Aging and Disease

Natural Remedies for Acid Reflux

Identifying acid reflux triggers in an individual may be one of the first steps in treating the condition. Because prescription medications can sometimes have unwanted side effects, many people seek an effective natural remedy.

Some triggers are those foods, beverages, or habits that tend to bring on symptoms. Therefore, people have to make a conscious effort to identify acid reflux triggers in their diets and lifestyle choices…and keep a log of them.

There are herbal and botanical products that some experts consider as natural remedies and alternatives to prescription drugs. Acid reflux herbal remedies are based on what herbalists know of traditional medicinal plants. Some of these are common food herbs, which pose no danger for long-term use, but their effectiveness as has not been proven.

If you have been diagnosed with acid reflux, it is important to see your doctor regularly, even if you feel that your symptoms are under control. And you should also let your doctor know if you are using a natural remedy. Acid reflux can damage the esophagus and lead to more serious conditions including cancer of the esophagus.

In the end, for some people, it may not be enough to avoid personal acid reflux triggers or use a natural remedy. Acid reflux is sometimes “silent”, meaning that heartburn symptoms are not present. If you become hoarse in the morning, develop a cough, or feel a need to clear your throat frequently, these may be symptoms of silent acid reflux.

So, even if avoiding acid reflux triggers keeps your heartburn seemingly under control, you should still let your physician be the one who does the ongoing diagnosis, and not take it upon yourself.

For heartburn symptoms, many people try a botanical or herbal natural remedy. Acid reflux herbal remedies include chamomile, meadowsweet, slippery elm, cancer bush, fennel, catnip, angelica root, gentian root, ginger root and other botanicals, including aloe and mangosteen juice.

Slippery elm was used historically by native peoples to treat stomach upset, diarrhea, constipation, heartburn and other digestive complaints.

Fennel and gingerroot were also common “folk remedies” for the relief of indigestion.

Mangosteen rind, fruit and juice was used historically by the people of Asia and India to treat indigestion and has been recently studied by researchers because of its potential as a cancer preventative and treatment.

Mangosteen purees also contain a natural anti-inflammatory, which may reduce inflammation in the esophagus. Many people find that by combining a natural remedy, such as the use mangosteen juice, and making the necessary lifestyle changes, acid reflux relief can be a reality.

However, sometimes tough choices will have to be made. For example, smoking is one of the common acid reflux triggers…and as any smoker knows, it’s very difficult to quit.

However, hard to quit or not, the reality is that smoking relaxes the sphincter muscles that normally prevent stomach acid from reaching the esophagus. It also dries out saliva in the mouth and throat, which normally would neutralize some of the stomach acid and begin the digestive process.

In fact, even if you use a prescription medication or a natural remedy, acid reflux may still flare up if you do not stop using tobacco products.

Another one of the common acid reflux triggers is alcohol consumption. Reducing or eliminating alcohol consumption could be considered a remedy in its own right. In particular, alcohol consumption in the evening is believed to be one of the night time acid reflux triggers.

While some argue that a glass of red wine has many health benefits, this is a 4 ounce glass, before a meal, and even this may trigger acid reflux for some people. Consider substituting 4 ounces of mangosteen juice before a meal instead, as this will provide comparable health benefits of red wine in the form of antioxidants, but without the alcohol, and may help to reduce stomach acid.

When it comes to food, acid reflux symptoms often follow large meals and eating late in the evening. Eating several small meals throughout the day is one way to avoid acid reflux triggers, as is eating your last meal at least three hours before bedtime.

Another natural remedy of acid reflux we don’t think about is gravity. Acid reflux symptoms at night, indeed, may be reduced by raising the head of the bed 6 inches above the foot of the bed, making it harder for acid to work its way up.

Finally, weight loss should be mentioned as a natural remedy for acid reflux. Acid reflux symptoms are often mitigated by simply shedding an extra few pounds….and this will undoubtedly have a myriad of other health benefits as well.

In fact, some would suggest that avoiding acid reflux triggers or using a botanical or herbal remedy while making no effort to lose extra pounds will be disappointing, and only provide a temporary crutch.

Using prescription and/or natural remedies for acid reflux while you are trying to lose weight does make sense, and, in fact, some of the natural remedies may even help assist with weight loss, such as mangosteen, although the evidence in this regard isn’t conclusive.

According to Dr. Frederic Templeman, M.D., “Some experimental data indicates that mangosteen may stimulate weight loss but it is insufficiently strong to allow us to predict results.”

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