33% of Americans suffer from gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), who usually treat their symptoms by popping an over-the-counter antacid tablet. However, according to NYC-based registered nurse Rebecca Lee, treating your GERD with medications may be a huge mistake. There are so many natural fixes for acid reflux that you shouldn’t even thinking about hitting the pharmacy.
Rebecca says that acid reflux medications are among the most sold drugs all over the world and rake in billions of dollars in sales yearly. However, antacids weren’t created to be consumed like Tic Tacs. They were initially prescribed for people with severe ulcers.
A better way to approach GERD treatment is to home in on its underlying cause and correcting it. Acid reflux can be caused by drinking too much alcohol or coffee, eating too late at night, consuming too much spicy foods, smoking, and a sedentary lifestyle, to name a few.
Rebecca Lee along with Elizabeth Trattner, a Chinese integrative medicine doctor, has put together this list of 5 foods to fight acid reflux naturally:
Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
It boosts your immune system, helps proper digestion, and decreases the population of bad bacteria in your gut that may cause acid reflux. Apple cider vinegar is an alkalizer, balancing your body’s pH level. You will want your body to be slightly alkaline at 7.4 pH to fight off cancer cells and microbes.
Most apple cider vinegars are sold in grocery stores, but be sure to pick ones that are organic, raw, and unfiltered, and those that come in a glass bottle. Consume 1-2 teaspoons every morning and take a big gulp of lukewarm water after. Take a few seconds sloshing the ACV in your mouth before swallowing to stimulate saliva production and signal your stomach to produce digestive acid.
Fennel Seeds
Fennel seeds are vitamin and mineral rich and are being used as a staple digestive aid around the world. It is a great source of anethole, a compound that relaxes the stomach. Rebecca Lee suggests steeping crushed fennel seeds in boiling water to make tea and drinking it after a meal.
Aloe Vera
This juicy plant has natural anti-inflammatory properties that may soothe an inflamed stomach lining and esophagus. Simply mix 2-3 oz. of aloe vera with 8 oz. of coconut water or non-citrus fruit juice, and drink it 15-20 minutes before meals.
Kudzu
This is one of Trattner’s staple natural treatments for acid reflux. Simply combine a teaspoon of kudzu with 32 oz. of unfiltered apple juice and have a few spoonfuls. Kudzu blends with the pectin in apple juice to gently settle the stomach. This recipe has already been used for thousands of years in Chinese medicine.
Apples, Bananas, and Papaya
Citrus fruits are natural enemies of GERD. But the apple, banana and papaya combo is your go-to fruity snack alternative. The pectin in apples promote digestion, the papain in papaya dissolves carbs and speeds up metabolism, treats constipation and decreases inflammation, and bananas coat the stomach lining to soothe it and produce a natural antacid effect.
Read the full article on The Thirty here to see several more tips for countering GERD naturally.
Do you suffer from acid reflux? How are you coping with it? Let us know in the comments below!
Related Posts:
