The pain and discomfort that come with acid reflux can make it difficult to work, relax and even sleep. Fortunately, there are wonderful natural remedies that can quickly relieve acid reflux. Surprisingly, the top remedy for acid reflux is apple cider vinegar, which may seem counter-intuitive, but works fast because the vinegar alkalizes your pH. However, many more natural cure options are available besides the ACV, like baking soda and pickle juice!
We’ve put together a list of the 10 most effective remedies for acid reflux for short term and long term relief.
What is Acid Reflux?
Acid reflux occurs when the contents from your stomach come up into your esophagus. Because your food has mixed with the digestive juices in your stomach (which are acidic for the purpose of breaking down your food) the food that comes up is sour or acidic and quite unpleasant.
Remedies for Instant Relief from Acid Reflux
Fortunately, some of the easiest short term solutions for acid reflux are likely in your kitchen right now!
1. Apple Cider Vinegar
While it may contradict your intuition to take something as acidic as apple cider vinegar to cure your acid reflux, raw and organic apple cider vinegar works very to bring immediate relief to your acid reflux by facilitating digestion and restoring proper pH to the stomach. When used for medicinal purposes, organic apple cider vinegar is the best.
2. Sodium Bicarbonate
Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) has been used for generations to cure digestive problems. ½ teaspoon of baking soda is added to 4-6 ounces of water and taken internally. This not only helps to neutralize the acid in your stomach, it will neutralize the acid in your throat.
3. Pickle Juice
Because pickle juice contains a lot of vinegar, it works similarly to apple cider vinegar. Pickle juice is more palatable than vinegar for many people and just as effective.
Preventing Acid Reflux
If you are prone to acid reflux, natural remedies to prevent reflux will help you to avoid the misery in the first place.
4. Probiotics
Probiotics promote good digestion. Taking a probiotic supplement or regularly consuming probiotic foods like kefir, kombucha or kimchi can help your digestion to work well all of the time, reducing incidents of acid reflux or other digestive problems.
5. Digestive Enzymes
Taking digestive enzymes with your food will help your food to be digested properly, preventing acid reflux attacks. While the body normally produces digestive enzymes on its own, sometimes it needs a little help, especially because aging or hormonal changes can cause a reduction in digestive enzymes.
6. Aloe
Aloe is a gentle remedy that is helpful to a variety of digestive ills. Aloe juice or supplements can be used on a regular basis to improve your digestion.
Lifestyle Changes to Eliminate Acid Reflux
Making some modifications in certain practices can reduce or eliminate acid reflux.
7. Lose Weight
If you are overweight, losing weight can reduce acid reflux attacks. Eating less food at each individual meal will also reduce the risk of an acid attack.
8. Don’t Eat Before Bed
Having a full stomach when you lie down in bed is a recipe for digestive distress! Have you last meal a few hours before bedtime. Resist that bedtime snack. Suck on a mint instead and then brush your teeth. You will be less tempted to eat something else if your mouth feels fresh and clean.
9. Drink More Water
Chronic low grade dehydration can be a cause of acid reflux. Energy drinks, coffee, and soda may be liquids but they are not a good source of proper hydration. Add ¼ teaspoon of sea salt to a quart of water and consume this throughout the day. The salt helps your body to use the water effectively in the cells instead of having it just flush through your system. Drinking more water will also help you to eat less, reducing your risk of acid reflux.
Change Your Diet
10. Dietary Changes
Like it or not, some foods may be the root cause of your acid reflux. Pinpointing these foods and avoiding them, or at least consuming them less often or in smaller quantities will be worth it if you feel better.
Alcoholic beverages, spicy foods, fried foods, tomatoes, chocolate, citrus fruits and juices are all common causes of acid reflux. Of course, everyone is different. You will need to pay attention to the foods you eat (keeping a log of what you eat for a week can help you make connections between certain foods and acid reflux) and plan your menus accordingly.
Medications and Acid Reflux
Over the counter medications for acid reflux may provide temporary relief but used on a regular basis can cause other health problems. Calcium carbonate, an inexpensive over the counter remedy for acid reflux, can actually cause your body to make more acid over time as it compensates for the acid reduction. It has also been linked to kidney stones.
Proton pump inhibitors have become quite popular in the treatment of acid reflux. Unfortunately, they have been linked to bone fractures, vitamin deficiency, and even pneumonia when used long term. A safer option would be to improve your health to eliminate your acid reflux. Covering up any problem with medication is not a good long term solution.
While acid reflux medication carry side effects, other medications have acid reflux as a side effect! If you take medications on a regular basis, you may need to investigate and see if one or more of them could be causing your digest problems. Pain medications, medications for anxiety and depression, and antibiotics can all cause acid reflux!
Could My Acid Reflux Be a Sign of Something More Serious?
Absolutely.
If the “instant relief” remedies above do not bring you relief in short order and/or you have pain in your chest that radiates to your arm, neck, jaw or back, or if you experience dizziness, shortness of breath or cold sweats, seek immediate medical attention to rule out a heart issue.
If your bouts of acid reflux happen on a regular basis, you may have a chronic digestive disorder like GERD, hiatal hernia or gallbladder disease. It is wise to seek medical counsel to understand what you are dealing so that you can best treat it.
Have you tried a natural remedy for acid reflux? Please send us some feedback! Continue reading to learn which remedies our readers found to be effective in curing their acid reflux.
I have my acid reflux under control, mostly to Dietary Changes so I wanted to reply here. One huge change for me, was to eat no later than 6pm, but mainly, just don't go to bed within 4 hours or so of eating. I can eat toast as a snack, or anything that is very, easy to digest. I've had a few nights where I had eaten something I shouldn't have, pretty late, like only 2 or less hour before bed. If I do get it, I elevate my upper body, take a bit of baking soda in water usually. I did have a bottle of Gaviscon beside my bed, but no longer needed. I do eat mostly fish, poultry, and vegetables, but I'm more about moderation than anything. I do incorporate some things into my diet such as Apple cider vinegar (Mother's type) Coconut Oil, Blackstrap Molasses in my grated Ginger Tea, and nutritional yeast I just started recently. I also supplement with C, B50, extra B12, D3, Zinc and Magnesium. I love this site as I wouldn't have known all the things to try.
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.
You can treat acid reflux with coconut oil by consuming up to three tablespoons of pure, virgin coconut oil daily. If you’re currently experiencing acid reflux, consider taking one tablespoon of coconut oil as a natural aid.
I used to suffer from acid reflux until someone recommended me to try red apple delicious. It really helped and even my sister and some of my friends tried it too. The ripe ones work better.
I was Rolaids #1 customer from the time I was a teen until I was into my 40s at which point I got a tip from an old geezer – a heavy drinker – which was 2 glasses of water, you're dehydrated.
I haven't had indigestion or acid reflux since, And I don't drink so it's not some weird combination of that and water. I only mention the drinking because the guy was in his 80s and the only heavy drinker I ever met who wasn't averse to drinking plain water. He'd stroll into the tavern where I tended bar, shortly after dark, and drink until 11 o'clock – you could set your watch by him. But come 4:30 am, he'd be eating breakfast at the diner, happy as a clam with his bacon and eggs and a whole pitcher of water then back out in the fields by sunrise.
He was a character. He took in any stray that would happen to come around – always had at the least a half dozen dogs running around – and you always knew when one of the dogs was either new or sick because he'd cover them in clay. He'd loosen up some dirt and dump in the water and just pack the mud on them, no matter what, and they'd roll around in the mud and the other dogs would come and roll around with them until they were all running around muddy – it was awesome.
I am told I have acid reflux and I may end up with Barretts esophagus if I am not careful. One report says cayenne is bad for reflux another says it is ok for a cure of Barretts what is true. I am also Lactose intolerant and have Hypoglycemia. So I am trying to find foods that I can eat without causing problems and lose of energy. I need help. Thanks Nancy
Avocado and acid reflux. I love canned fish in oil – even though I ALWAYS have terrible acid reflux after eating them- always, except last time, a week ago. The only difference was that I ate them with slices of one fresh avocado. No reflux! But I had no idea why… Last night my husband had problems with acid reflux so I came here to find something for him. I was so surprised to read about avocado! So it was what helped me! Problem solved!
I have suffered from acid reflux for about 15 years. I was initially put on antacids by my doctor which appeared to work for a while however I found I needed to take them more and more frequently to keep the acid at bay. I finally tried Apple cider vinegar which works better than the antacids, I take it before every meal (about 50/50 with water, straight was too unpleasant and seems less effective) and is effective, however after a while the reflux starts creeping back in. Between meal snacks are definitely not an option without another dose of vinegar beforehand. It seems like everyone else has posted such utter success stories but I was wondering if anyone has had similar experiences to myself. If so any advice for improvement?
Dear Adam,
Apple cider vinegar worked very well for me for a long time for acid reflux. Eventually it stopped working all together.
It turned out that my gall bladder problems were the cause of reflux for me. Several gall bladder flushes have completely eliminated my reflux (and my gallstones.)
You might read the gallbladder pages here at EC and see if anything there resonates with your situation.
~Mama to Many~
Try not eating four or five hours before bedtime. Also, cut spicy foods as they make things worse. The last thing is stop the home remedies and otc meds. Eat balanced meals and add walking a few miles a day. Good luck.
Thank you sooo much for this website, it changed my life. At age 9 I was diagnosed with GERD and had ulcers in my esophagus. I was operated with Nissen plastic, but it unfortunately did not have any effect. The doctors then put me on anti-acid meds (esomeprazole). I have been taking them for 21 years (!!! ). Although I never experienced stomach acid in those 21 years, the side effects of the meds were horrible with intestinal problems (diarrhea) for more than 10 years. Taking anti-acid meds daily means you have no stomach acid to digest the food, resulting in non-digested food into the intestines. As a self-defense mechanism, the intestines start to develop bacteria to process the food with overgrowth intestinal problems as a consequence. My first discovery was the FODMAP diet 7 years ago, that changed my life. You stop feeding the bacteria, however do not solve the culprit of the problem, the lack of stomach acid. I had never been able to get off the anti-acid meds, cause I would have serious attacks of stomach acid.
Now 6 months ago I started with ACV and results have been AMAZING, now at 1 time 2 tablespoons in the morning. I have not taken any medication ever since. Furthermore I had a check-up gastroscopy recently and it all looked perfect. I have attacks of stomach acid once per month after a very fatty meal, but that is absolutely normal. I am so happy with this solution.
Spread the word and make sure you understand the consequences of anti-acid meds!
Pineapple Juice or Chunks for Acid Reflux
When I know that I may be eating dinner later or having a heavy meal, I drink a 6 oz can of 100% pineapple juice with the meal, or eat a little individual container of pineapple chunks, in juice, right after. I think the Bromelain in pineapple is what stops the Acid Reflux. Works for me!
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.
I have been using ACV for THREE years for my reflux which has worked beautifully. I have been basically symptom free until last week when my reflux came back with a vengeance. I have pressure in my chest and I feel it burning my throat. I have not done anything differently and the ACV doesn't seem to be working. Has this happened to anyone before??? Is it just a slight relapse that will go away?? PLEASE HELP!
Dear Cwk,
I used Apple Cider Vinegar for years for reflux/heartburn. Then it didn't work and neither did anything else.
My reflux was caused by gallstones. I did several gall bladder flushes over several months and got out the stones.
For the last year I have felt so much better. Heartburn is very rare now. I marvel still that I feel so much better.
So all that to say, you might want to consider a gallbladder issue.
~Mama to Many~
Cwk, ACV nor Betaine HCI never worked for me. I had to buy OTC products for relief and it was horrible heartburn! For another reason, I had allergy testing done for metals as I had a titanium implant that was hurting and drs could see no reason for it to hurt. Also had other metals in my mouth as well. Found out I was extremely allergic to nickel, cobalt, vanadium and chromium. I had the implant replaced with ceramic last week in Dallas and that evening I was dreading eating my soup for dinner. Because I knew I would have to chew an antacid and that would be difficult after surgery. But I ate the soup and nothing! No heartburn since, and other weird symptoms are gone too. So, if you have had any medical or dental implants, that could be a possibility? Silver fillings? It's not a fun, nor cheap things to undertake, but getting rid of all that metal and now detoxing has made a big difference. I also had 8 root canals, 2 of which was infected, but could not be seen by an xray. Only upon extraction was it found. Thermogram also confirmed an infection with drainage into my lymph nodes showing a hot spot. Hope this helps you, I know your pain. Good luck!
I just had a Nissan Fundoplication surgery recently. But I still have GERD. I had to get off the Prilosec so started taking apple cider vinegar. It is working well. However my understanding is that after 3-9 months on ACV the GERD should be cured. Providing you routinely avoid foods that trigger GERD. I think you are having a rebound effect from continuing to take the ACV.
hi, can I ask how long it took to help with the heartburn & reflux please been a few days & still not feeling great. Should I give it more time???
Actually, I was looking for a natural cure for acid reflux that also happened to address issues with women's infections. I had suspected that chlorine in drinking water was the culprit and went online to find information to support my theory. It seemed I hit the jackpot when I found an article written by Robert Reiling, who's knowledge of chemistry and experience working in the water treatment industry led him to conclude that because it is difficult to extract gaseous chlorine (used in water treatment facilities), even filtered or purified water consumed over long periods can lead to certain health problems. Heeding his advice of drinking only SPRING water (not bottled drinking water or "purified" water) my problem with acid reflux seemed to vanish after just one month. Fast forward a year and I have a new health issue with infection. I tried many of the suggestions here but wanted to tackle the root problem. I realized that while traveling I was drinking filtered water and my troubles started about the same time. So I went back to bottled SPRING water and after about 2 weeks I am happy to report the infection is gone. Sadly I don't live near a spring and I don't feel good about buying plastic bottles, so I make sure to recycle the bottles religiously. I am thrilled that I have found a cure dealing with the root problem and the cost is extremely low compared to the alternatives. One has nothing to lose by trying out bottled SPRING water for a good few months to see how many ailments can miraculously vanish 🙂
FWIW, sea salt, any kind will also give instant relief to acid reflux. I stumbled into a few years ago, and brought a small container to a weekend seminar in Albuquerque in 2012, and folks seen me using it and they wanted to try it too, lol, but it was good for all interested. I carried it in a small 15-ml nalgene bottle on the ready at a moments notice. I no longer need it, cuz I got a hold of some of my dietary issues. Anyways, others had relux and needed the salt and so were grateful, and I was glad to share.