Some advice eating little or slowly; others blame spicy foods, or attribute it to lemons and oranges. To begin with there are a series of recommendations to treat acid reflux from the point of view of natural medicine. But the long-term goal is to determine and avoid what is causing your heartburn.
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Natural medicine to calm heartburn.
As soon as you feel the burning of heartburn drink a large glass of water. This will dilute the acid and make it go down the esophagus and from there to the stomach.
Prepare an infusion to relieve heartburn by adding a teaspoon of freshly grated ginger root to a cup of boiling water; let it sit for 10 minutes and then drink it. Long used to calm nausea caused by motion sickness, ginger also helps relax the muscles that line the lining of the esophagus, preventing gastric acid from being pushed upward.
According to herbalists, an infusion of anise, caraway or fennel seeds also relieves heartburn. Add two teaspoons of any of them to a cup of boiling water; Let stand 10 minutes, strain and drink.
Specialists in Ayurvedic medicine, a traditional practice in India, prescribe infusions of ground cinnamon or cardamom to relieve heartburn. Add a teaspoon of either ground or powder to a cup of boiling water; let it rest and drink it.
Protects the esophagus to avoid heartburn.
Marshmallow root is one of the oldest remedies for heartburn. This plant produces a sticky, starchy substance called mucilage, which coats and protects the mucous membranes of the esophagus. This may be what you need if your esophagus burns. In a cup of water, shake a teaspoon of powdered marshmallow root and sip it. Drink three to four cups a day.
A no less soothing drink can be made with slippery elm. Add a teaspoon of powdered bark to a cup of hot water. Drink several cups a day.
Also, a variant of licorice, called DGL (deglycyrrhizinated licorice), contains a calming mucilage. It can be purchased in capsules, but works best mixed with saliva, so take it preferably in the form of gum. Chew two to four pieces of 380 mg of DGL three times a day, half an hour before eating. If you don’t get 10 in this presentation, buy DGL capsules (take up to 1 g per day). Some brands contain 250 mg, with a recommended dose of 2 to 4 capsules per day.
How to neutralize acid reflux?
Saliva helps neutralize gastric acid. Chew on a piece of sugar-free gum, or imagine a hearty mouth-watering bite – it’s all good as long as it makes you produce and swallow extra saliva.
The sodium bicarbonate is alkaline and neutralizes gastric acid aI. Mix ½ teaspoon of baking soda and a few drops of lemon juice in half a cup of warm water. Do not take the bicarbonate alone: lemon juice is necessary to dissipate part of the gas that bicarbonate generates in the stomach when it comes into contact with the acid in it.
Vegetable juices such as carrot, cucumber or radish help neutralize gastric acid due to its alkaline nature. If juicing is inconvenient or you don’t want to, then eat them raw.
How to prevent heartburn effectively?
No matter how bad you feel, keep your body upright. If you are standing, the force of gravity will keep the acid in your stomach. Avoid bending over after eating and don’t lie down immediately after finishing a large meal.
If heartburn bothers you at night, eat your food at least two hours before going to bed. In that time, gastric acids can drop before you go to bed.
You can raise the head of your bed by 15 cm with an extra pillow. When sleeping on an incline, the force of gravity helps keep acid in your stomach.