Here is a list of natural remedies that you can use when you have acid reflux or heartburn. No need to use antacids, which have unwanted side effects and contain aluminum, which has been associated with senility and Alzheimer’s disease.
Anise, peppermint, and lavender
Here’s a tea that you can make to help you with acid reflux or heartburn. It will help you reduce the amount of acid you have in your stomach. Mix together equal amounts of aniseed, peppermint and lavender. Make an infusion of this tea:
* boiling 2 ½ cup distilled water
* pour this water over a teaspoon of the herbal mixture
* let this tea sit for 3- 5 minutes
* strain the tea and add a little bit of honey if you like
* place this tea in a thermos
Drink up to 8 oz in the morning and 8 oz in the evening to get relief of acid reflux.
Aniseed or anise – is a powerful herb that helps in digestive conditions and has many other benefits for your body. Use only the ash-colored anise called green anise, European anise or sweet anise. There are two other types of anise, star anise and caraway, which should not be used here.
Peppermint – is another powerful herb for stomach conditions or heartburn. It helps in digestion, stomach distension, cramps, ulcers, and gas.
Lavender – known for it scent has enormous healing activity for your body. Is also an excellent stomach aid. It is useful in reducing acid in the stomach.
Betain, Pepsin, and Papaya digestive enzymes
As you get older, your stomach weakens in its ability to produce hydrochloric acid to digest protein. It is undigested protein that leads to acid reflux or heartburn. Use digestive enzymes that contain Betain, pepsin, or HCl with each meal to make sure you digest all of your protein.
Papaya digestive enzymes, which contain papain, are also excellent for protein digestion and you can use them with each meal. Use 500mg or more of papaya enzymes per meal.
Pineapples
Pineapples are a store house of enzymes and contain bromelain, an enzymes that reduces protein. Pineapples support digestion, reduce inflammation, and supports wound healing. The fresh juice has a high level of enzymes that will help you stop your acid reflux.
You can also buy bromelain as tablet and take 200 – 500mg per meal.
Chicory Root
Chicory comes from a family of bitter herbs that contain endive and escarole. Boil 1 ½ cup of chicory root for 5 - 10 minutes. After it colds to room temperature, drink this tea to correct acid reflux or heartburn.
Adding these herbs to your salad will also have benefits in preventing acid reflux. Eating those foods that are alkaline is the best way to avoid acid reflux and heartburn.
Using the remedies listed here will give relief from your acid reflux. But more importantly add a salad to your diet everyday and you will have less acid reflux in your life.
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Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), the medical term for “Acid Reflux” is defined as the product of abnormal reflux of gastric contents into the esophagus thus, creating a mucosal damage, likewise known as the chronic symptom.
This disease strikes adult primarily, while infants and children can also be affected. Normally spurred by eating certain foods, if not pregnancy, or taking a sleep right after eating a heavy meal, a large number of persons suffer from acid reflux at one time or another.
Heartburn or acid indigestion is another name that refers to acid reflux. Heartburn, the major symptom of Acid Reflux in the esophagus, is described to cause a burning uneasiness at the back of the sternum.
The symptoms may come as coughing, voice transformation, hoarseness, constant ear ache, or sinusitis. The complications brought upon by acid reflux may lead to esophageal ulcers or worse this can lead to esophageal cancer.
However, constant heartburn sensations do not necessarily mean that one has captured GERD already. The risk occurs when heartburn happened more than once a week, this occasion could possibly lead in developing GERD.
The usual cause of GERD is the increase in acidity or gastric acid production in the body, obesity, pregnancy, or tight-fitting apparels, these all can add to the problem. The yeast infections are also thought to be one of the causes of GERD-like symptoms.
An added ironical cause of the GERD is the insufficient production of stomach acid in the body. The explanation says that the valve, the hollow organ with a flap that insure the one-way course of fluid through the organ, once emptied triggers acidity in the intestines. If the valve fails to open, the contents of the stomach will be blended into the esophagus, and then irritation occurs.
Meanwhile, there are already several treatments for GERD today, one of which is the balance and healthy eating habits. Now if proper diet fails to work, one can shift to medication therapy or surgery as suggested by the doctors. Below are the lists of several selections of Acid Reflux treatment:
• Proper Diet: the natural way to cure Acid Reflux is through change in their eating habits. A good number of people affected by GERD found success in following this method. Avoid the food ingredients which can intensify heart burn such as caffeine, soft drinks, and smoking. Avoid eating two hours before sleeping; likewise, avoid lying down after taking meal. These are the regular suggested change in lifestyle.
• Another easy way to treat GERD is to elevate the head of the bed. The pharmacologic therapy, the combination of prevention of food two hours before sleeping and the rise of the head of the bed, there is a great chance for a patient to gain a 95 percent relief. The rise of the head of the bed is suggested to range for only 6 to 8 inches or 20 cm. Using this method the backflow of gastric fluids will be hampered.
• Drug Treatment: Drugs reduce the secretion of the gastric acid, for instance and famotidine and omeprazole lessen the secretion of gastric acid and the Antacids counteract the acid.
• Surgical treatment: the Nissen fundoplication, the standard surgical treatment for Acid Reflux, the medication process will only cover a short period of time. The function of this is to support the sphincter, a spherical bond of muscles that opens and closes to let the food or waste to pass, as well as stop Acid Reflux, and of course restore the hiatal hernia.
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If you have acid reflux disease, you may want to try to use alternatives before you get into taking harsh medications. First, try making some lifestyle changes to see if they work for you. Your doctor can give you some information and help with that. A change in diet is the first thing that can help reduce your acid reflux symptoms. An acid reflux diet is usually simple to follow and easy for you to make the changes with. This article is designed to help you understand some ideas for the acid reflux diet.
Losing Weight Helps
Losing weight is a good idea for anyone who is overweight whether he or she has acid reflux or not. If you can loose up to 10% of the weight you have now, you may see a difference in the acid reflux symptoms. In an acid reflux diet, you will practice eating less calories and start exercising each day as they can help you lower your weight faster.
No Large Meals, Especially Before Bed
Many of the acid reflux diets available will tell you to start eating more frequently and keep the meals small. You do not want to eat a lot of food at bedtime either. Your stomach is likely to produce more acid when it is digesting a meal so you do not want to lie down to sleep and wake up with acid reflux. The acid is more likely to come up when you lie down so you may want to prop yourself up while you sleep.
Stay Upright After Meals
Lying down is a bad thing when you suffer from acid reflux disease. The gravity from being down can help the acid to come back up into the esophagus. Sit or stand for at least one hour after you finish eating.
High Complex Carbohydrates
High complex carbohydrates are the ones that everyone has been told to avoid, it can help help if you eat foods such as bread and pasta that have complex carbohydrates as they will actually help to soak up the acid and keep it down where it belongs.
No Fast Foods
The fat content in fast foods is an absolute no for acid reflux sufferers. An acid reflux diet requires that you stay clear of high fat foods as they cause the stomach to produce more acid because of the high fat content. You are more apt to gain weight with fast food, giving your acid reflux symptoms an added boost.
Get Rid of the Alcohol
If you consume any amount of alcohol, you will need to reduce or stop it altogether. Alcohol actually encourages the stomach to produce more acid. It also relaxes the esophagus muscles (esophageal sphincter) so they can not close properly. The esophageal sphincter is located at the top of the stomach and the bottom of the esophagus. When the muscles of the esophageal sphincter do not work right, the stomach contents are able to leak back up toward the mouth and cause irritation.
Acid Producing Foods
Acid reflux diets are designed to help you stay away from foods that make stomach acid rise. Some of these foods are coffee, citrus foods, tomatoes, spicy food, alcohol and chocolate. Thus, you need to avoid eating these foods as much as possible.
Hopefully, the acid reflux diet tips can help to start you off on the right track in managing your acid reflux condition. Don’t forget to visit your doctor and discuss more treatment options for you.
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