You experience a sudden, sharp, burning pain that shoots up your chest and rises up your throat. It’s a nasty feeling that could stop you in your tracks and just clutch your chest until the burning subsides, or when the Tums finally did its job.
It’s heartburn. 60% of adults in the US suffer every year from this extremely common problem.
Most people turn to over-the-counter or even prescription drugs to make the symptoms go away – but without addressing the root of the problem.
According to popular opinion, you suffer acid reflux or heartburn because you have too much acid production going on. So logically, the doctors prescribe you to take acid suppressing medications to stop the acid reflux.
However, more recent researches show that 99% of the time when people have heartburn, it is because there isn’t enough acid in the stomach!
Low stomach acid levels means the food you have been eating is just sitting fermenting in your stomach. The gases produced by this fermentation then rise to escape – right into your esophagus.
Instead of popping more pills, here are 4 easy and natural home remedies that will help your body digest food and prevent heartburn:
1. Apple Cider Vinegar
Vinegar, with a pH of around 5, helps prevent heartburn by making your stomach more acidic to improve digestion and reduce the build-up of gases.
Add 2 tsp of unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar to ¼ cup water and drink it. Repeat every 5 minutes until the heartburn subsides.
Some people also take an ACV shot before meals to pre-empt acid reflux.
2. Lemon Juice
Lemon juice, with a pH of around 2, is a stronger acid than vinegar and yields the same preventive effects against heartburn.
Juice one organic lemon into a glass and drink it straight, if you can. Otherwise, you can add ¼ cup water and drink it.
3. Betaine HCL
Hydrochloric Acid (HCL) is your stomach’s main acid. Stress, aging, nutrient deficiencies, and infections, can stop your stomach from making enough of this acid, which leads to food fermentation and heartburn episodes.
It is best to use Betaine HCL everyday to aid your stomach acid production and never have heartburn again.
However, there are some restrictions to using Betaine HCL. Read this in-depth article on Betaine HCL before purchasing a bottle for yourself.
4. Baking Soda
This is the only non-acidic item on this list. Baking soda is a base, and drinking a little of it will neutralize acid in your esophagus or stomach.
Use this only as a last resort. Take too much of it though, and you’re back to the problem of your stomach not being acidic enough to properly digest food.
Mix ½ tsp of baking soda with ¼ cup of water and drink it. Wait for 5-7 minutes. If the pain doesn’t subside, repeat, until the burning is gone.
These tips were adapted from the original article by SCD Lifestyle here.
How do you deal with heartburn episodes? Let us know in the comments below!
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