a source of natural estrogen that can cause miscarriage.
 ©2007 Publications International, Ltd. Potatoes can help to ease heartburn. |
Pumpkin. Eat it baked as a squash to get rid of heartburn. Fresh is best. Spice it up with cinnamon, which is another heartburn cure. Or, make a compote of baked pumpkin and apples, spiced with cinnamon and honey, for a dessert that's both curative and tasty.
Yogurt. Make sure it has live cultures in it. Because of the helpful and digestive-friendly microorganisms in yogurt, it may sooth the acid-forming imbalances that can lead to heartburn.
Home Remedies from the Spice Rack
Cardamom. This old-time digestive aid may help relieve the burn of acid indigestion. Add it to baked goodies such as sweet rolls or fruit cake, or sprinkle, with a pinch of cinnamon, on toast. It works well in cooked cereals, too.
Cinnamon. This is a traditional remedy for acid relief. Brew a cup of cinnamon tea from a cinnamon stick. Or try a commercial brand, but check the label. Cinnamon tea often has black tea in it, which is a cause of heartburn, so make sure your commercial brand doesn't contain black tea. For another acid-busting treat, make cinnamon toast.
Ginger. A tea from this root can soothe that burning belly. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons ginger root to 1 cup water; simmer for ten minutes. Drink as needed.
Sage. A sage tea can relieve stomach weakness that allows acid to be released back into the esophagus.
More Do's & Don'ts
- Eat smaller meals. The more food in your belly, the more likely that bulk will push stomach acid right back up.
- Eat slowly, chew thoroughly. Sometimes heartburn will flare because the food is simply too large to get through the digestive tract and it, along with the acids, is forced back up.
- Don't eat right before bedtime. Give your stomach a two- or three-hour break before you sleep. And if you're plagued by the burn at night, sleep with your head elevated on pillows.
- Let the gravity be with you. Stay upright so the gastric contents are forced to stay down. In other words, don't head for the couch after you eat. If you must snooze, try the recliner, but don't recline too steeply.
- Loosen the belt. Tight clothing and belts can create enough pressure to cause heartburn.
For more information about stomach ailments and how to treat them, visit these links:
- To see all of our home remedies and the conditions they treat, go to our main Home Remedies page.
- In Home Remedies for Burping, learn about natural cures that help you squelch belching.
- Nausea has many triggers -- learn how you can use some common household foods to calm it in Home Remedies for Nausea.
- Home Remedies for Upset Stomach covers causes and cures for tummy troubles.
Timothy Gower is a freelance writer and editor whose work has appeared in many publications, including Reader's Digest, Prevention, Men's Health, Better Homes and Gardens, The New York Times, and The Los Angeles Times. The author of four books, Gower is also a contributing editor for Health magazine.
Alice Lesch Kelly is a health writer based in Boston. Her work has been published in magazines such as Shape, Fit Pregnancy, Woman's Day, Reader's Digest, Eating Well, and Health. She is the co-author of three books on women's health.
Linnea Lundgren has more than 12 years experience researching, writing, and editing for newspapers and magazines. She is the author of four books, including Living Well With Allergies.
Michele Price Mann is a freelance writer who has written for such publications as Weight Watchers and Southern Living magazines. Formerly assistant health and fitness editor at Cooking Light magazine, her professional passion is learning and writing about health.
ABOUT THE CONSULTANTS:
Ivan Oransky, M.D., is the deputy editor of The Scientist. He is author or co-author of four books, including The Common Symptom Answer Guide, and has written for publications including the Boston Globe, The Lancet, and USA Today. He holds appointments as a clinical assistant professor of medicine and as adjunct professor of journalism at New York University.
David J. Hufford, Ph.D., is university professor and chair of the Medical Humanities Department at Pennsylvania State University's College of Medicine. He also is a professor in the departments of Neural and Behavioral Sciences and Family and Community Medicine. Dr. Hufford serves on the editorial boards of several journals, including Alternative Therapies in Health & Medicine and Explore.
This information is solely for informational purposes. IT IS NOT INTENDED TO PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. Neither the Editors of Consumer Guide (R), Publications International, Ltd., the author nor publisher take responsibility for any possible consequences from any treatment, procedure, exercise, dietary modification, action or application of medication which results from reading or following the information contained in this information. The publication of this information does not constitute the practice of medicine, and this information does not replace the advice of your physician or other health care provider. Before undertaking any course of treatment, the reader must seek the advice of their physician or other health care provider.
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