Natural Remedies for Acid Reflux Relief

Betaine Hydrochloride

Posted by Woody (Frankston, Australia) on 09/08/2008
★★★★★

I have suffered Gastric Reflux for about 6 years, tried eveything including Tagamet, Zoton and all the beta blockers and Proton pump inhibitors but nothing worked. One day I tried Betaine, one tablet at breakfast and 6 years of grief have been replaced with zero reflux. This has been good for 3 months now with no problems at all. What causes Acid reflux is slow digestion, the added Acid from Betaine speeds up digestion. And the food goes down.

Warnings

Posted by Joyce (Joelton, TN) on 05/04/2008 490 posts
★☆☆☆☆

WARNING!

Hello Erik from Pittsburgh,

Hopefully anyone intelligent enough to use the internet has enough intelligence to reject the idea if someone should be idiotic enough to recommend that they take strychnine or cyanide or some other poison! First off, I seriously doubt that anyone has written in recommending something that they haven't tried themselves.

I fully agree that these claims have not been evaluated by orthodox medicine studies or the FDA, but God forbid that I ever have to rely solely on the FDA's "GRAS" ratings or take every word spoken by a doctor as the gospel truth. But let's take a look at some of those that were. Remember the thalidomide that orthodox medical doctors prescribed for the normal nausea of pregnancy? How would you like to have been one of those infants born with severe deformities (the pictures of these babies, some with hands attached to shoulders instead of wrists because they had no arms or missing both arms and legs and worse) were heart breaking. I believe the FDA approved of this medication or at least passed it after taking the word of some doctor or doctors who performed a study paid for by the pharmaceutical company that produced it.

Or take a look at a more recent one called Viox. One of my aunts is one of those unlucky ones prescribed the latest thing for her arthritis pain - she has had a stroke, myocardial infarct, and a pacemaker implanted, thanks to this wonder drug that was supposedly FDA rated safe after the proper studies were done. This aunt had a lovely garden (vegetables) prior to this fiasco - I don't think she will ever be able to tend her garden again. I was raised to believe that pokeweed berries were poisonous, but after a very good friend and neighbor told me to take them for severe arthritis and she didn't back down when threatened with having to finish raising my 4 children if it killed me, I started taking them and am still taking them 40+ years later. I wouldn't be surprised to find that Viox was some substance isolated from pokeberries, and a synthetic version produced so it could be patented and make a fortune for the pharmaceutical company. I have come to the conclusion that one should never try to improve on God's product. I kept the "fail safe" by taking the pokeberries instead of a depleted synthetic version of what was found to be detrimental to the arthritis. Of course I had to work out how much and how often to take them myself, since she didn't know how her aunt took them. I do know that orthodox medicine was performing studies on pokeberries (as well as many other herbs/plants) since the 60's and 70's. We were told in a physiology lecture in l977 (at a prestigious southern medical school) "that we don't know why, but from a study we have going here, we know that pokeberries throws the immune system into gear to fight". I had already been taking them about l0 years at the time, so I just sat there & grinned. If you have a problem with herbs & plants, which I call "God's medicine", there is a wealth of information in the federal government's botanical data base, if you can find your way into it. If you can't find your way into it, James (Jim) Duke, retired PHD botanist, who amassed much of this information, has written a book titled "The Green Pharmacy" which is very informative. I own a couple of copies of it myself and have given some to my children.

Or how about the one (I forget the name) that was finally outlawed in this country after several years because too many of the ones taking it were developing irreversible blindness? The pharmaceutical company just continued selling it in other countries. This is not malpractice or neglect - it is criminal behavior secondary to greed!

I also find it amusing that many doctors are getting smart and passing up chemotherapy themselves when they develop cancer. Google Lorraine Day for a great & successful example of this.

If you are in the medical field, I am sorry if the job security is getting shaky, but I will have to "fess up" that I started taking vitamins, minerals, and supplements because I knew they worked. If I hadn't already been convinced of their effectiveness before, I would have been positive after seeing the AMA try to gain control of them by striving to make them available by "prescription" only and that prescription would have to be written by a doctor. Unfortunately Big Pharms and AMA haven't given up on this yet. Frankly, The FDA has been almost worthless and hasn't been earning the salaries that the taxpayer's money goes to pay over the past few decades. Apparently they find bigger money from lobbyists for the AMA and Big Pharm and court battles easier to win against the little guys who are selling us the vitaminsm, minerals & supplements.

It is way past time that the FDA admits that they goofed when they rated monosodium glutamate and aspartame "GRAS" but it may be too late to avoid many of us from developing Diabetes Mellitus, type 2, Parkinsons' disease, alzheimers and many other problems. I urge everyone to research these two toxins that permeate our foods and start fighting these in our foods, because the FDA is not going to do it. The latest thing I read on alzheimer's disease is that it is much more prevalent, striking at a younger age and in those without a genetic predisposition, than previously thought. That tells me that it is what they are putting in our food.

Aloe Vera

Posted by Ellen D (USA) on 01/10/2008
★★★★★

I got acid reflux after having taken aspirin daily for about two weeks (for chronic headache). That was many years ago but my stomach is still sensitive to spicy foods, too much grease, etc. I have found that if I cut a leaf off my Aloe vera plant, peel off the leathery skin and eat the slimy jelly-like inner part of the leaf, it soothes my throat and settles my stomach. (This remedy was told to me by a Japanese friend, who said that's what people do in Japan.)

Aloe Vera

Posted by Teresa (Rockford, Iowa) on 11/16/2010
★★★★★

Just read your thread and had to reply. Have been taking the ACV for months and it's great and my husband is also a big fan but recently my acid reflux has returned with a vengence. I snipped a leaf off my aloe plant out of desparation and chewed it. Lo and behold, I am writing this to say that immediatley my ar is gone and I am going to need to find another plant as mine is a bit small and may not survive me!! LOL

Sea Salt

Posted by Bob (Moscow, PA) on 04/24/2007
★★★★★

The water cure has helped countless people quickly get rid of acid reflux and without cost. All that is required is to quit caffeine & alcohol while drinking half your body weight in ounces of water along with 1/4 tsp. of salt, preferably unprocessed sea salt per day and the acid problem should be gone in a few days. 2 glasses of water with a pinch of salt in most cases will quickly stop acid reflux discomfort. Anyone not quickly cured, just email me. All we ask is that you in turn pass it on to others. Bob

Sleep on Your Left Side

Posted by Jay (FL) on 09/21/2025
★★★★★

The stomach is on the left side and the orifice to exit the stomach is on the right side but can't open to let out digested food when it is covered. I tried laying on my left side and it does seem to help.

D-Limonene

Posted by Devorah (NyC) on 03/27/2023
★★★★★

Just discovered d-limonene for acid reflux..seems great..will report back. For some reason no one seems to have Jarrow formula d limonene..anyone know why?

Kefir

Posted by Sara (Texas) on 06/24/2018
★★★★★

KEFIR for acid reflux works for me. I use only the plain Kefir and drink about 1/2 to 1 cup, first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. It is full of nutrients, probiotics and has antibacterial properties. I wait and do not eat anything for about 1 hour or longer so as to let the probiotics work effectively. I have not had any problems with acid reflux since. I realize everyone has different body chemistry's, but this has sure worked for me.

Apples

Posted by Marie (Ny) on 08/07/2017
★☆☆☆☆

I guess everyone is different. I have bad heartburn and tried the apples a few times, but it didn't help at all. I am on second day of PPI and am going to stop now. I will try the aloe vera and if that does not work I will try the Apple Cider Vinegar with baking soda.

Aloe Vera

Posted by Helenation (Florida) on 02/18/2017
★★★★★

Shouldn't. I'm hypothyroid and the aloe juice (inner leaf) has worked wonders for my GERD. Btwy, my doc also has me supplementing my natural desiccated thyroid meds with a bit of iodine (mixed in water) each day. I've been drinking the juice for a month now and have noticed no impact on my thyroid condition.

Sea Salt

Posted by Kennywally (Midwest) on 01/29/2017 46 posts
★★★★★

I just wrote about my experience with reflux and sea salt, any type, I love himalayan pink. I used to carry around a small 15-ml container so it was ready as I needed it, it worked instantly! I used it for a few years til I just no longer needed it!

Acidophilus

Posted by Carmel (Essex, England) on 05/26/2022

Most yoghurts are heat treated and then the "live" bacteria is added after. Any that was there before was killed in the process.. Same as vitamin d is added to fish oil capsules etc. You need a few biotics to work, and one month is nowhere near enough anyway. It also depends on when you take them and if you use prebiotics before and during taking them.

Acidophilus

Posted by Christina (TN) on 04/07/2023

Have you been checked for H. Pylori? It may be that.

Himalayan Salt

Posted by Kennywally (Midwest) on 06/07/2016 46 posts
★★★★★

I used to carry a small container of himalayan pink salt, to instantly knock out acid reflux. I was at a transformational workshop and folks seen me taking a pinch and wondered what I was doing, so I shared that with them, of course it worked great. I rarely get the reflux, but am not sure why, I'm just glad it worked, and fast too!

Mustard

Posted by Linda (Texas) on 01/13/2014
★★★★★

Been suffering with acid reflux for several months. Doc gave me sample bottles of nexium. After reading about side effects and the consequences of it's long term use I researched natural alternatives. I chose to try mustard. Took spoonful before breakfast and symptoms disappeared fast!

Acidophilus

Posted by Mckenzie (Charlotte, NC) on 04/06/2013

James, How much acidophilus are you taking per day? How many million or billion CFUs in total?

Is it a single strain or a multi strain probiotic??

Thanks!

Apple Cider Vinegar, Baking Soda

Posted by Mary (San Francisco, Ca, USA) on 06/17/2012
★★★★★

Some one posted that when she took ACV, it gave her terrible acid reflux. Another lady told her to add a PINCH of baking soda to it. IT WORKS! I gave up taking ACV before because it caused acid reflux, too. So after I read the advice to add a pinch of soda, I gave it another try. Now I can drink 1 teaspoon of ACV, added a generous pinch of baking soda and a little honey; and I'm not experiencing acid reflux. THANK YOU so much!

Digestive Enzymes

Posted by Jill (Madison, Wi) on 10/12/2011
★★★★★

Hold the vinegar. I tried it, but couldn't take the taste. Now I take digestive enzymes with each meal. I couldn't live without my Prilosec, but since I started the enzymes, no more Prilosec and no more acid reflux. The one that I use is Natural Brand Super Digestive Enzymes. GNC sells them.

Gum

Posted by beverly (Texas) on 11/03/2022
★★★★★

I will have to agree with you. I have a number of things I try...celery...alkaline water and aloe vera, and gum is one of the more effective ones.

Dietary Changes

Posted by Donquish (Columbia, Tn) on 08/10/2017

I love salt. However I do take 400mg Potassium Citrate twice a day to attenuate the effect of higher sodium intake. I keep packaged and fast food to a minimum. This keeps the BP fluctuations to a minimum for me. Always use Himalayan Pink salt for the spectrum of minor minerals in it.

Dietary Changes

Posted by Eva (Ballymena, Northern Ireland) on 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.

Slippery Elm

Posted by Lenore (Chicago, Illinois) on 05/23/2009
★★★★★

Slippery elm bark cured my acid refux.You can buy slippery elm bark powder in most health food stores. I found out about it while researching for a cure for acid reflux, made the tea by adding 1 heaping tablespoon to one pint of boiling water- let steep one hour then simmer a few minutes - strain( or not) and drink. Prior to this I took tums, prisolec and other otc and prescription meds to no avail. After using this remedy I have no more trouble, I was also informed that tums and other drugs taken over the long haul begin to cause the problem they were originally meant to cure. I had acid refux so bad it burnt my throat and I had to try to sleep while sitting up. Amazingly I only had to take it 2x in a whole year and otherwise have not even modified my diet at all. Slippery elm bark is also very nourishing and is said to heal anything it comes into contact with.

Almonds

Posted by Gina (Morgantown, Wv) on 08/28/2011

Alex, peppermint is a trigger for most people suffering from GERD. You must make sure it's not one of your triggers before you try it!!!

Acidophilus

Posted by Ren (New Orleans , La) on 12/25/2008
★★★★★

Probiotics has helped me with my acid reflux tremendously. I take them daily before or after a meal and am very satisfied.

Aloe Vera

Posted by Harley (South Windsor, Connecticut) on 08/19/2008
★★★★★

Well, another two months have passed and I continue to improve. I now take the aloe vera on rare occasions...maybe once every two weeks. Considering I had to take the Prevacid and, later, Prilosec every day, the aloe vera juice has really turned things around for me.