Acid Reflux
Health Benefits

Apple Cider Vinegar Treatment for Acid Reflux

338 User Reviews

5 star (286) 
  85%
4 star (14) 
  4%
3 star (14) 
  4%
2 star (15) 
  4%
1 star (18) 
  5%
(5) 
  1%

Posted by Jill (Albrightsville, Pennsylvania/us) on 04/02/2009

I have been using 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon of honey, and a little water about 1/2 hour before I eat breakfast. Is it supposed to be 2 tablespoons or 2 teaspoons. I read many other sites that said 2 teaspoons....


Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Noel (Mississauga, Ontario, Canada) on 03/24/2009
★★★★★

I've been suffering from acid reflux and heartburns everyday for 4 months. My Dr. prescribed me prevacid then librax but none of them help. I purchased a Acid Reflux Report over the internet and ACV is one of the cures from acid reflux. It doesn't make sense since ACV is already acid. I went to the nutrition store and hesitantly purchased ACV. I followed the instructions... to make the story short, acid reflux is gone and I just hope it's all the way through. ACV will now be part of my diet.


Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Noelle (Tampa, FL) on 03/22/2009
★★★★★

ACV cured my acid reflux (and made me smell like roses!) ok, maybe not roses, but it definitely stopped any sort of bacterial growth that caused my body odor.

i take acv orally, 2 tablespoons per glass of water, every morning and two hours before bed. i was diagnosed with acid reflux at 12 and took pills off and on but i feel so free. Apple Cider Vinegar freed me naturally!

I also keep the acv in the shower and before i turn on the water i put some music on, pour the acv all over my body (i pour a little in my hand and then rub on my body), dance around for 2 minutes and then spend my shower rinsing, NO SOAP!. after the vinegar smell goes away i towel off and go about my business. every deodorant ive ever tried has let me down, time and time again, but this stuff-i love it! i ride my bicycle 10 miles a day commuting and i sniff and sniff and check and check and nothing-no smell at all, its a beautiful thing. i want to shout from the rooftops! These pharmaceutical companys tell us that we have to use their products, their chemicals- and we dont! we just need to go back to nature.


Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Prestige (Glasgow, United Kingdom) on 03/19/2009
★★★★★

I just want to say a big thank you to the subscribers of this website. After suffering from acid reflux for many years, I came across this ACV remedy that brought a big change to my life. I was just wondering if this remedy can also be used during pregnancy? I'm currently taking 2 - 3 Tbsp at every onset of symptoms and then go to bed and sleep like a baby...thank you very much.

EC: Yes, apple cider vinegar can be used during pregnancy. Please read the response from John Westerdahl here: https://www.earthclinic.com/cures/nursing_issues.html#ACV


Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Lita (Tampa, FL) on 03/15/2009
★★★★★

i am 58 in good health taking no prescription medications and experienced a sour stomach, queasiness, and nausea a couple nights ago about 18 hours after eating dinner the night before. i almost vomited and did not because i was swallowing to avoid it. i could taste the acid in my throat and had the upset stomach for about 5 hours and could not sleep half the night. when i felt well enough, i went online to see what may have caused the sour stomach and came to my conclusion upon reading about tophology (combining foods) that i was mixing fatty steak with salad with too acidic a dressing. i read the reasoning behind this inefficent digestion is caused by hydrochloric acid released by the stomach to digest the fatty steak was counteracted by the alkaline stomach reaction of the stomach to digest the acidic dressing cancelling the digestive action of the stomach, causing the sour stomach. i always thought i pretty much had an iron gut since i do not even get gas from 'gaseous causing foods', but attributed it to getting older. So today, i practised eating small quantities of food in single food categories, ie fruit, vegetables, bread and not mixing. the last thing i ate was a grilled ciabatta roll, which is not even an acid reflux causing food, but i actually got that lump in the throat feeling, and then a bit of acid taste! so then i go back on line to research a natural remedy for acid reflux and came upon this site about apple cider vinegar and off i went to the grocery store. upon returning, i immediately drank a mixture of 1 tbs acv, 1tbs honey, and 8z water and was 90 percent relieved in about 15 minutes. in about an hour, all signs of acid taste were gone and i ate dinner of a salad made with olive oil and acv dressing and spareribs, a similar dinner to what caused my sour stomach in the first place with the exception of using the apple cider vinegar in the dressing instead of balsamic, and i feel great. thanks for the remedy that really worked for me. i guess i will see if i need to take it as a precautionary measure or as a remedy, but at least i will know that it works. thanks a million for this website!


Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Sherri (Los Angeles, California) on 03/14/2009
★★★★★

I suffered with severe acid reflux for several years, waking up from a sound sleep due to choking on acid in my throat! I used tagamet, tums, and Nexium. I came across a home remedy site and found out that using acv helped a lot of people. I bought some raw organic acv at the health food store and put a tablespoon in 8 ounces of water and added a tablespoon of honey and drank it. I couldn't believe that the heartburn and acid reflux just disappeared within 10 minutes after the very first drink. Not wanting the calories of the honey on a regular basis, I now leave the honey out and drink the vinegar & water through a straw to avoid getting it on my teeth. I don't understand why doctors don't suggest using acv instead of Nexium. As long as I drink the mixture twice daily, I have no problems at all and can eat anything I want. If I eat something that I know used to trigger the reflux (like chocolate or something fatty), I sometimes drink a little acv/water right after eating. This has been such a relief for me.


Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Michele (Dallas, TX) on 03/13/2009
★★★★★

I have a GREAT cure for acid reflux. Believe it or not, you can simply take a teaspoon of vinegar -- just regular apple cider or white vinegar. It works immediately. You would think that it would only add to the acid upset but it actually rebalances it. You'll be amazed -- and save a ton of money.


Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Angie (South Pasadena, CA) on 03/10/2009

Dear ACV - Reflux fans:I would really appreciate some feedback!! I've had terrible LPR for two years. I got to the point where I had to take four prilosecs a day while abstaining from all acidic foods, caffeine, and fat. Still I had a terrible time swallowing and felt like I had a lump in my throat. The worst part was the constant need to swallow. It was embarrassing, people would ask me why I kept swallowing every two seconds.

After reading so many testimonials on this website I was ready to give it a try. All I had in the house was Trader Joes Organic ACV. I took 1 1/2 tsp in about 6 oz of water and it cleared up the lump in my throat and let me sleep that night without taking my usual two prilosecs. And I slept comfortably. The next morning I took 2 tsp. Interestingly, I tested my urine with PH strips before and after both times and both times, remarkably showed that I was off the charts alkaline compared to acidic before taking ACV. Anyway, that day my lump in throat was good but I had the worst case of hypersalivation I ever had. Was it because I was nervous about the ACV? Was I not drinking enough ACV or does the ACV only become alkaline in your bowels but acidic in your esophagus? If anyone can answer this I would love to hear. Also, I just bought _____s this morning so if I tried it again I would use that instead.

Recently I started taking 60 mg of time released Prevacid, called, " Kapidex". It has been a week and it keeps the acid from backing up into my throat when I lie down but doesn't do anything for the lump in my throat and I'm starting to hypersalivate again though not as badly as when I was taking ACV. I'm going to get scoped in about a month and not sure if I should stay with Kapidex for a little while just to heal my esophagus or if I should return to ACV. And if so, at what dose.

Thanks so much for taking the time to read my entry. Sincerely, Angie

Replied by Angie
(South Pasadena, CA)
03/13/2009

Hi All: This is Angie again. I wanted to update you all on my experience with ACV. While it did really help me, it seemed to make my hypersalivation much worse. I just read in a book about ACV by Cynthia Holzapfel that it is known for increasing the flow of saliva. I also read someone else on this board had the same experience. So, I've been taking 2 oz's of Aloe Juice two times a day for the past few days instead. It seems to help with the lump in my throat without making me hypersalivate. However, it isn't as effective as the ACV at preventing back flow when I lie down. But I just got a very slight amount of backflow. Maybe I need to increase the amount I'm taking. It also seems to give me more gas than usual, but I can live with this. I will keep it up and see if things improve. If they do I will post on the Aloe section. Good luck and good health to all of you. Sincerely, Angie

Replied by Jim
(Pleasanton, CA)
05/20/2009

Hi Angie,

I just read your question (posted some time ago). The acidity in your stomach has little to do with the acidity in other parts of your body. Normally, if things are working correctly, the stomach secretes hydrochloric acid and when this mixes with food and moves into the first part of the small intestine, it is neutralized by sodium bicarbonate that is secreted into the small intestine from the pancreas. Thus, the nutrients you absorb into your blood from the small intestine are not acidic. Throughout your body, though, there are many processes that produce acidic substances. One of the major contributors to this is the normal breakdown of food (usually glucose) to obtain energy. The food is broken down to carbon dioxide and water. The carbon dioxide then combines with water to form carbonic acid, one of the major contributors to acidity in internal body fluids such as the blood. The kidneys filter blood and remove metabolic waste products and adjust acidity of the blood by moving acid into the urine. If your urine is alkaline, that is not related to the acidity of the stomach.

Replied by Angie
(South Pasadena, California)
06/04/2009

Thanks for your insight Jim. That was interesting. It doesn't explain why the test was more acidic right before I drank the acv and alkaline right after every time I did the test though. Sorry I didn't see your post sooner. All the best. Sincerely, Angie


Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Jason (Buckeye, Az) on 03/10/2009
★★★★★

ACV: I prayed for a solution to my acid reflux after being diagnosed and perscribed aciphex. found this website and gave it a try and my prayer was answered.


Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Martha (Orange, Texas) on 03/01/2009
★★★★★

Hiatal Hernia & Acid Reflux: While pregnant with my 2nd daughter I got heartburn with everything I ate and was drinking a bottle of Maalox a day. After she was born it got a little better, but then worse again until everything including water gave me heartburn. Also I began to have reflux while sleeping and I would wake up after breathing the acid into my lungs. I was pretty scared to sleep lying down so I started sleeping at a 45 degree angle to prevent that from happening again.

I started xray school right after my daughter was born and during the 1st semester of training I saw all these people having Upper GI tests and were prescribed medications but people kept coming back because the meds weren't helping and that's when I decided to look for a solution naturally. I was told if you took a tablespoon of ACV when you had heartburn and the heartburn went away then you needed MORE acid and not less and the pills the docs were giving people STOPPED the production of acid, but you need that acid to help digest your food. I also assummed I had a hiatal hernia because sometimes my food felt like it didn't want to go down and stayed in my throat. After learning about the ACV treatment I did that for about 3 months. It was hard to drink it everyday but I did. I also cut out sodas, sweet tea, and tomato products as these things caused severe heartburn. I kept searching and talking to people and found a company that made food enzymes. I switched to food enzymes for about a year. My hiatal hernia and heartburn went away and I started sleeping flat again. That was in 1995 and I haven't had the problem again. I've told lots of people to try the ACV or food enzymes because I now know for sure that the meds people are put on are not the solution - oh I know it fixes some for a while but then the body is unable to get the vitamins from the foods they are eating and they come back to the hospital for a CAT SCAN to see what problem they have now. Since I work in a hospital and see the day to day problems that people have due to medication or Drs. who are simply overworked and most know nothing about nutrition, I go the natural way for everything. This is a great website and at least when people are searching for a solution they will try it, but I find that people look at me like I'm crazy when I tell them a simple solution to their problem, especially if it is going to mean they can't just take a pill and the problem goes away.

Replied by Tallie
(Toronto, Ontario)
05/29/2009

I am interested in this "cure" as I'm suffering from reflux and the doc says I may have a hiatal hernia. I don't trust doctors anymore after my mother died as a result of a doctor's mistake during her gallbladder surgery, so I am very hesitant to have the hernia removed.

I started researching alternatives to the meds my doc wants me to take for Acid Reflux, and found this site and the ACV. Has anyone any idea about long-term usage of ACV? Can it have any side-effects like stomach ulcers?

Also, once on the ACV, have people found they can eat foods that would normally be forbidden to them, like tomato? The health values of tomatoes are such that I really want to be able to eat them, but right now I am having to avoid them.

I will certainly try this ACV and hope it solves my problems. I'm not fond of taking meds of any kind and a healthy solutions is certainly welcome. Thanks to everyone for sharing their experiences.


Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Kim (Pasadena, CA) on 02/22/2009
★★★★★

I have had acid reflux for about two years on and off. I found this website and began using apple cider vinegar (a store brand). The first day I drank a full glass and did experience bloating and pressure so decided to sip it instead. It took two days to get full results but I persisted and have great results now. I sip about 2 cups over the day. But I have also started to watch my diet, controlling spicy foods and other foods that seem to irritate my system (including caffeine, for me). I've told a few other people about this "cure"!

EC: Just to clarify for any new readers -- Kim did not drink an entire glass of apple cider vinegar, but (most likely) 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar in 8 ounces of water!

Replied by Farida
(Karachi, Pakistan)
05/01/2009

so u dont know whether it was ACV or controlling ur diet which helped u . if u know cud u let us know


Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Candace (Seattle, WA) on 02/19/2009

Thank God I found this sight. I had a weight loss surgery two years ago. I have what they call a lap band. Just recently I have such bad ACID REFLUX. Its so painful. I can hardly sleep without throwing up. Food has sometimes sat in my chest for hours.I keep a cold and a cough. In the last few weeks its be so bad that I just cant eat..no I should I'm scared to eat or drink! I just want one night of peacful sleep.I found your website by looking for a natural remdy since natural supplments usually work for me.I'm at work right now with a bottle of tums and pepto that just mask the problem. As soon as I leave here i'm trying ACV..Will let you know results today..wish me luck!


Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Jason (London, UK) on 02/17/2009
★★★☆☆

BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS

Hi there, I was suffering very badly from Acid Reflux a few months ago and had to carry rennie tablets everywhere with me when I had attacks. I looked for natural cures on the Internet and found this site. I mix the ACV with some juice and it worked great, at first.

I have started to notice that I have been getting very constipated recently, and the only change in diet is me using Apple Cider Vinegar. I must take ACV to cure my heart burns, then I will get constipation as a result of it & this will then make my acid reflux even worse. It is a vicious cycle that I don't know how to get out of.

I have two choices:

1 - Stay without acid burn pains and feel nauseas, bloated, sluggish and constipated all the time

or

2 - Stay with the acid burn pains after I eat anything and have no constipation

Any help you could provide me at all?

Replied by Victoria
(Commerce, Michigan)
02/28/2009

if you use the apple cider vinegar cure you have to drink alot of water w/it so that it can flush out your system, your system needs flushing. that's why you are getting constipated. ACV is one of the best things you can do to flush your internal organs but its not going to work unless you are drinking more water. it detoxes your system.

Replied by Angie
(South Pasadena, California)
04/14/2009

Dear Jason: Also, take magnesium. It is a natural laxative that as far as I know is safe. Sincerely, Angie

Replied by Gigi
(Palm Coast, Florida)
04/14/2009

Hi Jason, I also experienced constipation when I first took ACV. However, when I switched to the ___ brand, with the 'mother' in it, I found it wasn't an issue any more. The ordinary supermkt ACV will cause constipation. Hope this helps.

Replied by Kathy
(Bristol, TN)
04/15/2009

I too get constipation from ACV ritual. So I have been switching to Lemon and Baking Soda rather than ACV. Constipation still a problem but not as bad and it Seems to work the same as far as GERD, and does not cause me to be jittery. Weather has been keeping me indoors without much exercise. I take liquid magnesium, along with Vit.c, D, B and Greens. Also use a fish oil liquid mixed in yogurt. Some say molasses helps. Baking Soda is really helpful for the gerd and gripy stomach acid stuff.

Replied by Dianna
(Austin, Tx)
04/15/2009

When i first tried taking ACV it also caused me bloating, gas and other stomach problems. So I stopped taking it and used lime juice. You could try lime juice or lemon juice instead. Just use it the same way.

Later due to the hard time I was having finding limes that have no pesticides I went back to ACV - but I now drink 1/2 a teaspoon in my bottled water per 32 ounces. This does not make me have the bloating, gas, etc.

I don't know however if this will work for GERD. But I would think that drinking the lime juice or lemon juice the same way you drank the ACV might help.


Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Shawna (Charleroi, PA) on 02/08/2009
★★★★☆

I am 21 years old and have been suffering with acid reflux and heartburn since I was a lot younger. I was on nexium for about 3 years and on prilosec for about 5 or more. After reading about all the harmful side affects with long use I was desperate to find a natural cure. I found this website and it is quite a blessing to me. I stoped taking prilosec completly on Feb 1st and started taking 2 teaspoons of braggs organic apple cider vinegar in 8 ounces of water the next day. The first day i took it when I woke up about a half hour before eating anything and I had no symptoms of acid reflux till yesterday. I think I messed up by taking it after I ate. I still have mild heartburn but Im willing to suffer with it and try to make this work! Any other things I should try? let me know! Thanks


Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Philip (Sparks, NV USA) on 02/07/2009
★★★★★

I tried Prilosec for the required 14 days, the next day it was worse then when I started, then I tried an off brand made in Israel it worked for 14 days, but my relux came back. So a guy at work was telling me about Apple cider vinegar, we had the Trader Joe's with the mother and I fiqured I'd give it a chance. I started with 2 tablespoons in 8 oz. of water at breakfast, lunch and dinner, I quit taking green tea in my thermos and started taking ACV and honey to sip on all day, I'll have to say I am a believer, I have no signs of reflux at all, plus drinking this I'm starting to feel better over all. I am going to add some cayenne to help with overall health. It's nice to know that a natural, God breathed apple can heal the body. Have a great day and God Bless



NEXT