The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Cabbage
Posted by Richard (Pago Pago, American Samoa) on 01/07/2012
★★★★★
RED CABBAGE!!!
Greatest cure for acid and indigestion I have found that really chewing a chunk of raw red(purple) cabbage, quickly balances my system quicker than anything.
It seems to work instantly!! Been a life saver for me.
Apple Cider Vinegar, Baking Soda
Posted by Gaye (Gold Coast, Queensland/australia) on 12/14/2011
★★★☆☆WORKED TEMPORARILY
Hi Ted,
I have been trying the Apple Cider Vinegar and Bicarb Soda for terrible indigestion, heartburn, acid reflux. At first it seemed to be working, but now I think it is just getting worse. I have a lot of pain from my front through to my back. Can you please tell me if I should be doing this if I don't have a gallbladder? I had it removed 3 years ago as it functioned below 5%..
Melatonin
Posted by Rachella001 (St Pete, Fl) on 11/12/2011
★★★★☆
Take 6 mg of melatonin every night at bedtime. It strengthens your stomach sphincter making it harder for acid to travel up your throat. I've been doing it for 1.5 mos and feel 70% better!
Melatonin
Posted by Mary Alice (Oregon) on 04/01/2017
Will try this along with D-limonene. Thanks for posting.
Ginger
Posted by Erin (Cary, Nc) on 11/06/2011
★★★★★
Once I stopped using tums for acid reflux, I was using apples, which work well. But, I don't always have them on hand especially away from home. So I tried crystallized ginger (ginger soaked in sugar), and it works great. Anytime symptoms come on, I eat several pieces. If the symptoms don't go away immediately, I eat a few more pieces. Works every time. I keep a few pieces in my purse and a jar at home. You can buy these in any health food store.
Gum
Posted by Mike (Stuart, FL) on 10/11/2011
★★★★★
It might not help everyone and it's not a complete cure but chewing gum after meals helps me a lot. The saliva from chewing the gum helps to wash all the acid down and keep it out of your esophogus.
Apple Cider Vinegar, Baking Soda
Posted by Kattis (Auckland, New Zealand) on 08/24/2011
This is a great method. Also have a quick look into food combining , that is when you combined alot of protein and carbos in the same meal. What happens is the enter the stomach and alkalines rush out to digest the carbs and acid for the proteins... When they meet they just nuetralise each other... They try again and again and finally the food gets pushed through and not digested properly and we end up even more hungry as the body try to grab at nutrients. I think that maybe reflux stems from this. I now have fruit for breakfast and then a protein lunch ( protein nicely absorbed after a fruit bed ) only have fruit in the morning while body is in elimination stage.... or 3 hours after eating other food, as it breaks down so quickly and starts to ferment if stuck behind other food, this can start to cause yeasts) and then depending on your body type and blood type some carb and vege feeds.
Almonds
Posted by Tariq (Abu Dhabi, Uae) on 08/14/2011
★★★★★
Try 4 to 5 Almonds. It is a very good tested treatment for ACID REFLUX.
Kefir
Posted by Lardiver (Abbotsford, Bc Canada) on 07/22/2011
★★★★★
I found kefir works for acid reflux, it takes a few months to cure it but stops the burning in the meen time.
Aloe Vera
Posted by Lilu (Los Angeles ) on 01/09/2022
Lily Of The Desert Aloe Vera Juice is a very nice & trusted one. It is the juice of the inner fillet. The rest of the aloe (the green slippery stuff or anything other than the inner fillet part) will not only give you extreme stomach pain (as it did to my years ago) but it is also not good for your health.
Apples
Posted by Suresh (Lautoka, Fiji Islands) on 06/24/2011
★★★★★
Thanks to everyone who has suugested to take an APPLE for the remedy..... yes it really helps to reduce the acidity.
Apple Cider Vinegar, Baking Soda
Posted by Jeff (Nashville, Tn) on 05/13/2011
★★★★★
I no longer take Nexium since drinking ACV and BS everyday. I stopped taking the drug every other day and then every 3-4 days and so on till I was free. As with ANY drug you should never just stop taking it. Your body will revolt!
Garlic
Posted by Seanb (Port Mcnicoll, Ontario, Canada) on 04/26/2011
★★★★★
I have suffered from Acid Reflux for about 5 years. I have enjoyed many of the typical symptoms, Lump in throat sensation, burning behind breast bone, throat palpatations, excessive mucous etc. I have tried every remedy I could find including Ted's alkalizing forumla's primarily Apple Cider Vinegar and Baking soda. As with most remedies I have found nothing seems to work for long. I had the best success with ACV and Baking soda but it too stopped being as effective after about a year.
With all the remedies I have tried I think at best I could only describe the results as controlling my symptoms. This no longer seems to be the case, my acid reflux seems to be gone entirely. This is a direct result of taking Garlic supplements daily.
In researching this condition I found a few articles claiming that the active healing ingredient in garlic called Allicin is one of the only natural ways to kill the H pylori bacteria in the stomache. its widely believed that a high percentage of people with reflux have this bacteria.
Over Christmas I was having an exceptionally bad episode and out of desperation ate a couple raw cloves. After my mouth stopped burning I was amazed to note my symptoms had subsided. I have since been taking garlic and over the course of a couple months all of my symtopms have ceased. I quickly switched to galic supplements from Wall Mart as taking raw garlic was too poweful and was causing some social implications.
Garlic is one of the trigger foods we are supposed to avoid, I believed this to be true and would not have tried this if not out of desperation. It may well be responsible for the occaional heart burn I have had since but this has been minor and typically reiieved with a few almonds or some candied ginger. All of my other more concerning symptoms are gone.
reading up on Garlic you will find it has a lot of benefits including fighting some types of cancers. One of the other benefits is bowel regulation. I did not think I had a problem in this area but its now apparent that I did. I think its this issue that led to my acid reflux in the first place.
I hope others will try this and hopefully get the same benefit. Its my hope that if this works for others that we can spread the word and help others. I know this condition can really get you down over time and can seem hopeless but like the X-Files the truth is out there. Good luck to all of you
Decaf Coffee
Posted by Edgar (Heber City, Utah) on 04/18/2011
★★★★★
after almost two years trying hundreds of remedies I saw improvement after drinking instant decaf coffee. I tried medicines and natural remedies and nothing could stop the acid reflux at night. I would wake up every 2 hours with sweats and discomfort. I do not know how coffee is stopping my acid reflux but it is working for me.
Vinegar-Based Hot Sauce
Posted by Derrick (Nashville, Tn) on 12/06/2010
★★★★★
I have had acid reflux for years. I tried OTC stuff for over a year. But I learned there are many long-term side effects with these pills. I started taking Apple Cider Vinegar with water, which helped. But it was so hard to choke down. I wondered if I could get my vinegar elsewhere.
So.... I tried vinegar-based hot sauces like Texas Pete or generic cayenne hot sauce with vinegar, cayenne and salt as the ingredients. There are many hot sauces that are mild too, such as Crystal hot sauce. I don't go a day without hot sauce. Keep in mind that not all of them help. Some of them contain water and other ingredients. Whenever I get an irritation, I get a couple of crackers and a few drops of hot sauce and wash it down with some water and I feel better. Am I the only one that has tried vinegar-based hot sauce? Because it is a fantastic cure.
Apple Cider Vinegar, Baking Soda
Posted by Donna (Nova Scotia, Canada) on 10/27/2010
★★★★★
I developed severe acid reflux after antibiotics and prednisone for a respiratory virus in March. I was taking 2 nexium 40mg, sulcrate, zantac, and domperidone, and had a very limited diet. My acid reflux was still awful. My gastroscope showed Barrett's esophagus and severe gastritis. I had elevated liver enzymes, gallbladder attacks, severe weight loss, and chronic fatigue. Previously I didn't have a problem with acid reflux and led an active life.
I started the apple cider vinegar with baking soda three days ago and can't believe the improvement already. Originally I used 2 tsp of apple cider vinegar and a 1/4 tsp of baking soda and worked up to 2 tbsp of cider and 1/2 a teaspoon of baking soda. I have been able to stop domperidone and zantac and only take 1 nexium now. I hope to be able to soon stop taking any nexium. I still have some burning and use DGL, baking soda, and chew gum. I tried several times in the past to reduce the nexium but the burning in my chest was always so unbearable that I always started taking it again. I am concerned about the 2 days off of the ACV. Do I wait to do this once things have settled down? Thank you so much Ted! I feel like I am getting my life back.
Onion
Posted by Wanda (Newcastle, Nsw Australia) on 10/02/2010
★★★★★
Zantac has been my close friend for a long time. Kept clear of most spicy stuff. Two weeks ago I had the desire for some raw onion on my avocado sandwich so, thinly sliced some (a fair bit) over the avo & cheese. I haven't had reflux since! What's that about? I've had onion (Purple) often since, and I seem to be fixed!
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Robert (Martinez, Ca) on 09/27/2010
Acid reflux usually is caused by poor diet which is the typical cooked food depleted of enzymes which also means the life is cooked out of the food. Lightly steamed vegies, carbs is better than boiling, overcooking. Meats should be marinated in vinegar to aid digestion & not overcooked which makes it more difficult to digest. Search out macrobiotic food prep & combining for tips & info. We loose our ability to digest the dead foods & also poor food combining such as mixing sugars, carbs with proteins, much like creating a compost pile. The experience of acid reflux & other digestive problems are the result of rotting foodstuffs. Treating the symptoms is a temporary soluton. Eat 1/4 to 1/2 cup of sauerkraut, kimchee, or other naturally fermented unpasteurized vegies with meals. Also sip 1/2 lemon juice & 1/4 tsp air dried nonprocessed sea salt in 6ozs water before, during, & after meals. Betaine hydrochloride will help after meals.
If you take digestive enzymes, they will be cancelled out if taken with the betaine HCL. Avoid sugars after meals as the simple sugars want to be digested more quickly than proteins causing a backup. The body needs to spend more time digesting more complex foods especially proteins & adding sugars 'stalls' the process. Robert