One of the most common pieces of advice as a home remedy for heartburn is to drink milk. However, it just may have the opposite effect! It’s been shown that calcium in dairy products actually triggers the production of stomach acid. It may offer some temporary relief as it soothes the burning esophagus, but more acid will eventually be produced.
Heartburn is caused by acid in the stomach being forced through the lower esophageal sphincter. Generally, occasional bouts of heartburn are caused by eating too much too fast. As the stomach gets full of food the acid it contains has to go somewhere and the lower esophageal sphincter is the least resistive. With this in mind, think of ways you can find a home remedy for heartburn.
Look at the stomach like a tube of cream. If squeezed in the middle, the cream comes out the top. The same holds true with your stomach. Filling your stomach with food and then sitting down has the same effect as squeezing it in the middle. Probably the best home remedy for heartburn is the advice to not stuff your stomach.
Herbs Known to Work
While it may sound contradictory, as a home remedy for heartburn for apple cider vinegar works against heartburn. Using a tablespoon of vinegar in a glass of water and sipped during a meal has been known to reduce heartburn. Ginger root, commonly used for calming the nerves, also has a positive effect on heartburn. Although researchers aren’t exactly sure how, they believe it absorbs the stomach acids.
Bitters has also been successfully used as a home remedy for heartburn, typically in capsule form. Researchers suggest one or two capsules after eating, although more may be necessary. One observation noted is that if you can taste ginger you have probably taken too much.
Aromatics such as catnip and fennel have been suggested as being good for heartburn, but research on this has been off and on and there are no studies to support their use. Plantain and Irish Moss are others often reported to help heartburn, but researchers are shunning them as a home remedy for heartburn as they claim they just don’t work.
Finding the cause and eliminating it may be the best home remedy for heartburn. Dietary adjustments may be necessary as well as the time of day during which you eat.
