Are you looking for natural remedies for heartburn? If so, then you’re not alone. Countless women (and men) suffer with this ailment from time to time. And if prevention does not work, then we also have six natural remedies for heartburn relief to consider. But before we discuss those, we need to understand what causes heartburn and how it can affect you.
Heartburn occurs due to a poor digestive system. This is because gastric acids build up in the stomach due to excessive acid production. In order to avoid such an occurrence, consider taking apple cider vinegar first thing in the morning. While it may sound silly, it actually has several benefits. For one, apple cider vinegar helps dilute stomach acid production. Some folks also claim that drinking it after meals can help lessen indigestion, another contributing factor to heartburn.
Another factor that contributes to heartburn is an overgrowth of bacteria or fungus in the stomach. Some people believe that this is caused by insufficient acid production or a poor digestion process. It is true that an unhealthy digestive system is one of the major contributing factors to heartburn. If you have a lot of stomach acid, you might consider adopting the practice of drinking a glass of water after every meal to further dilute stomach acid. However, this may not be enough to prevent a heartburn episode in itself.
There are other causes of heartburn, including gastritis or ulcers, chronic alcoholism, and pregnant women. Chronic alcoholism can cause an excessive production of digestive acids, which can lead to persistent heartburn. Pregnancy can cause an increase in estrogen levels, which can trigger a sudden burning sensation in the esophagus. Some medical conditions such as gastroenteritis and inflammatory bowel disease can also contribute to heartburn. In fact, some of these conditions may even be the underlying cause of your heartburn.
One natural remedy for heartburn that is quite effective is apple cider vinegar. This is due to the active ingredient found in apple cider vinegar, which is acetic acid. Acetic acid neutralizes stomach acid, which helps to relieve and prevent the symptoms of heartburn. Drinking apple cider vinegar helps relieve the symptoms of indigestion as well, which means that two to three litres of vinegar per day can keep you healthy and prevent the incidence of heartburn. Another important thing to note about apple cider vinegar is that if you consume more than 3 litres of vinegar, it can cause serious complications.
Some more natural remedies for heartburn include changing your diet and including more fibre and vegetables into your daily diet. If your heartburn is caused by food pipe or gastric reflux, then you need to stop eating spicy or crunchy foods. Simpler foods such as carrots, beets, peas and cabbage are rich in alpha-amylase, which actively breaks down the gastric acid in your body. It is recommended that you avoid fatty foods as much as possible, since fatty foods tend to slow down the digestion. You should also try to drink plenty of water to flush out any excess stomach acid.