Home Remedies for Acid Reflux

At one point or another, we have all stuffed ourselves to the brim with our favorite foods: whether they are mouth-watering sweets and pastries, spicy street food or a good old-fashioned home cooked meal. These are guilty pleasures for a reason. Overindulging can cause acid reflux, more commonly known as heartburn. Heartburn has nothing to do with the heart, and everything to do with the stomach you just filled past capacity. You know you have acid reflux when you feel bloated, get hiccups or a burning sensation in the lower part of your chest post a meal. The good news is, it’s an extremely common condition that can be easily treated with some home remedies.

Fighting acid reflux

Your stomach contains hydrochloric acid to kill germs in your food. The stomach lining is designed to cope with them; the cells there are replaced every five days on average. However, the esophagus (food pipe) has no such protection. When the food mixed with acid reverses back up the food pipe, it inflames the passage, causing the heated or burning feeling in your throat and chest. The causes vary – production of too much acid by the stomach, consumption of fried/spicy/ non-vegetarian foods, eating beyond limits, lying down too soon after a meal or even stress.

Acid reflux is not inherently harmful. As per research, nearly one in ten adults worldwide experiences it every day. However, prolonged exposure is not viable and can cause gastric ulcers or even cancer. Luckily, the solution to acid reflux is in your hands. Here are some home remedies for acid reflux:

• Limit yourself to smaller sized meals: At the junction of the food pipe and stomach is a sphincter muscle, which is like a cap on a bottle. It prevents stomach contents from sloshing back up, except to allow passage of food or when you need to vomit. Consuming a large meal will reduce its effectiveness, and stomach acid may leak out
• Reduce weight: Belly weight puts enormous pressure on the stomach and the sphincter muscle. This can hinder its normal functioning
• Eliminate spicy, greasy and sugar-rich foods: Certain foods are more likely to give you acid reflux, such as carbonated drinks, caffeinated drinks, high-fat dairy products, fruits naturally high in acidic content such as lemons, tomatoes, oranges and pineapples, onion and garlic, chocolates and white bread products
• Change sleeping habits: Eat at least three hours before sleeping
• Eat loads of fiber: Fiber-rich foods are essential to digestion and passage of food smoothly through the intestines. Include salads with fresh, leafy vegetables at every meal
• Kick smoking and alcohol consumption
• Avoid excessive amounts of coffee
• Eat fennel seeds (saunf) after every meal. Or, you can steep crushed fennel hot water to sip as an after meal tea
• Include foods which promote digestion and balance the body's pH level such as apples, papayas, and bananas. They can be consumed in small quantities at every meal. These foods have a soothing effect on the stomach lining and are also nature’s antacids
• Herbs such as ginger and peppermint are miraculous for digestion and also manage nausea associated with acid reflux
• Hardcore non-vegetarians can opt for lean meats such as chicken and fish. They must be cooked by grilling, baking, poaching or broiling
• Replace refined oils with olive oil, sunflower oil or sesame oil for cooking
• Give your stomach time off. Consider fasting for a day or half a day every week. This allows your stomach to rest and heal itself

These tried and tested home remedies for acid reflux display quick and effective results every time. For instant relief against acid reflux, get Gas-o-Fast, a natural antacid that will have you feeling relieved in just under 5 minutes!