Heartburn – or acid reflux – can be one of the most uncomfortable things to deal with for any extended period of time. The gastric acid in the stomach is designed to break down food so the body can digest it, not scolding the inside of your esophagus. In more serious cases, the problem can be chronic, leading to nausea, vomiting, and a persistent stomach pain. However, in the majority of cases, it is a relatively mild problem that can be ameliorated with over-the-counter medication and home remedies alike.
Dealing with heartburn can though become more of a lifestyle choice than a single specific remedy. Many of the remedies can be used in conjunction, and some of them are foods. That means you can work them into your daily diet, and it is also certainly possible to create a diet that is optimized for heartburn sufferers.
It makes sense to make some changes to your life that can dramatically reduce the number of heartburn attacks you are suffering. And for those who prioritize as natural a lifestyle and diet as possible, it is also possible to do all this entirely naturally.
A Bad Lifestyle for Heartburn
Of course, just as much as heartburn sufferers can eat right and live right, they can also eat wrong and live wrong. There is much food and drink that can make heartburn significantly worse, and many things you can do which will increase the incidence of heartburn. Accordingly, half the battle is knowing what to avoid, as well as what to take when heartburn raises its ugly head.
For example, a diet heavy in fat and grease is not at all good for heartburn, nor is drinking alcohol excessively or smoking. Milk is a bit of a special case. While it can provide very short-term relief for heartburn, it is not recommended as a remedy at all. This is because that relief is so short-lived, and milk can actually start working against you afterwards. Despite what many people believe, it is a poor remedy.
Some Natural Remedies for Heartburn
So, what are the all-natural remedies for heartburn that you can either use when it attacks or work into your daily diet? Here follows some of the best:
Water
While it is not a straight remedy for an acute case of heartburn, being consistently hydrated can reduce the instances of heartburn attack. By maintaining hydration, the composition of your stomach acid will not become excessively acidic (it gets diluted to the correct level). Water also aids your digestion, problems with which are the root of the problem. Synergy Science, a company specializing in water products, also recommend that different kinds of water can be more effective for hydration. Hydrogen water and purified water are two examples here.
Baking Soda
You will almost certainly have this lying around somewhere in your kitchen. Baking soda neutralizes acid. All you need to do is dissolve one teaspoon into a cup of water and sip it slowly.
Aloe Juice
Aloe juice is much more pleasant to consume, and it can have a generally soothing effect on the esophagus.
Pickled Things
Again, this is not a remedy for acute heartburn attack, but eating things like pickles and sauerkraut is great for your digestion.
Bananas
Great for energy, great for feeling full (yet not bloated) and, as it happens, also a good source of natural antacids, which can keep instances of heartburn down.
For all but sufferers of the severest heartburn, these remedies should do the trick. They are also easy to come by, healthy and, of course, all-natural.
