Acid Reflux
Natural Remedies

Natural Remedies for Acid Reflux Relief

Dietary Changes

44 User Reviews
5 star (43) 
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4 star (1) 
  2%

Posted by Connie (Slc, Ut) on 01/25/2011
★★★★☆

Hi Sheila; Yes, it is an "acid thing" to me too because I'm still trying to give it a figure. Whatever this thing is, It's been "Born Slippy" to my gripe. (possibility of a joke here). I'm still rummaging through my diet and supplements to find which acids trouble me at this time.

In Truth, these acids have nothing that's wrong about them, but I am not metabolizing them correctly for now. I cannot take aspirin or even White Willow Bark For now. (high in salicylic acid) Foods high in salicylates don't seem to be a problem.

Foods high in citric acid are troublesome now. I may have moderate amounts of naturally fermented foods. (lactic acid) Acetic acids are also troublesome now. Even Rose Hips tea caused a disturbance. (ascorbic acid and citric acid) I have trouble metabolizing sulfur. It is acidic, but moreover, the body conducts a very complex process with it in order to use it. (when I try to understand what all the liver does in this, I have to "roll out the fainting couch"). If sulfur isn't properly methylated, oxidized, etc., its unfinished business will be expressed to and from an unhappy colon.

What brought me to realize that my case was some "gross acidosis", was (I must admit this), 5 years of Hcl supplementation. I began it after a lifetime of digestive ills that peaked with a 3 month period of upper stomach pain, projectile vomiting, and dry heaves. (liver problems too) Scope showed no ulcer, no H. Pylori, but there was inflammation. After research, I began Hcl with Betaine (sounds like beet uh een). My results were great, and I could eat well. After a couple of years, I began to have negative symptoms that seemed unrelated to the Hcl. (no stomach pain). After 5 yrs., there was pain nearly everywhere but the stomach. I increased Hcl. Pain increased. Kidney pain increased exponentially. Ted's words, "acid kidney", came to mind.

I went for a scan. The results were; No stones, no obstructions in kidney, but a small liver lesion and a small hiatal hernia. I stopped Hcl. The pain began to subside. I now have somewhat low stomach acid, but I choose B-complex with an extra pinch of niacin to treat it. These are the acids that I may have.

The rewards for the practice of finding my troublesome acids are: no more kidney pain, minimized liver and stomach pain, much reduced bleeding, (purpura, gums), very few canker sores, (autoimmune), and very few shingles outbreaks, (herpes). I am now able to slowly reduce my meds. I have learned this practice from reading the brilliant posts here, and I am again grateful. Connie


Dietary Changes
Posted by Jllerenas (Los Angeles, Ca) on 05/23/2010
★★★★★

I do get acid reflux when I have gluten in my diet. I'm allergic to wheat/flour, and so many other gluten containing foods. My doctor put me on Prilosec or a generic form of it. But I didn't take it, since it has side effects I wasn't about to risk. Anyway, I kept looking for a natural way of "curing" acid reflux not a therapy for it, since that was easy; there are all kinds of natural ways to subside acid reflux. I found an article on celiac disease and tested myself for it and found that my "acid reflux" went away. My doctor asked me why I hadn't come back to see him for an evaluation on Prilosec. I told him I had celiac disease and have been avoiding gluten. He then asked how is that going? I told him I've hadn't had a recurrence since we last spoke. I have this theory about it. Here goes, if I haven't already put your mind to think of me as a quack. I somewhat believe that the sinus leakage gets swallowed containing bad bacteria, causing an imbalance in the stomach, which may cause damage to the intestinal floral. Once this happens the stomach is unable to digest certain foods, so the body in response to protect itself from an overwhelming amount of bad bacteria releases acid to dissolve it. I don't believe I'm really allergic to gluten only that I probably have damaged my floral. It can take years to become whole again. In our Western culture we treat diseases and rarely seek the problem. So we are treated for symptoms not a cause. Anyway for me addressing multiple problems have had tremendous positive impact for me. Using the salt rinse has been a huge relief for me since I can breathe at night and not get disrupted sleep. Taking care of the "acid reflux" has also helped me in my disrupted sleep as well. The digestive system is super important to our overall health. I don't have the discomfort I used to have with stomach pains, but still have mild symptoms of that every once in a while. It has definitely subsided since I've been gluten free and been using aloe vera juice, gluten free being a bigger key.


Dietary Changes
Posted by Paul (Lansing, Mi) on 12/10/2009
★★★★★

About 10 years ago, I went to my doctor with complaints of heartburn. Refered to specialist. Scoped and diagnosed acid reflux. Presciption. I asked the doctor if I would be taking this the rest of my life, he said yes. I determined that I would not. After 3 months and 3 different precriptions that made me feel worse I quit taking them. Felt better right away, but still had heartburn sometimes. I now know in my case it is chocolate. Just a small amount can make me feel like i'm having a heart attack hours later. Experiment, don't let them put you on a lifetime of prescriptions that will make you sicker.

Replied by Lisa
(Bend, Oregon)
11/20/2010

At 40 I developed acid reflux and tried traditional medicines off and on, but found 10 years relief from not drinking beer. Oddly, wine and coffee didn't bother me. After reading from others, I see it's the grain connection. Unfortunity, at 52 my acid reflux has resurfaced and is miserable. I'm not sure what to do, but I'm going to reduce eating all grains and see what happens.

Replied by Kymom
(Bowling Green, Kentucky, Usa)
11/21/2010
★★★★★

Lisa,
I am 50 years old and have had difficulty with acid reflux for over a year. I, too, have noticed that beer is a big aggravator for me. There have been numerous things that help temporarily, but I have finally figured out that the acid/alkaline foods and beverages I drink seem to determine my level of reflux.

I am using 1/2 tsp baking soda with lime in the morning and at bedtime. I use more during the day if I am having heartburn or know I am going to eat acidic food. I also try to eat more alkaline foods than acidic. You can google and find a list of foods and where they fall on the list. Beer is very acidic, as is sugar, which may be why so many people find relief by eating low carb. Baking soda is very alkaline. I am also eating a grapefruit for breakfast and an apple for snack on a daily basis. Hope this helps. It is a miserable feeling to have reflux, but even worse is not knowing how to help yourself. Using the acid/alkaline food chart has helped me manage myself very well.

Replied by Eva
(Ballymena, Northern Ireland)
08/18/2012
★★★★★

My acid reflux started about 1 year ago. I wasn't sure at the beginning why I was so sick, had a nausea, was dizzy sometimes, tired.. Then I found out it is acid reflux. I was trying to heal it with Aloe, Apple cider vinegar and baking soda.. It did help for awhile but definately didn't heal it. Then I said to myself STOP. If I wont heal it, I can develope a cancer of aesophagus. I stopped to drink coffee, stopped to eat chocolate, began a vegan, started to make vegetable and fruit juices everyday and I feel 100% better! When I eat chocolate, I start to feel sick again. So I am better off from all these things.

I definately recomment lifestyle changes, because your body is trying to say: 'Stop to put all this rubbish to me! I need much more nutrition to keep you healthy and happy! ' I am quite glad now, that I started to have a GERD, because that made me think about my lifestyle and now I started to live healthy again with right choices of food as I used to do years ago. I make vegetable and fruit juices for my wee son as well, buy lots of vegetables and fruits everyday, try to make some new healthy vegan food nearly everyday. And I am very happy when my son eat it and like it, because I know, that I am giving him the best nutrition. So people. Don't be afraid to change your diet. It is the best think you can do for yourself in long term. I didnt want to take medicines for this, because I knew, it will only make my problem worst and then I will really get sick. I don't even need any medication anymore. Food is my medication. And avoiding coffee, chocolate and meat was the most important thing for me.


Dietary Changes
Posted by Annette (Sacramento, Ca) on 12/02/2008
★★★★★

I am writing to tell you of a discovery I made when I stopped eating carbs for weight loss. As long as I kept off carbs, I had no, zero, nada acid reflux! So, I have come to the conclusion that for myself, carbs are the cause of my acid reflux. It is hard to avoid carbs without planning and it takes a week to clear the sugars from your muscles and liver...but soon you will not have cravings for carbs and I hope, no more acid reflux. Good luck!

Replied by Martha
(Sacramento, CA)
04/30/2009
★★★★★

I went on the Atkins diet twice in my life and both times, my GERD disappeared. I have mentioned that to all the Drs I have ever seen and they all just shook their heads and blew it off as an anomaly. I am happy to hear of someone else having that same experience. I won't go back on Atkins, but now I am motivated to once again cut most of the bad carbs out and see if it helps.

Replied by Stacey
(Jackson, Wyoming)
01/28/2010

I'm not an expert on this matter, but it may be that carbs aren't the issue. It could be what is in most carb foods, and that is gluten. An amazing amount of people have some sort of intolerance to the gluten protein. The good news is there are several foods that are gluten free or low in gluten. I had severe GI problems (including awful reflux) and found out that I'm intolerant to gluten. Once I removed it from my diet I felt great! Good luck.

Replied by Nevada
(Smithfield, Pa)
12/30/2011

I have done low carb and I have also done plant-based nearly vegan diet for over 2 years. I found that either of these diets works to eleiminate both acid reflux [GERD].

I think the main thing is to avoid all processed foods. No processed sugar or flour. [I don't like to call them "refined" cause there is nothing fine about them.]

I took prevacid for a year and would wake up in the middle of the night choking on the taste of stomach acid in my mouth. Then, because I also had diverticulosis, I started eating oatmeal 5 days a week for the fiber. For the longest time I became convinced that animal foods were one of the bad things that contrubuted to disease but now I am not so sure.

Eventually I went vegetarian and from that I went nutritarian based on a book by Joel Fuhrman, MD called Eat To Live. I stayed on that diet for over 2 years up until 2 months ago when I went low-carb high-fat. Low-carb high-fat is really what all the low-carb high-protein diets are about. They don't want to emphasize the high fat part cause it would scare folks off. Reading Gary Taubes Good Calorie, Bad Calories is what got me interested and turned me around into accepting that animal foods may not be all that bad as long as you avoid processed animal foods and those with hormones and antibiotics.

Anyway it has now been about 5 years since I have had any symptoms of GERD or diverticulosis. Plus after going on the vegetarian diet followed by the nutritarian diet I lost 40 pounds and since going low carb and eating much more meat & fat but no potatoes, bread and the like I have not gained back a single pound but in fact have lost a few and my lipids have gotten even better as well as my blood sugar which went from 99 to 89. I also supplement with DHA, vitamin D and magnesium taurate.

I will be 65 years old in another month. Wish I ate better when I was younger.

Replied by Marie
(Ny)
08/08/2017

You are so right about the carbs, becuz I remember 12 yrs ago when I went on the Atkins diet for 4 months my heartburn went completly away!! I think I will try the paleo diet.


Dietary Changes
Posted by Joyce (Joelton, Tn) on 07/19/2008 495 posts
★★★★★

Hi Rosetta, If you diligently work at eliminating all bleached flour from your husband's diet, you might find that you also eliminate his acid reflux problem that nothing helps. It works for me and I can tell you that unless breads and cereals state l00% whole grain, they aren't, and probably contain some bleached flour. You will also find that many products contain both bleached and unbleached flour. The above has been working for me for over 30 years now. I don't know what it is in the bleaching process that creates the problem, but since I can eat whole grains or unbleached products without getting the problem, I know that is where the problem is.

Replied by Marie
(Ny)
08/08/2017

You are right too. I think it is the "bromides" in the flour that is upsetting the stomach. They used to use iodine, but not anymore. And the bromide blocks any iodine from getting to the body and the thyroid and therefore more people are getting thyroid nodules and goiter.


Dietary Changes
Posted by Arthur (Arbor Vitae, Wisconsin) on 07/15/2008
★★★★★

I am age 83. I suffered from canker sores continuously my whole life until 2 years ago when by accident I discovered that I had celiac disease, that is gluten intolerance. Since going on a gluten-free diet I have not had even one canker sore. NADA! Also the acid reflux that I had all my adult life has also almost completely gone away.

Replied by Ross
(Port Washington, NY)
10/23/2008
★★★★★

I have taken Prilosec or Nexium for 45 years straight, and have recently detoxed as part of a program to help my thyroid and adrenal fatigue. Long story short, I simultaneously stopped taking my Prilosec, and I was fine. My detox consisted of raw veggies, fruit, fish and chicken. When I went off detox, reflux returned with a vengeance. My Naturopath suggested that I remove gluten from my diet, and I have been completely acid free for 2 weeks without any medicines. This is unheard of for me. I strongly believe that for some people reflux is a sign of gluten intolerance or worse. By removing Gluten, everything improves...skin, brain, energy, etc.


Dietary Changes
Posted by Gary (Carpinteria, CA) on 06/10/2008
★★★★★

Just a note on what has helped me with acid reflux. I was really suffering badly from this for several months, I tried a lot of different diets, and also ACV baking soda and bentonite clay. None of these helped me significantly. I came across an article from a natural health practitioner who stated that he was able to cure many of his clients from acid reflux by giving them a strict low carbohydrate diet to follow. I immediately went out and bought a couple of the low carb books and read them as fast as possible to learn how to do this type of diet. I started the next day, and I have not had any major problem since (3 years) -- I do occasionally still get some acid reflux if I eat too many starchy foods. If I follow a low carb diet reasonably strictly, I have minimal problems. Once you learn how, it is easy, and also keeping your insulin levels low helps with many other health conditions.


Dietary Changes
Posted by Lisa (London, England) on 05/14/2008
★★★★★

Acid Reflux: I was given a prescription for antacids from my doctor to deal with acid reflux. I was suffering from a persistnet cough, mainly in the morning and often throughout the day. I could tell it was not a flu-related cough. My naturopath friend advised me to stop drinking and eating at the same time. I tried it for a week and my cough stopped. I drink at least a half hour or more before or after a meal or even after something as small as a donut. I am very concious about separating the two processes. Try it, it works! It is all to do with the fact that the stomach can not digest food properly with liquid in it. As a result the acid builds up and causes reflux. Simple.


Dietary Changes
Posted by Robert (Martinez, California) on 03/19/2008
★★★★★

Meats stay in the digestive system for many days.To increase digestive acid take 1/4-1/2 tsp. "pink salt" with meals per day.Stay away from pasteurized dairy, & sugar.Eat more raw greens than cooked.Baking soda will work in emergency however the salt content is too much for frequent use. Try "Raw" unheated honey,2 tbsp.in 1 cup Perrier or other naturally carbonated water. Penta water is alkaline.Take "Megazymes" after meals for routine maint.Turmeric is very good for digestion,1/2-1 tsp.& promotes healthy flora.Great herbs are thistle leaves as a tea or calamus root, a small 1/4-1/2 dried root tucked between lip & gum works very well & is great for bad food from restaurants.Allow to disolve in mouth.


Dietary Changes
Posted by Joanne (Titusville, Florida) on 03/17/2008
★★★★★

Doctor said I probably had acid reflux and prescribed the "purple pill". It made me sick and I never used it again. My husband suggested that I check my Ph balance. Low and behold I was on the acidic side. I then researched the internet and found foods that are acidic and avoided them. I also found out that we lose our good bacteria in our stomach due to the antibiotics we have taken over the years. To solve this problem I take acidophillis each day. I also take a few "Chorella" pills daily.(the green pills) As long as I avoid the "acid" foods, my body does well. There has to be a balance of acid/alkaline foods eaten daily. I am 65 years young and have advised my children that they had better watch their diets. I find that the majority of folks can't seem to part with their "SODA" or "COLA"(caffeine) each day. Beware, this is one of the major culprits of acid reflux. When you go into a restaurant always order water with lemon. This will help your stomach before you indulge.


Dietary Changes
Posted by Gail (Houston, Texas) on 02/06/2008
★★★★★

I'm in my sixties and I started getting awful acid reflux a couple of weeks ago, along with belching which I had never had before. Sunday, 2/3/08, I decided to try a few things, not the least of which was to eliminate the 12oz. bottle of beer I was having every day. I also started eating smaller meals and including apple sauce and yogurt daily as my desserts. And also started concentrating on alkaline-producing foods. I'll never know what did it, altho I think it was eliminating the alcohol, but it is 4 days out (2/7) and I have had no acid reflex or belching since Sunday when I went 'clean. I am so very happy there is this internet with such a wealth of information which helped me Sunday morning to get a grip on this condition.


Dietary Changes
Posted by Jean (Vancouver, Washington) on 01/11/2008
★★★★★

I don't use painkillers of any kind nor have I used antibiotics in many years yet I just developed acid reflux. In my case I've led a stressful life up until now. I believe that if you lead a stressful life, eat when you're stressed or very upset, it won't make a bit of difference how good your diet is, you simply contaminate the digestive process. do this often enough you establish the problem and become susceptible to many things, natural and unnatural. I currently subscribe to the ACV cure as well as a multi-herbal tea drink consisting of fenugreek, ginger, caraway seed, and slippery elm that I make up myself. Other than that I am attempting to stay away from coffee and anything like nuts that will irritate. I eat soft foods, mostly root vegetables (not potatoes). As someone who takes complete responsibility for the creation of my own good or bad health, I'm hopeful to cure the problem and be able to enjoy life again.


Dietary Changes
Posted by Nathan Smith (Del Rio, Texas) on 01/11/2008
★★★★★

I have had stomach acid problems from the day I was born. I reliezed that for me it was completely dependent on my diet. If I ate pizza, bacon, french fries, almost anything fried, pasta, bread and other hearty and greasy foods, I would have really bad acid. In college away from home I expirienced very bad acid and examined my diet. I found that I was eating very acidic foods. I found some websites that actually rate the Ph of food after it goes through the digestive tract and low and behold it was what I was eating. Vegetables are very basic and I found that if I balanced my diet with some vegetation that I would not have a reaction. I also religiously use baking soda when I dont have vegetables or go out drinking and it is a sure fix! I am concerned about long term effects of baking soda but havn't had anything but success.


Dietary Changes
Posted by Lee Ann (Mobile, Alabama) on 11/27/2007
★★★★★

Acid Reflux - Sinus Infection - Sore Throat - Acidophilus -- Based on personal experience the Polish Girl has it right, it's the diet. Dump the yeasty carbohydrate sugary stuff. After a sore throat that lasted a few months with several different diagnoses and antibiotics, health practitioner said most people really suffering from too much yeast in system which causes a huge variety of illnesses. Change the diet to starve/kill yeast in system now. Yeast thrives on sugar, sweets, fruits, carbs, and of course bread, pasta.

For 3 months my husband and I ate nothing but veggies and meat. Cut the wine and beer from diet too. Also took supplements that rid the body of fungus as well as very strong acidophilus.

Winthin one week, sore throat was gone.

2 Weeks - acid reflux disappeared completely (yay no more prilosec). Sore arthritic feeling knees stopped.

3 or 4 weeks - husband and i who suffer sinus infections frequently quit sneezing, coughing, etc. No more sinus infections for either of us.
3 years later - unfortunately I quit the diet because of pregnancy and dr. advised it would be bad for baby. Now sore knees and throat are back, and now have MRSA. With a lot of the cures here dealing with toxin cleansing etc. I wonder if yeast helps breed the MRSA?? Unfortunately, when I tell friends of my miracle cure when they are ill, their response is 'i could never change my diet that drastically' and they continue seeking that quick fix. Our forefathers had it right -- "You are what you eat".

Replied by Gracie
(Flushing, New York, USA)
02/01/2013

What kinds of supplements did you take to get rid of the fungus? Did you take any supplements to help your overall condition?

PS: I hope you recover from your current health issue, soon.


Dietary Changes
Posted by Wendy (Plover, WI U.S.A.) on 10/29/2007
★★★★★

Acid Reflux comes from being celiac. Celiac's can't eat dairy or gluten grain. Celiac's don't make enough stomach acid, so taking HCl and enzymes with a meal helps and not eating the dairy and grains. Hidden dairy and gluten grains are a problems to watch for.



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