Natural Remedies for Acid Reflux Relief

Almonds

Posted by Karen (Birmingham, Michigan) on 09/12/2007
★★★★★

ALMONDS: I had been taking aciphex for my acid reflux for over a year. After trying to lose weight with no success, I discovered over the internet that some people have a weight problem with aciphex. I stopped using it and decided to try a natural remedy that I used when I was pregnant and it works! It's real simple: plain almonds. I eat about 5 with breakfast and then eat a few each time I eat and I haven't felt my reflux. This was a remedy that a nurse told me about many years ago when I was pregnant with my first child, 1981. I'm so glad I remembered it. Just to let you know, I am a drinker of chlorinated tap water; (read below) but somehow that remedy makes sense, too. Oh, and by the way, I began to lose weight after stopping the aciphex!

Bentonite Clay

Posted by GT (Vero Beach, Florida) on 08/24/2007
★★★★★

Used Medicinal grade Bentonite clay for acid reflux,works within a few sips. Get a small bottle of water put in a teaspoon of bentonite clay (PH is 9.1) shake hard so it disolves in the water and take some sips. You will notice within the second sip the acid starts to calm down. A note; People with bad acid reflux have trouble sleeping, magnesium gets depleted when acid is on overload, a few sips of bentonite clay before bed you sleep like a baby. Magnesium has a 'calming' effect for the mind and the physical muscles. There is magnesium in bentonite clay.

Blackstrap Molasses

Posted by Kita (Detroit, Michigan) on 08/19/2007
★★★★★

I had acid reflux bad for the past two years. Oneday my aunt went to a health food store. Her and a lady got to talking about blackstrap. The lady had tried everything for her acid reflux so the doctor finally told her about blackstrap molasses. My aunt brought some for me and within days the acid reflux started to go down. Now I have been taking it for4 months now. It is just about cured! It is the best thing for acid reflux. I took two teapsoons of it everyday in april and now I take less because it doesnt bother me. One or two teaspoons will help get you through the whole day.

OTC

Posted by Terri (Carmel, Indiana) on 07/08/2007
★☆☆☆☆

WARNING!

I have suffered from Acid Reflux for years and took the "purple pill", which helped my symptoms most of the time. In May, I was rushed to the ER with horrific stomach pains. After a colonoscopy, upper GI, barrage of blood work, it was discovered that I had pancreatitis. Very strange since I don't fit the profile for the disease (don't drink, gallbladder removed, healthy diet). My chiropractor told me to research the purple pill and imagine my shock when the possible side effects of the pill was PANCREATITIS - of which there is no cure!! I immediately went off the pill and found your site while looking for a cure for the acid reflux. I am hoping the ACV works! If anyone is on the purple pill, BEWARE.

Aloe Vera

Posted by Bill (San Fernando, Philippines) on 04/26/2012

Hi Lisa... I am afraid the that medical thinking, concerning GERD and reflux problems, is simply not correct. The doctors will insist and simply assume that GERD and reflux problems are always caused by EXCESS acid. When, in actual fact, 90% of all reflux problems are usually caused by TOO LITTLE acid in your stomach.

See this link:

http://metabolichealing.com/key-integrated-functions-of-your-body/gut/lack-of-adequate-stomach-acid-what-you-don-t-know-could-be-causing-major-distress/

This link goes right through to describe the reasons and also tells you exactly how you can check properly if you have TOO LITTLE STOMACH ACID. You can confirm whether you have too little or too much stomach acid by The Heidelberg pH Test. But this is quite an invasive check. They can also assess your problems and tell using another less invasive method using urine analysis, hair analysis and blood chemistry. I think naturopaths can also do this latter test.

Generally, if you take PPI's or proton pump inhibitors -- this massively and dangerously inhibits your stomach acid production and usually makes the problem much worse. And so when the undigested food passes into the duodenum, the CCK hormone (cholecystokinin) will not be released (stomach pH not low enough because of no stomach acid) to trigger the enzymes for main stage digestion and so very little duodenal digestion occurs. The food then just sits there and stagnates and rots giving rise to a whole host of other digestive problems in the body that usually involves dysbiosis, candida and other pathogenic bacteria rapidly taking hold in the stomach and upper intestines.

I helped a woman from Africa who had very similar symptoms to you. She had GERD, esophigitis, gastritis, systemic candida, colitis, LES and a whole host of other serious problems besides. She was also on PPI's and in quite a bad way. See this link for her complete symptoms, daily protocol and cure story. Her protocol is identical to The Anti-Candida Protocol that I normally recommend for Candida problems but I also included and added pancreatin enzymes and betaine hydrochloride tablets daily with every meal to help with the lack of stomach acid.

First thing you should do is get a complete doctor's check-up including blood and liver work up. Also I would ask your doctor for a proper and more accurate stomach acid check by one of the above methods that I have already mentioned.

I suspect that you will be severely lacking in stomach acid, severely lacking in energy and you will also be severely mineral deficient -- especially magnesium and iodine deficient -- all caused by the PPI's. This means that your calcium levels will be way too high --> excess blood calcium causes tissue pain, blood problems and also inhibits the absorbtion of iodine in the body, so you may well have low thyroid or hypothyroid symptoms as well (low energy, intolerance to hot/cold, low basal body temperature etc.).

Aloe Vera

Posted by Linda (New Haven, Ct, United States) on 04/26/2012

@ Lisa I agree with Bill & Joyce. I too was given medication to reduce my acid & that only made it worse. The acid made me cough constantly. My customers thought I was a smoker & kept trying to persuade me to quit smoking but I don't smoke! LOL

I would cough so badly that I threw up 2 or 3 times a day at work. The burning pain was dreadful. I really wanted off the pills and onto something that worked! Came to this site and tried the ACV & it worked beautifully. I took it faithfully with each meal & the acid attacks stopped as well as the coughing. Then I became a bit lax & took it less frequently & the acid came back. Just recently bought another 1 gallon jug & it's back onto my regimen of 2 tsp in 8 oz water three times a day.

Ditch the pills & try the ACV. You won't be sorry. It will help, just give it a fair try.

Linda :-)

Aloe Vera

Posted by Mmsg (Somewhere, Europe) on 04/27/2012

Lisa, the posts about too LITTLE acid are probably right in the stomach acid department. What I am referring to is general acidity of your whole system. For that, alkalizing will slowly get to the root of the problem.

Acidophilus

Posted by Toomba (Kuching, Malaysia) on 05/27/2007
★★★★★

66 percent of cases, a treatment consisting primarily of acidophilus and digestive enzymes will usually do the trick. In Dr. Spreen's words: "Acidophilus supplements (powder form, the liquid tastes awful) protect the oesophagus without killing acid (while killing the pain almost immediately). The hassle is, you have to keep it handy and take it often if you don't solve the whole problem, which involves tightening the gastro oesophageal sphincter. Dr. Spreen describes his treatment as "ridiculously simple and cheap." And while he feels confident that he can stop more than 2/3 of all heartburn and reflux cases.

Acidophilus

Posted by David (Fort lauderdale, FL) on 05/09/2007
★★★★★

I have only one word.. Probiotics'... After 15 years of taking toxic medications, I found a nutritionist who introduce me to Probiotics... Trust me just find a website that sells this product. I personally take _____. Stop taking those life threntening medication for gastrointestinal problems and try probiotic, you will thank me...I take a few before or after every meal.... You will not be disappointed I promise... Good luck...

Aloe Vera

Posted by Linda (Palestine, TX) on 04/27/2007
★★★★★

I have LPR (Larngopharyngeal reflux). I drink 4 oz. of Aloe Vera juice each morning on an empty stomach. I am able to eat anything I like, without heartburn or indigestion, which also curbs the LPR created by the acid reflux.

Aloe Vera

Posted by Larry (Arlington, Texas, Usa) on 08/04/2011
★★★★★

I've had acid reflux since 1989. Started drinking aloe vera and after 16 to 20 weeks of drinking twice daily, I don't have acid reflux anymore.

Raw Honey

Posted by Michele (Los Angeles) on 02/26/2007
★★★★★

I tried the ACV with baking soda remedy. Didn't do me much good. What I have found helps more than anything is a teaspoon of raw honey after each meal and before bed. And drinking LOTS of water.

Chamomile Tea

Posted by Toma (Chicago, IL) on 01/30/2007
★★★★★

I talked to my practitioner recently, and he told me that Apple Cider Vinegar is good only for those people who have high acidity; for those who have low acidity it can be harmful. He told me the least harmful remedy for Acid Reflux and other stomach problems is CAMOMILE TEA. I tried it, and it works wonders.

Dietary Changes

Posted by Marie (Ny) on 08/08/2017

Saurkraut from the store is cooked and will not help the stomach. Needs to be raw homemade. Even the frozen saurkraut says it's pasturized.

Reader Theories

Posted by Mark (Litchfield, CT) on 11/29/2006

While I'm sure there is more than 1 reason anyone might develop acid reflux, I truly believe I have found the most common reason for it.

As most of us know, acid reflux is really nothing more than the acid in our stomach coming up into our esophagus. There is a diaphragm that sits just above the stomach and surrounds the esophagus, and it's sole purpose is to tighten-up around the esophagus when necessary to prevent this very thing we call acid reflux. More on this later.

About 5 years ago I started getting numerous digestive/intestinal problems, such as bloating, cramps, and fluctuating from diarrhea to constipation on a regular basis. I tried many things, including apple cider vinegar, but nothing worked, so I went to a homeopathic doctor who prescribed large amounts of Acidophilus. 1 week after taking it I suddenly developed acid reflux, which stayed with me ever since. Then I came across another homeopathic doctor who, after giving me certain tests, told me I had Candida.

I have since studied much about this disease, and it is quite disturbing how we get it, how many diseases it is responsible for, and how more & more of us are getting it every year.

Candida, simply put, is an overgrowth of yeast throughout our bodies. We all have yeast in our digestive system, along with Lactobacillus, which is a good bacteria that feeds off of the yeast, keeping it under control. Antibiotics will kill the Lactobacillus in our bodies, but not the yeast. Once this happens the yeast grows out of control and causes too many health issues to list here.

Acidophilus contains Lactobacillus, which is why many naturalists will prescribe it. However, in cases of Candida, once the yeast is already out of control, it is useless, if not detrimental. The Lactobacillus Prevents Candida. Once you have this disease you must first get rid of it, then restore your flora/Lactobacillus

But in severe cases the Candida will leave the digestive system and spread into organs such as our lungs, etc. This over growth of yeast will embed itself into the walls of the intestines, causing many digestive problems, and will undoubtedly be one of the culprits for acid reflux. However, many of us have difficulty digesting carbs, and sometimes even protein, due to our bodies not producing the proper enzymes we need in order to digest these foods. I am one of these people. As a result of this, when I eat carbs my abdomen will immediately bloat up. A modern medicinal doctor, and homeopathic doctor, both explained to me the reasons why this sort of thing happens, but I never really understood it. But long story short, my lower abdomen will bloat up after eating carbs during its struggle to digest these foods, and this in turn pushes my stomach upwards, thus forcing it to open the diaphragm more-so, thus allowing acid reflux to occur. My chiropractor, who also studies much about natural cures, was able to adjust/massage the diaphragm, as it sits just below our solar plexus, and this, along with changing my diet, AND ridding the candida which took me just over 1 year to do, has rid my acid reflux permanently.

If the muscle membrane surrounding the diaphragm is torn, which is called a Hiatal Hernia, this too, will allow acid to travel up into the esophagus. In severe cases such as this surgery is necessary, but this is rare. Most of the time it can be cured through non-invasive therapy.

I'd like to note here that most people who have this issue with digesting carbs will end up with Candida. Please take the time to read up about this disease, and don't just buy the first product you see for curing it. To rid it permanently will take a minimum of 6 months to 1 year. Since Candida feeds off of carbs you need to go on an Atkins-like diet to starve it while you kill it. Staying away from antibiotics is very important to prevent getting this disease, but if its necessary to take one you must take an anti-fungis-like product, like Caprylic Acid to prevent the yeast from growing out of control while on the antibiotic. However since antibiotics are found in so much of our foods, while we ingest these foods every day we are gradually killing the good bacteria in our bodies which inevitably brings on Candida. Organic food is a must for truly good health. I hope this helps. Good luck!

Blended Raw Potato

Posted by Mia (Chicago, IL) on 11/08/2006
★★★★★

I was suffering from a very, very bad sore throat. I was told to suck on ice in order to keep my throat muscles and glands from swelling, making it hard to breathe. Someone suggested I take ibuprofen (Advil (100 mg of Ibuprofen) to prevent my glands from swelling, I did. I took two every 6 hours, for a day and developed that "acidity/belching/sour, bitter" taste...it is horrible. I firmly believe that ibuprofen brought it on. My Mom had the same problem. Our remedy is, RED POTATO and ONE CUP MILK. Chop up RED potato, throw in blender, add cup of milk, blend until liquefied. Strain the mix and drink. Two times a day, for about 5 to 6 days will do the trick. NO DRUGS NECESSARY!

Milk

Posted by Sam (Cleveland, OH) on 07/11/2006
★★★★★

If you get heart burn or Acidity, just grab the milk bottle from your refrigerator and drink little of it may be 1/4 of a glass instead of taking any antacid tables. you would get the relief from acidity immediately.

Betaine Hydrochloride

Posted by Jonathan (Van Buren, Arkansas) on 06/15/2006
★★★★★

I took Betaine Hydrochloride which is basically stomach acid ingredients in pill form to add acid back to my stomach (which I was lacking apparently). I had been on Prilosec, Prevacid, etc. for a VERY long time. I was starting to suffer from the side effects; when I stumbled onto this site. I tried the Apple Cider Vinegar at first and it worked great (which told me I lacked acid in my stomach). I hated the taste of it though and wanted something I wouldn't have to force myself to take. So; I read remedy #5 and decided to try it. I went to the health food store and described what I wanted and they went and got it right away. I've been trying it for the past two days now and my stomach has been great!!!! I give a big YEA to the Betaine Hydrochloride.. it works!

Apples

Posted by Dee (Middlesbrough, England) on 06/14/2006
★★★★★

Forgot to let you know -- Jonagold apples are the best for acid reflux because they are highest in pectin.

Ice Cubes

Posted by Harout (San Fernando Valley, CA) on 06/04/2006
★★★★★

I have been told by my dad that swallowing bit and pieces of crushed ice does the cure as a natural home remedy for acid reflex and heart burn. Although my throat was burning like crazy, after being waken up twice in the middle of the night, I went to my refrigerator and filled up a cup of crushed ice. than I started to swallow a lot of crushed ice pieces. It took about 10 minutes and the acid in me was gone. I did not experience acid reflux that night again after swallowing a lot of crushed ice. Try it it will work. It cools down the burning and also makes the acid less concentrated in your body. Over-all the swallowing crushed ice method works. If anyone experiences heart burn or acid reflux, swallow crushed ice, it works! Attempt to swallow the ice at a reasonable size to avoid difficulty and discomfort of swallowing. But further more the best defense (in my opinion) is not to eat after 5 or 6 PM. The average person's metabolism slows down during night which can increase the chances of acid reflux or heartburn when you sleep. avoid late night eating, and boost up the metabolism by getting on some kind of exercise program. It can be as simple as walking around your neighborhood.