Heartburn: Natural Remedies

Heartburn is a condition that happens when the lower esophagus sphincter, the passageway to the stomach, weakens or relaxes. While it interferes in one's life, there are many cures for heartburn. Natural remedies, for example, are good alternatives if you want to cure it without medicines and surgeries.

There are natural heartburn remedies to try - from dietary changes, to herbal and home remedies which are available at food or health stores.

1. Dietary changes
As mentioned, a dietary change is one step to getting rid of heartburn. There are food and drinks you should avoid if you want to stop heartburn, because they contain compounds that weaken the LES. Examples of foods that cause heartburn are:

- Chocolate
- Coffee
- Spearmint and peppermint
- Alcoholic drinks
- Fruit juices like orange juice, lemon, lemonade, grapefruit juice, cranberry juice
- Ground beef, chuck
- Marbled sirloin
- Chicken nuggets
- Buffalo wings
- Dairy products such as sour cream, milk shake, ice cream and regular cottage cheese
- Macaroni and cheese
- Spaghetti with sauce
- Tea
- Fatty foods and fried foods
- Onions
- Citrus fruits
- Spicy foods
- Products which are tomato-based
- Caffeinated drinks
- Spices such as garlic, onions, red or black pepper and chili powder
- Baked food high in fat like butter cookies, brownies, doughnuts,
- Junk foods like corn chips and regular potato chips

You should keep a food journal to ensure you determine which of the food or beverage caused a heartburn attack - so you can easily avoid it next time.

Chew your food well and eat in small amounts. Having too much food in one sitting adds more pressure to the LES which might push stomach acids to the esophagus.

2. Apple cider vinegar can help cure your heartburn. Add two or more tablespoons to eight ounces of water and drink it three times a day. Wait for three to nine months for your heartburn to disappear.

3. Chewing gum can boost saliva production, and saliva neutralizes acids. It gives instant heartburn relief.

4. Aloe vera can soothe the irritated esophagus. A quarter cup of aloe juices twenty minutes before mealtime will help you get rid of heartburn, just make sure you drink the juices which can be bought at health stores and don't squeeze out the juice from the leaves since it contains latex, a laxative.

5. Ginger is a powerful natural remedy because it relieves an upset stomach, aids in digestion and soothes the esophagus. You can either take it in capsule, fresh or tea form. 500 mg of ginger after mealtime will soothe your esophageal lining.

There are many other ways how to eliminate heartburn. Natural remedies, as I said, can be the way to go if you are consistent. It will take months before you see the results, however, you should not give up.

For a truly natural treatment for heartburn, you can also read the book that has not failed thousands of heartburn patients get rid of their condition for good.