Natural Remedies for Acid Reflux

Heartburn word cloud

If you’ve ever experienced acid reflux you know how miserable it can be. When acid reflux (aka heartburn) is chronic and severe it is classified as GERD or gastroesophageal reflux disease and can be accompanied by other symptoms such as regurgitation of food, difficulty swallowing, wheezing and chest pain. If your symptoms are chronic, seeking out a practitioner who can help determine the cause is crucial for healing.  There are lifestyle considerations, eating patterns, food sensitivities, side effects of medications, hiatal hernia and gut infections among many factors to consider.  Simply suppressing our naturally-occurring stomach acid on a long-term basis is harmful and can lead to serious nutritional deficiencies and imbalances in our gut microbiome.  A word of caution: never quit acid suppressing medications without the guidance of a healthcare practitioner.

While it is important to address the underlying causes of acid reflux, in the meantime anyone experiencing that burning pain needs some quick symptom relief!  Below are some natural remedies to try:

Raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar  As counter-intuitive as it might seem, acid reflux is often caused by too little stomach acid. To improve the acid content of your stomach take 1 – 2 tablespoons of raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar in a 6 – 8 oz glass of water 15 minutes before meals.

Betaine  This is another option for optimizing stomach acid. To find your optimal dose, start with one capsule (usually 650mg) at the beginning of a meal.  Increase the dosage one capsule at a time until you get the slightest burning sensation and then decrease by one capsule. Taken before meals, this will help your body to better digest your food.

Slippery elm bark  Slippery elm coats and soothes the mouth, throat, stomach, and intestines, and it contains antioxidants. It also stimulates nerve endings in your gastrointestinal tract.

The University of Maryland Medical Center makes the following adult dosing recommendations:
• Tea: Pour 2 cups boiling water over 4 g (roughly 2 tablespoons) of powdered bark, then steep for 5 minutes. Drink 3 times per day.
• Tincture: 5 mL, 3 times per day.
• Capsules: 400 to 500 mg 3 to 4 times daily for 4 to 8 weeks. Take with a full glass of water.
Lozenges: follow dosing instructions on label.

Cabbage Juice  This is an old folk remedy that people swear by.  If cabbage juice is too strong for you, mix  it with other vegetable juices.  If you do not have a juicer try chopping up leaves, adding sufficient water and liquefying them in a high-powered blender.  Another related traditional remedy is raw (unpasteurized ) sauerkraut.

Ginger root  Add 2 or 3 slices of fresh ginger root to 2 cups of boiling water. Let steep for about half an hour. Drink about 20 minutes before your meal or when experiencing symptoms. Store in the fridge to have on hand to drink cold or warmed up. Check out my blogpost on the other benefits of ginger: http://www.foodwisdomnutrition.com/ginger-the-universal-medicine/

Melatonin, l-tryptophan, vitamin B6, folic acid, vitamin B12, methionine and betaine
Melatonin alone has been shown to reduce reflux, but an impressive study showed that a dietary supplement containing melatonin, l-tryptophan (200mg), vitamin B6 (25mg), folic acid (10mg), vitamin B12 (50mcg), d,l-methionine (100mg) and betaine (100mg), was found to be superior to the drug omeprazole in the treatment of GERD.

Herbal Formulas  There are many on the market – here are two to try:
http://www.gaiaherbs.com/products/detail/62/Reflux-Relief
https://www.herb-pharm.com/products/product-detail/neutralizing-cordial

References

Kandil, T. S., Mousa, A. A., El-Gendy, A. A., & Abbas, A. M. (2010). The potential therapeutic effect
of melatonin in gastro-esophageal reflux disease. BMC Gastroenterology, 10(1). https://doi.org
/10.1186/1471-230X-10-7
Lipski, E. (2012). Digestive wellness: strengthen the immune system and prevent disease through
healthy digestion (4th ed). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Mullin, G. E., & Swift, K. M. (2011). The inside tract: your good gut guide to great digestive health.
New York, NY: Rodale.
Pereira, R. de S. (2006). Regression of gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms using dietary
supplementation with melatonin, vitamins and aminoacids: comparison with omeprazole.
Journal of Pineal Research, 41(3), 195–200. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1600-079X.2006.00359.x

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