Indigestion and heartburn can turn your day into a living hell as wave after wave of acid influx comes up your esophagus from your stomach. It can be caused by lots of factors including overeating, alcohol, smoking, stress, stomach infections, ulcers among others that may not be within your control. Indigestion is a major issue that affects millions of people daily from every part of the world. Unfortunately, there aren’t millions of remedies available to everyone that suffers from this common condition. If you suffer from chronic indigestion that won’t go away after any of these home remedies, then you should seek help from your doctor. Before that, you can try any of these remedies and you will feel lighter and better.
Baking Soda
Baking soda contains sodium bicarbonate which is a base and as usual, when a base meets as acid, your problem is solved. Sodium bicarbonate as an antiacid reacts with the excessive acid in your digestive tract which is the main cause of indigestion and heartburn. It is probably the most effective and readily available home remedy for heartburns. You only need to mix a teaspoon of baking soda in water or honey and then drink it. The impacts will be almost instant because the base reacts with the acid immediately.
Elevate Your Upper Body
Acid reflux is exactly that; the backflow of acid and other digestive juices from your stomach into your esophagus towards your mouth. While it may seem like a simple task, it is definitely not futile to lift your upper body and let gravity do its job. The goal is not to lift your head though, so adding pillows may not be good enough. Just sit up so that your torso is upright so that the acid can drip back to the stomach and nothing new comes back upwards.
Stock Up On Off the shelf Antiacid Medication
It is always smart to have some antiacid medication in the house, especially if you frequently suffer from indigestion. You can find these medications off the shelf, often consisting of bases as their root ingredients. Just request for antiacid medication containing calcium carbonate, aluminium or magnesium hydroxide. They will definitely be more effective than the rest of the home remedies listed here. You may not need a prescription to secure antiacid medication because most of them are not heavily regulated in most countries.
Ginger
Ginger is another common remedy that you will find in your spice box that might help a long way with your indigestion. Ginger is rich in antioxidants which also have similar effects as some of the antiacid medications you will find off the shelf. It contains some chemicals that speed up digestion and cleansing of excessive acid in your stomach which will give you quick relief from heartburn. You can use it by adding a little ginger to your food, adding ginger powder to warm water or tea or whichever way you love taking it.
Mint/Peppermint Tea
Mint leaves have menthol which gives you a great sweet smell but it has lots of more value than that. Mint leaves have been used as a treatment for indigestion in the Middle East and India for years and you may just be the next beneficiary of that relief. Boiling mint in your tea or drinking peppermint tea can offer that relief by relaxing your stomach muscles to allow food to flow smoothly through your digestive system which also includes the acid released to digest it.
Apple Cider Vinegar
Sometimes indigestion is caused by undigested fat in your stomach, a situation that can be corrected by getting an acidic compound with properties that can break down the fat which is where the acetic acid in apple cider comes in. Vinegar breaks down the fats allowing your system to digest them to clear up your stomach cavity and prevent acid reflux. Apple cider also contains lots of minerals including potassium and phosphorus which that are known to improve digestion. You can mix it with warm water, honey or any other drink you enjoy drinking it with and the relief will come after a few minutes.
Bananas
If all you have at home are starchy foods and fruits, then you can pick out the banana and eat it when you are having persistent heartburn. Bananas are recommended as part of the popular BRAT diet (banana, rice, applesauce and toast) which are mineral-rich foods that help with indigestion. Bananas have lots of minerals including iron and potassium which help reduce acidity in your stomach and improve your digestion. Bananas help your digestion further by banding together food in your stomach allowing them to move smoothly through your gut to prevent acid reflux.
Avoid Alcohol
Heavy drinking causes inflammation of the stomach lining that protects your stomach walls from being burned by hydrochloric acid released from stomach walls. Excessive drinking is one of the oldest causes of heartburns in the book, so if you could drink less of the alcohol that causes you to vomit and your stomach to get upset, then you will be doing yourself some good.
Cut Down On Fatty Food
Fat takes longer to break down in your stomach as compared to proteins and carbs which means that fatty food stays in your stomach for longer. When food isn’t digested, it triggers your stomach walls to release more acid and some of it end up refluxing into your esophagus causing heartburn. If you ate more fatty food than your stomach can handle, then you can drink apple cider vinegar to speed up the breakdown but if you can eat less of it, then you might prevent the upset for good.
Avoid Tight Clothing
When tight clothing presses hard against your stomach, you may have acid reflux as it forces your stomach contents up into your esophagus. If you frequently suffer from acid reflux, then it may be wise to keep off from those tight belts and clothing that may cause that squeeze.
Do you know of any other ways home remedies for heartburn and indigestion? If you do why not tell us about them in the comments below.