Natural Remedies for Acid Reflux Relief

I was Rolaids #1 customer from the time I was a teen until I was into my 40s at which point I got a tip from an old geezer - a heavy drinker - which was 2 glasses of water, you're dehydrated.

I haven't had indigestion or acid reflux since, And I don't drink so it's not some weird combination of that and water. I only mention the drinking because the guy was in his 80s and the only heavy drinker I ever met who wasn't averse to drinking plain water. He'd stroll into the tavern where I tended bar, shortly after dark, and drink until 11 o'clock - you could set your watch by him. But come 4:30 am, he'd be eating breakfast at the diner, happy as a clam with his bacon and eggs and a whole pitcher of water then back out in the fields by sunrise.

He was a character. He took in any stray that would happen to come around - always had at the least a half dozen dogs running around - and you always knew when one of the dogs was either new or sick because he'd cover them in clay. He'd loosen up some dirt and dump in the water and just pack the mud on them, no matter what, and they'd roll around in the mud and the other dogs would come and roll around with them until they were all running around muddy - it was awesome.

My friend has suffered from chronic acid reflux for years. Doctors put her on stomach medication. Last month she was talking about how her nerve pills (Klonopin) are causing her stomach to act up. I told her to go buy a jar of sauerkraut. According to my other friend's German born mom, Deutsche Kuche German Style Sauerkraut sold at ALDI Grocerystore USA is the most like the kraut she grew up on and the best to buy.

I told her to eat about a tablespoon daily. Doing so is known to aid in digestion and prevent constipation. Sauerkraut is low in calories and high in fiber. Sauerkraut will improve her digestion within a few days.

She saw results using this treatment within 3 days and now her whole extended family are eating raw sauerkraut right from the jar.

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4268643/

Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6306734/

Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128023099000248

Source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/phytochemical

Hi Rachel,

This is what I am doing for my acid reflux. I am drinking fennel seed water and black raisin three times a day. I boil fenned seed powder or seed and black raisin at night for 15min and drinking that jucie in the empty stomach. Make again after one hour of lunch and before bed time. It really works for acidity. If you don't like raisin, you can make only fennel seed water and take with honey. It really works. Hopefully it works for you and everyone who is looking for natural way to reduce or cure acid reflux

I noticed at 37 years old that if I ate bread products I got tremendous heartburn. It was so bad I had precancerous cells growing in my throat. I went gluten free and in the three years since being GF I have only had two GERD attacks and I believe it was because something I ate was contaminated with gluten. GERD is an inflammatory reaction, something you are eating is having a negative impact on your body and your body is attempting to attack it to reduce its impact on your body. Try eliminating foods in your diet to find what the culprit is. I am keeping activated charcoal on hand for an accidental contamination.

I sang in church for many years. Slowly began to loose my range and general vocal ability. Also began to have acid reflux. Now after 15 years of issues, I am singing again and also sleeping at night without the reflux. The only thing I am doing is drinking about one-half cup of pure aloe Vera juice before bed and repeat in morning. I can even eat again during the evening hours - even close to bedtime. Several others in our family recommended this to me. They had been cured of reflux and were so excited. This is a godsend.

I've been suffering with GERD since my gallbladder surgery. It has been pretty painful at times. I was never able to take the meds for it (too many side affects). The Apple cider vinegar tore my stomach up. My routine is papaya enzyme after each meal and acidophilus at bedtime with chamomile tea. You have to make lifestyle changes too. No caffeine, smoking. I eat to live not live to eat. My meals are simple grilled meats and lots of fruits and vegetables. Processed bread seemed to make it worse so I went to gluten free. I've given up all spices and seasonings and no longer miss them. Switched from whole milk to coconut milk. Exercise is just 30 minutes of walking. Losing weight will help.

I used to suffer from acid reflux until someone recommended me to try red apple delicious. It really helped and even my sister and some of my friends tried it too. The ripe ones work better.

Hi had been suffering from terrible acid reflux. So took the advice on here and brought a Probotic from the chemist. After 3 days no reflux so I just take one everyday and its gone away. So thanks for the great advice.

Apple Cider Vinegar is good for acid reflux also, get the one with the 'mother' in it.

I was vegetarian when I first started suffering from acid reflux. Apple cider vinegar, ginger chews and almonds would offer temporary relief from heartburns. The medication prescribed by doctors, a proton pump inhibitor, did not seem to make a difference. I started avoiding the foods that would trigger heartburns, which did help. But identifying these foods was far from obvious. Mine did not fit the usual list. Spicy, and fatty foods did not bother me. Some acidic foods did and others not.

But even when I did not have heartburns, I could not lay down to sleep because I would feel the burn come up to my throat, nose, ears and gums. My doctor diagnosed me with a loose lower esophagal sphincter (LES). This meant that the sphincter at the entrance to the stomach could no longer completely close up, which explains the backflow of stomach acid when laying down. Like many, I refused to take medication which lowered the level of acid in the stomach instead of addressing the real problem: the loose LES.

In the end, what really worked for me was probiotics and a dietary change. I tried the candida diet and later the Paleo diet, which have many similarities. The purpose of the candida diet is to eliminate the bad bacteria from one's body, especially from the stomach, by cutting out the foods that feed them and by promoting the growth the good bacteria. The philosphical premise of the Paleo diet is that, to be healthy, a person should eat a diet resembling what man ate before the advent of agriculture. This means primarily meat/fish/poultry and vegetables, with a few fruits and nuts. Of the fruits, one should only eat berries and avoid fruits that have been bred throughout time to be high in sugar. In addition to sugar, the main other thing to avoid is grains, since these are a product of agriculture, and were therefore not meant to be eaten (according to proponents of the diet). But the candida diet, sugar and carbs (most of which come from grains) are exactly the foods that feed the bad bacteria in the gut. The other similarity between the 2 diets I noticed is that both tended to eliminate chronic conditions of various sorts. Many followers of the Paleo diet have declared having fewer health issues and just feeling better overall.

After a month of taking probiotics and avoiding sugar and grains/carbs, I noticed I could lay down to sleep again. My tolerance for what used to be my trigger foods seemed to have increased as well. I am hoping to slowly phase out the probiotics, and just continue to eat well.

Side thought on the vegetarian versus meat-based diet: I was vegetarian primarily because I did not enjoy eating meat. However, I had IBS for as long as I could remember and the vegetarian diet did not do anything to alleviate the problem. I found it hard to incorporate what I thought was a healthy amount of veggies and ate large amounts of pasta and rice instead. But on a meat-based diet, I found that veggies, especially leafy greens, were much easier to include in meals. And I was using more spices too. I no longer suffer from IBS. And while I still do not always enjoy the taste of meat, I believe it to be the best source of protein. TVP-based fake meat products seem too processed. Soybeans has its own controversies (of which you can find discussions on the web). And the fact that beans make people fart is a sure sign that they are not easy to digest. Of course there are a lot of meat products that one should avoid. I always try to get the highest quality stuff I can find.

Finally, I would like to offer a list of resources that helped me find my way to better health:

* your doctor: only he can give you a proper diagnosis and let you know the true culprit in the matter.

* the web: this website and others like it were not only a source of information, for remedies to try, but also support

* books: there are numerous books that offer alternatives to medication. The one by Ms. Whittekin was particularly helpful and extensive in its coverage of solutions. I learned that marshmallow root and slippery elm will help heal the throat by coating it, and this was the book that initially introduced me to the candida diet. "Good calories, bad calories" is an important book that will reshape the way you think about food, especially regarding the latest opinions on what food is considered healthy and what is not.

* yourself: maintain a food and symptom diary, research your options and experiment. Good luck!

I took some parasite medication for a few days on an empty stomach soon I had a burning stomach and esphogas and acid reflux... Feeling I was also having shortness of breath and pressure type of feeling on my chest, My ND gave me probiotics and told me to open the capsules dump the content into a 1/2 glass of water and swish the probiotics powder in my mouth then drink it down. And the ND suggested pt drinking lactose free PLAIN KEFIR no sugar in and within 24 hours I felt a dramatic change, within three days I had zero pain and my symptoms all feel away.

The FDA and Food Industry have played a deceptive, sinister and cruel trick on acid reflux sufferers. They have disguised the cause of this "disease" in an unethical (albeit brilliant) web of lies and deception. They have capitalized upon one of those situations in life where the logical answer is wrong, and the answer that doesn't seem to make a lick of sense on the surface is right by advocating to the population that the logical answer is in fact, correct, and the solution is "X" when they know it is dead wrong but don't care, because it creates an entire industry, which yields profit.

We are led to believe that our Acid Reflux is the result of too much acid in the stomach that then "spills" into the esophagus, causing the burning sensation. However, the reality is just the opposite. There is no such thing as "Acid Reflux disease or GERD. " You experience the symptoms associated with acid reflux because your stomach is not producing enough acid and stomach gases force food and acid upwards into the esophagus. The technical diagnoses is "Hypochlorhydria, " which means "too little stomach acid" (Hydrochloric acid) and the FDA doesn't want you to figure that out, because the cure is not pharmaceutical drugs, which means you won't be giving them money to keep you on life-long chemicals that address symptoms rather than causes, until you develop side effects to medicine "X" and have to take medicine "Y" to suppress them, all resulting in more money in their pockets for essentially killing you over time.

The reason red wine helps your acid reflux is because red wine appears to help with digestion. Red wine helps with digestion because it has acidic value, just like Apple Cider. Put simply, you are adding acid to your stomach. This is why you feel more severe heartburn for the first 20 seconds when you take a sip as it travels down your throat to your stomach, followed by relief once it arrives and settles. You are effectively repopulating your stomach with the acidic value it needs to execute digestion, thus preventing gases from forcing anything into your esophagus. However, since you are led to believe your symptoms are due to too much acid in the stomach, the logical reaction is to classify red wine as a GERD/Reflux catalyst or agitator, which is why most "no-no foods lists" for Acid Reflux sufferers will include red wine.

Pharmaceutical medications essentially do the same thing, but they do it in an unhealthy, dangerous & expensive way. What they do is eliminate ALL acid in the body. When this happens, the body panics and works extremely hard to reproduce sufficient acid. Once this process completes, your symptoms go away, because your stomach now has an appropriate level of acid in it. The FDA, however, wants you to keep giving them more money, so they hope you continue to believe you have too much acid and you need these drugs to keep your acid levels under control.

Nothing seems to cure Hypochlorhydria except for lifestyle change and time. You must treat the source of the problem, which is faulty digestion. If you had proper digestion, your body wouldn't lack the acid levels required to digest nourishment in the stomach.

I personally have been on multiple prescription medications for chronic Acid Reflux before learning the truth for the past 8 years. The only medication that worked for me alleviated my symptoms momentarily at the expense of injecting 1,680 mg of sodium into my system everyday. Combine that with my daily salt intake and I'd be dead by 40, like our forefathers who used salt to preserve their foods. That being said, I have always been skeptical about holistic remedies, and given my general luck, most things don't end up working for me. That being said, I would like to share what has worked for me, so that in the event you are skeptical, have bad luck or nothing ever works for you, you can know that someone with the same problem found the following solutions:

I recommend a full spectrum digestive enzyme before or after every meal, as well as a probiotic from your local vitamin store. Certified Inner Fillet Aloe Vera Juice helps as well, but I wouldn't take it everyday because it has claims to be hard on the kidneys over a long period of time/usage. Absolutely positively stay away from anything spicy. Spicy food is the only thing that will render every trick in my bag useless and keep me up all night burning, regardless what time I ate it. There's also nothing on the planet I love more, but you have to do what you have to do. On that topic, never overeat, never eat past 7pm, and although it is very hard to follow (I am guilty of not following this often), try to limit your intake of liquid with your meals to 5-6 ounces preferably a good red wine or water. The reason for this is to not dilute your stomach acid to ensure it remains effective in digestion. Drink water at least 30 minutes after your meal. Lastly on the topic of digestion, and even harder to follow than limiting liquid intake is to not mix your food groups. The human digestive system is not well equipped to fully digest multiple food groups simultaneously. In other words, do not eat your roughage, meets & starches together. When one does this, the digestive system kicks into overdrive from being overwhelmed, and there is no way it is able to fully digest all food from all food groups when ingested simultaneously. The end result is poor digestion and putrefying food in the stomach, producing that "full for 12 hours" feeling, indigestion, heartburn, etc.

Following these guidelines will not alleviate your symptoms, however. These recommendations may heal and correct your body over time with consistent use, which is needed. While your body does this though, let's talk about the things that can manage the symptoms.

The absolute first thing you I recommend to do after reading this is buy a large bottle of Papaya Enzyme chewable tablets these guys are your best friends, and without them you are severely disadvantaged in managing your symptoms. They have a similar effect to over the counter antacid chewables, but they are enzymes, so rather than spin the acid depletion / replenish cycle, it aids your digestive system while controlling and preventing further symptoms. Most instructions say to take 3 with meals and two when needed. I often take ~25 a day.

Try to find a health foods store that carries Slippery Elm Powder. This is tree bark dust, and it coats & soothes your stomach. Mix 1-2 teaspoons into a mug of hot water & be prepared because it is ungodly nasty and the texture is like drinking mucus. That being said, provided it doesn't cause you to wake up congested and you aren't allergic to it, it is excellent in relieving symptoms.

Purchase organic roasted almonds and consume. For some reason, roasted almonds appear to alleviate symptoms. Almond milk is a good choice as well, but doesn't appear to work nearly as well as almonds in my experience.

Now the stomach needs to be trained to produce sufficient acid. This can be done by buying a bottle of raw Apple Cider Vinegar with the Mother and drinking 3 tablespoons in 8oz of water 3 times a day. Drinking ACV has other health benefits as well, but it can be rough on the stomach for some (myself included). Apple Cider Vinegar is also quite nasty, but it replenishes acid and alleviates symptoms. Avoid ACV capsules, as they do not appear to work. Proven Old Amish Formula "Stops Acid Reflux" formula produces a similar effect to ACV, can be taken straight, and is a bit more bearable. It also contains ginger and garlic juices. However, in my case of sensitive stomach, both cause me stomach discomfort (ACV stomachache, Amish Formula bloating) so I opt to not take them. In their absence, I have found that good red wine (preferably Cabernet Sauvignon) alleviates symptoms, and appears to replenish acid levels. Another method is to purchase Hydrochloric Acid in pill form (5-HCL) and take before and/or after meals to add acid to the stomach. This is the only approach I have no experience with as of yet.

I recommend purchasing a crushed ice maker and chewing crushed ice. The ice will soothe your throat and remove all symptoms while actively consuming, but symptoms will often re-emerge shortly after you have stopped eating ice. Drinking water helps momentarily. Chewing gum also seems to remove symptoms by increasing saliva production which improves digestion, and masks the feeling of heartburn with the flavor of the gum instead. Ensure your head and upper chest is elevated when you sleep to assist gravity in keeping the acid splash from the gases where it belongs. This can be accomplished with a wedge pillow or 6-8 inches of bricks under the bed.

As a last resort, keep a box of baking soda on hand; dissolve 1/4 tsp of baking soda in 4-5 ounces of water and drink. Most recommend 8 ounces. In my experience, less water works better. This will neutralize acid so that if gases are causing splashing on the esophagus, it will be neutral & (relatively) symptom free. I often need to consume 1/4 tsp baking soda to sleep comfortably. Just be aware that 1/4 tsp of baking soda is somewhere around 300mg of sodium. That being said, it is loads better than the 1, 680mg I was consuming every night.

This is every tool in my toolbox that has had any sort of positive effect on controlling and moving towards curing my Hypochlorhydria. I recommend equipping yourself with all of these tools, but if I could only choose three I'd take the Papaya Enzymes and an Acid Producer (Red Wine, ACV, etc.) daily, while keeping the baking soda on hand for emergencies. Remember, consuming spicy foods will render every single tool ineffective. However, following these guidelines has allowed me to manage this condition, but I can't guarantee the same for everyone.

Hi Rachel

Acidophilus alone will not cure acid reflux. First it will help your stomach have a better healthy balance but for most people its not a cure by itself. Second standard yogurt only has a small amount of acidophilus and only 2 or 3 kinds. To make a difference you want a capsule with 15 billion or more from as many different strains.

For many people its not just about the acid in their stomach but also about the lower esophageal sphincter. This is what keeps the acid in your stomach. If that is not working correctly you will never solve your problem completely.

Have you tried sleeping with your head raised?

I have severe acid reflux. How long can I take apple cider vinegar/ baking soda, been taking 2Tb=vinegar with 1Tsp (3 times a day) 5 days on 2 days off now on my second wk.. How long does it take for results? Thank u kindly.

I found that taking a few calcium tablets helps immediately with severe reflux, and I take acidophilus complex, and aloe vera to maintain overall digestive balance

I just eat 1/2 an apple anytime I eat acidic food and acidity is bothering due to overeating or fried food. It has helped me. I don't take any medicines, always the natural cure. It works. Doctors were writing prescriptions for my acid reflux but thank God I checked home remedies.

Great Site with very helpful information. I have referred to it often. I need to ad my experience as far as Acid Reflux.

I was in such discomfort for years, until I found out two things.

First, I do not digest meat without taking digestive enzymes. Two tablets with water when meal is 3/4 finished.

Second, If someone, like myself and others I see from the postings, has continuous discomfort after eating regardless of what they eat and may have trouble taking a deep breath, you probably have a Hiatal Hernia. No surgery is needed. A chiropractor can remedy this in a matter of minutes! You will have immediate relief. Once you learn the procedure your spouce can do the maneuver if it needs done in the future. It has brought relief to both my wife and myself.

I hope this information will help others.

I was recently diagnosed with Diverticulitis, Barrett's Esophagus and a Hiatal Hernia. I am a Disabled American Veteran and one of my problems has been GERD, which I have suffered with for many years. Some nights it got so bad I would wake up and jump out of bed, choking for air. I have been on a regime of Omniprozole for many years as well, but have recently starting takin Aloe Vera Gel, ACV, Slippery Elm, Papaya Enzyme and a Probiotic and can say I've had the most restful sleep I've had in a long time. Plus the bloated, hard and puffed out stomach is no longer there. I am not sure if one thing is doing it or a combination of all of them, but for now I am going to stick with it.

I am 71 years old and vividly remember taking kerosene with a teaspoon of sugar for sore throats or colds. My grandmother gave that to all of us when we got sick. Turpentine was a seasonal remedy for colds and parasites. We survived and even today I use it. A good remedy for acid reflux or indigestion is to take 1/4 cup of aloe vera juice immediately before eating each meal and 1/4 cup after each meal. This neutralizes the acid and if there is irritation in the gastrointestinal tract, a tbsp of slippery elm bark powder will help to heal the irritated membranes in the tube. This is also good for those suffering with Crohn's disease. I have found that vinegar and baking soda irritates the digestive tract. The aloe and slippery elm soothes and heals. I hope this helps.

Celery for Acid Reflux

I find this incredible. I have been having an episode of gerd today that was giving me lung congestion. Lousy day. I tried ACV/BS, ginger, cilantro, and a dozen other things and no help. I was making vegetable soup for supper and started nibbling on a celery stick. within a few minutes I started feeling better. I was amazed so started researching it and came to this site. Wish I had been aware the past few years and might have saved myself some agony. I will not leave home without it :)

Avocado and acid reflux. I love canned fish in oil - even though I ALWAYS have terrible acid reflux after eating them- always, except last time, a week ago. The only difference was that I ate them with slices of one fresh avocado. No reflux! But I had no idea why... Last night my husband had problems with acid reflux so I came here to find something for him. I was so surprised to read about avocado! So it was what helped me! Problem solved!

KennyWally,

Could you elaborate on the Sea Salt? How do you use it, and in what quantities? Thanks for sharing.

Hema, thank you so much for posting about fennel and raisin tea. It helped! Have you been able to cure your acid reflux? And if so, what other natural remedies have you used? I can't seem to tolerate any type of processed food, especially breads and cereals with additives. Thank you so much for your help!