Natural Heartburn Home Remedies

How to Get Rid of Heartburn on the Cheap
Jaime A. Heidel
Feb 12, 2011

If you’re like millions of Americans, you suffer from heartburn. You know the symptoms: burning in your chest and throat, burping and tasting that burrito you had for lunch, not to mention that nasty taste in your mouth. Prescription and over-the-counter medications may be effective at relieving symptoms but they’re often expensive and don’t treat the underlying cause.

What Causes Heartburn?

In a healthy digestive system, food is chewed and partially digested in the mouth before traveling down the esophagus to pass through the lower esophageal sphincter to the stomach. The lower esophageal sphincter is designed to close off, preventing stomach acid from backing up into the esophagus. However, when the muscles of the LES become weak, acid reflux can result.

There are several factors that may weaken the LES:

• Frequent consumption of acidic foods such as tomatoes or citrus fruits
• Cigarette smoking
• Alcohol consumption
• Medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes or hiatal hernia
• Frequent use of NSAID pain relievers such as ibuprofen

 

Home Remedies for Heartburn

Prescription and over-the-counter heartburn medications can be costly. Thankfully, there are some home remedies you can use to get rid of heartburn on the cheap! Let’s take a look at some of them:

Apple Cider Vinegar

Though it may seem strange to use acid to fight acid, apple cider vinegar has been used to treat frequent heartburn with surprising success for hundreds of years. The theory is that taking one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar before each meal will encourage the lower esophageal sphincter to close properly and prevent acid backup. Apple cider vinegar is also a natural digestive aid and seems to prevent the overproduction of acid in the body of someone with weak digestion.

Digestive Enzymes

Digestive aids with papaya or pineapple extract help the body digest proteins more easily, thereby reducing the overproduction of acid. Digestive aids also help keep an acid/alkaline balance in the body.

Probiotics

Probiotics are the live, active cultures found in yogurt, kefir and soy sauce. They are microorganisms that help the body fight disease and infection that might cause acid reflux. They also help the digestive system to heal from the effects of acid overproduction. In order to get the most benefit, take probiotics in supplement form, using the type that require refrigeration as they tend to be the most viable.

Chewable DGL

Chewable DGL (deglycyrrhizinated licorice root) is a natural digestive ‘bitter’ made from licorice. Though it has been said the taste of this remedy takes some getting used to, it is far less expensive than typical proton pump inhibitors and encourages healthy digestion and mucus secretion instead of simply shutting down all acid production in the body.

Activated Charcoal

Though activated charcoal will not actually get rid of the cause of heartburn, it’s an effective method to relieve symptoms fast by absorbing excess acid in the stomach. Those who are on prescription or other over-the-counter medications should avoid using activated charcoal within four hours of taking other medications as it may decrease their effectiveness.

Those suffering from chronic heartburn know what it’s like to not be able to eat or sleep properly. An ongoing case of acid reflux can have a domino effect and cause other health problems due to malnourishment and insomnia. These tips to get rid of heartburn on the cheap should help to ease the burning and bring back peace of mind.

(Jaime is a professional ghostwriter and freelance writer with a passion for holistic and natural healing. Her website, www.itoldyouiwassick.info aims to validate those suffering from mystery symptoms, get to the root cause of disease and illness and help people heal naturally.)