There are many ways to get rid of heartburn naturally, many of which are within easy reach in your kitchen. We let you in on the secret ingredients that can help you ease the pain and discomfort of heartburn. And given that most of these secret ingredients are available right in your kitchen, you can expect quick relief.
33 proven ways to get rid of heartburn naturally
When getting rid of heartburn naturally, keep in mind that what works for some people may not work for you. Having a wide range of remedies to choose from, many of which you’ll find in your kitchen, means that you will find something that relieves your acid reflux.
1. Aloe vera juice
Aloe vera has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties that can get rid of heartburn naturally. It works by reducing acid production in your stomach and acting as an anti-inflammatory agent, which reduces your pain. When you buy aloe vera juice for heartburn, you need to look for aloe vera juice that has been decolorized and purified or is latex-free.
2. Alkaline foods
If your heartburn is caused by having too much acid in your stomach, an alkaline diet might be what you need to cure your heartburn. When you have a diet high in alkaline foods, this helps neutralize the acid in your stomach. And over time, reflux is reduced.
One of the significant factors in the alkaline diet is that you should cook for food because some vegetables and fruits, when eaten raw, can create acidity in your stomach despite being alkaline.
3. Apple vinegar cider (ACV)
Some people swear by apple cider vinegar to get rid of heartburn naturally, but ACV seems to make their acid reflux worse for others. If you want to see if apple cider vinegar is likely to work for you, you can do a straightforward test at home. It would be best if you diluted apple cider vinegar. The usual dose is 1-2 tablespoons of ACV in a glass of water.
4. Apples
The malic acid in apples helps reduce and neutralize the effects of the stomach acid, thereby bringing you relief, at least temporarily. Try eating half an apple after meals to prevent acid reflux. Delicious and Braeburn apples are said to be the best for heartburn. You can also try celery sticks and cabbages for the same effect.
5. Avoid heartburn trigger foods
Everyone’s body reacts differently to food. To get rid of heartburn symptoms for good, you need to work out which foods trigger your heartburn and avoid those foods. This is one of the easiest ways to get rid of heartburn naturally. Common trigger foods are fatty, spicy, and acidic foods, most candy and drinks with caffeine, carbonated drinks, and alcohol.
6. Baking soda
‘Nature’s antacid’ – sodium bicarbonate is the active ingredient in baking soda that helps relieve bloating, gas, and other heartburn symptoms. You have to mix some baking soda in water and drink it slowly for instant relief. Beware that baking soda for heartburn is not a suitable remedy for everyone.
7. Bananas
Another natural antacid, just eating a banana when you’re suffering from acidity, can help. Bananas also help by coating your stomach and esophagus, easing discomfort. The dietary fiber in bananas also aids digestion.
You can have bananas either fresh or even dried. The effect will be the same.
8. Basil
Holy basil also called tulsi, is not the same as sweet basil commonly used in cooking.
Chewing on two-three holy basil leaves can give you instant relief from heartburn and is an excellent way to get rid of heartburn naturally. It stimulates the production of mucus, which can reduce the feelings of heartburn and control nausea and gas.
You can also try boiling 3 or 4 holy basil leaves in a cup of boiling water for a few minutes. Allow it to cool to a drinkable temperature, then sip until your symptoms subside.
9. Buttermilk
Dairy products are usually not recommended when suffering from chronic heartburn issues, but ice-cold buttermilk can help. Buttermilk is slightly acidic, but most acid reflux sufferers should tolerate it. Buttermilk contains lactic acid (a probiotic), making lactose easier to digest and has no bloating or gas buildup in your stomach.
The milk also coats your stomach lining, which helps reduce reflux symptoms and irritation. Despite its name, buttermilk is low in fat, making it easier to digest. Try 1 cup of buttermilk after a large meal.
10. Chamomile Tea
Chamomile tea is an old natural home remedy for heartburn and acid reflux. Chamomile contains substances that help soothe the lining of your esophagus and reduce inflammation. It also promotes healthy digestion and reduces stress, a major cause of heartburn.
LEARN MORE: Is Chamomile Tea Good For Acid Reflux? Is There Any Better?
11. Chewing gum
When you chew gum, it stimulates your salivary glands, and the excess saliva can wash away the effects of the acid and reduce heartburn. However, make sure you go for a sugar-free version; the ones with sugar can cause more heartburn.
12. Cinnamon
Cinnamon soothes your digestive system and helps reduce the inflammation caused by heartburn. You can take one teaspoon of powdered cinnamon or a cinnamon stick, steep it in 1 cup of boiled water, and strain and drink it once it cools down. Honey has natural antioxidants which help soothe heartburn, so add a little honey to sweeten your cinnamon tonic.
LEARN MORE: Why Is Cinnamon Tea Good For Acid Reflux?
13. Exercise
Exercise can reduce excess body fat or help you maintain a healthy weight, which is crucial because too much fat puts pressure on your stomach, which can cause acid reflux. Regular exercise also strengthens your immune system and keeps the bacteria helicobacter pylori, which can make your heartburn worse at bay. In addition, exercise fights inflammation which contributes to your heartburn. Low impact and lower intensity workouts are your best choices.
14. Fluids
Ensuring you drink enough fluids is vital, so aim for 2 quarts (2 liters) every day. Vegetable juice, carrot juice, papaya juice, and most importantly, water can help neutralize the acid in the stomach and lessen the effect of acid refluxing from your stomach back into your esophagus.
15. Garlic
Though you might have heard that garlic triggers heartburn, chewing on 1 or 2 minced cloves of garlic on an empty stomach can minimize heartburn. Raw garlic is supercharged with antibiotics that kill the H.pylori bacteria, affecting almost 80% of reflux sufferers and can cause stomach pain, nausea, and heartburn.
16. Ginger
Ginger is rich in antioxidants and has strong anti-inflammatory properties. Fresh or cooked, ginger can reduce the likelihood of acid flowing from your stomach back into your esophagus, thereby preventing heartburn and preventing nausea. Ginger tea, with a bit of honey added as a sweetener, is the best way to consume ginger tea for a person with heartburn or acid reflux.
LEARN MORE: Is Ginger Tea Good For Acid Reflux?
17. Herbal tea
A tea made from fennel or anise seeds can help to soothe your digestive tract and reduce the effects of heartburn. These seeds help minimize gas and have anti-inflammatory properties. Try half to one teaspoon of seeds, crushed if you like, steeped in 1 cup of boiling water.
LEARN MORE: 3 Simple Herbal Teas For Heartburn That Will Bring Relief
18. Lemon juice
Lemon juice works the same way as apple cider vinegar to relieve heartburn, albeit lemon juice is a gentler way to balance stomach acidity. Although lemon juice is acidic, when diluted with water, it can have an alkalizing effect on your stomach contents and, over time, reduce your acid reflux symptoms. Try one tablespoon of lemon juice in a cup of water daily.
19. Licorice
Licorice for heartburn is a very effective remedy. It soothes your stomach and esophagus lining to reduce your discomfort from heartburn. The types of licorice that you might take for heartburn are fresh or dried licorice root (as a tea), black licorice (not aniseed-flavored candy), or deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) in powder or tablet form. There may be severe side effects if you consume too much.
20. Marshmallow tea
Marshmallow is also a herb that shares its name with a sweet. When brewed in hot water, the root makes a highly beneficial herbal tea good for gastrointestinal issues. Mucilage from the marshmallow root forms a coating over the digestive tract and stomach, preventing acid from causing discomfort and a burning sensation. Marshmallow root tea also has anti-inflammatory effects.
21. Meditation
Meditation is one of the easiest and best ways to relieve stress. Depression or stress are often bigger contributing factors to heartburn than you think. Stress or anxiety triggers bloating and flatulence, and your digestion and acid secretion don’t function as they should. As a result, you have gas and extra acid in your stomach, which leads to acid reflux.
22. Melons
Watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew are low-acid fruits among the best foods for acid reflux—the fiber in these fruits aid digestion. For an additional initial soothing effect, chill before eating.
23. Milk
Milk (cow’s milk) neutralizes the acid in your stomach, and if you have it cold, it also has a cooling effect, thereby providing instant soothing relief for your acid reflux symptoms. However, the relief is temporary. Milk usually has quite a lot of fat which turns into acid in your stomach. The result is acid refluxing back into your esophagus and causing heartburn. Some people can tolerate low and no-fat cow’s milk, while others do better with alternative kinds of milk.
24. Mustard
Due to its alkaline chemical properties, mustard helps to balance stomach acid and helps prevent reflux. Mustard is a good source of vitamins and minerals that aid digestion. Try mixing one teaspoon of yellow mustard in half a glass of water when you feel heartburn coming on.
25. Oatmeal
Oats are whole grain, high in fiber, and may help absorb stomach acid and get rid of heartburn naturally. Most people tolerate oatmeal, so consider whether you are eating an appropriate portion if you don’t. Half a cup of cooked oats is an adequate serving for heartburn sufferers who seem to do better with small, frequent meals. Also, consider whether other foods you eat with oatmeal, such as whole milk or butter, may be causing your reflux rather than oats.
26. Papaya
Papaya contains the papain enzyme, which aids digestion and helps with your indigestion. It is high in fiber which is good for digestion, and it has vitamin B that will help heal your ulcers caused by heartburn. Papaya is low in calories and stimulates your metabolism, so it’s an ideal fruit to eat for heartburn sufferers as excess weight puts additional pressure on your stomach, which is likely contributing to your heartburn.
27. Peppermint oil
The best way to use peppermint oil for heartburn is by breathing in its essence. Peppermint essential oil can ease your heartburn, upset stomach, and nausea. Rub a drop or two on your stomach or chest, diluted in a carrier oil such as olive, coconut, or sweet almond oil. While drinking diluted peppermint oil is said to soothe your upset stomach, it also relaxes the muscle band between your stomach and esophagus. And so, it is likely to cause acid reflux.
28. Pineapple
Fresh pineapple contains bromelain, an active enzyme that can control the acid levels in your stomach. It has anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties and is an excellent way to get rid of heartburn naturally. Although it’s an acidic fruit, pineapple has an alkalizing effect as your stomach digests it. Pineapple juice is more likely to give you acid reflux than the whole fruit. And if you have stomach ulcers, you should avoid pineapple.
29. Potato juice
Potato juice is a natural antacid and may heal the inner lining of your esophagus. The juice retains about half the nutrients of a whole potato. You can peel two raw potatoes and put them in a juicer or blend with some water and strain them before drinking. To improve the flavor, you could try replacing water with melon juice. Try drinking 50-100mL of potato juice when you can feel heartburn coming on.
30. Probiotics
Probiotics can positively affect your heartburn by keeping the right balance of good and bad bacteria in your gut. When you have the right amount of good and bad bacteria in your stomach, digestion happens as it should. But when your intestinal flora is less than adequate, digestion is hindered, and you can suffer from gut problems, among other things. The easiest way to consume probiotics is to eat natural yogurt or add it to smoothies, cereal, or oatmeal. One cup of yogurt that contains “active and live cultures” will give you all the probiotics you need each day.
31. Sleep position
Many pregnant or overweight people get relief from heartburn when sleeping by propping up their heads with a wedge or blocks under the top of the bed. Don’t stack up pillows, as this can give you neck or back pain, increase pressure on your stomach, and make heartburn worse. Sleeping on your left side is another way to use gravity to relieve pressure off your belly. And if you wait 2-3 hours after eating and drinking before going to bed, that will also help.
32. Slippery Elm
Slippery Elm is known to create a strong barrier against stomach acid, thereby reducing the ill effects of your stomach acid. You have to add one teaspoon of this powder to 1 cup of hot water. You can drink as many cups of this brew as you need throughout the day.
33. Turmeric
Turmeric helps with digestion and has anti-inflammatory properties, but you can make your acid reflux worse if you have too much. You can either have raw turmeric or take supplements. Taking turmeric may cause your other medicines to be less effective.
The best ways to get rid of heartburn naturally
Trial and error are needed to find the best way to get rid of heartburn naturally. And remember, there are no cures that work for everyone. Be kind to yourself and do what you can to reduce the severity and frequency of your acid reflux episodes. With a bit of help from a few natural heartburn remedies that you’ve found to work for you, hopefully, you’ll have your heartburn under control in no time.