If you only have heartburn occasionally, it may be a nuisance but it’s usually nothing to worry about. However, if your heartburn keeps returning or it won’t go away at all, it’s time to visit your doctor. Heartburn could be a sign of gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD. GERD doesn’t only cause heartburn (some people also feel nauseous), but the burning sensation in your chest is the most common symptom. And one thing’s for sure: There’s nothing fun about it. Luckily, there’s a lot you can do to get relief. Start with these home remedies.
Home Remedies for Heartburn
Baking soda for heartburn
One of the original home remedies for indigestion is baking soda mixed in water. The reason it has stood the test of time? It works! “Baking soda is a base that offsets the acidity in your esophagus and your gut,” says Julia Zumpano, R.D., a dietician at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. For fast relief, try mixing a half to one teaspoon of baking soda in eight ounces of water. Don’t overdo it, though: Too much baking soda can have negative health effects, including nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. If you are pregnant or have a chronic condition like heart disease, high blood pressure or kidney disease, speak with your doctor before trying this home remedy.
Does milk help heartburn?
Milk is another old-school remedy for heartburn. Like calcium-based over-the-counter antacids, milk counteracts the acidity of your stomach, says Zumpano. Stick with skim or low-fat milk—the fat content in whole milk could actually contribute to heartburn. Along the same lines, low-fat yogurt may also ease your heartburn (and provide a dose of gut-friendly probiotics at the same time).
Apple cider vinegar for heartburn
It seems counterintuitive that something acidic like vinegar could help treat heartburn, but here’s a twist: Sometimes, the painful sensation occurs if your stomach doesn’t have enough acid to help digest the food, says Brenda Rea, M.D., R.D., a professor of medicine at Loma Linda University in California. The longer food sits in your stomach before being broken down, the greater the risk that it will cause indigestion and heartburn. A teaspoon of diluted unprocessed apple cider may provide your stomach with the acid it needs to digest the food. It’s worth noting that there is no scientific proof that the vinegar trick works (although plenty of people swear by it), and it could make your heartburn worse, so proceed with caution.
Lemon juice for heartburn
If apple cider vinegar isn’t your jam, how about lemon juice? Drinking the juice from half a lemon may yield similar results, says Zumpano. It’s best to drink the juice before you start eating to help prepare the stomach for the meal to come.
Does pickle juice help heartburn?
People who find heartburn relief from apple cider vinegar or lemon juice may find pickle juice is another option. In addition to its natural acidity, the juice from homemade pickles contains Lactobacillus bacteria, a probiotic that forms in the skin of the pickle when it ferments. The gut-healthy bacteria can sometimes be removed during commercial processing, so make your own pickles if possible.
Mustard for heartburn
Mustard for heartburn may sound far-fetched, but many people believe it works. Yellow mustard gets its color from the spice turmeric, which may help ease indigestion. Another benefit: Mustard may neutralize some of the stomach acid. People who swear by this remedy usually take a teaspoon of mustard as needed.
Chewing gum for heartburn
Zumpano suggests that mustard may also work because its tangy taste stimulates saliva production, coating the esophagus and creating a barrier from stomach acid during reflux. Chewing gum has a similar stimulating effect on saliva, protecting the esophagus and washing acid back into your stomach. (Avoid peppermint gum, which may trigger heartburn.)
Ginger can help heartburn
If your mother gave you flat ginger ale when you had an upset stomach as a kid, it may have seemed like a treat but there was a good reason behind it. Ginger has long been known to help calm stomach troubles, including stomach bloating and acid reflux. Carbonation and added sugar aggravate the stomach though, so you’re better off drinking ginger tea.
Essential oils for heartburn
Although the power of essential oils to ease heartburn lacks scientific data, that hasn’t stopped people from touting its benefits. Edible essential oils most commonly used for heartburn include lavender, lemon, ginger and orange. Add a drop or two to hot tea or water. Not all heartburn-friendly essential oils are ingestible. Eucalyptus essential oil may be used in a diffuser or in bath water instead. While the jury is still out on how effective these oils are for solving heartburn, there are studies that indicate they can help with issues like stress and anxiety, so there is little downside to giving them a try.
Tea for heartburn
A cup of herbal tea can be calming during a busy day—and may also help some people with heartburn. (Make sure the tea is caffeine-free, as caffeine can be a heartburn trigger.) In addition to ginger tea, chamomile and lemon teas are other choices that may soothe the digestive tract and reduce reflux. If you are allergic to ragweed, chrysanthemums, marigolds or daisies, skip the chamomile as it may cause a similar reaction.
What about coffee for heartburn?
Get ready for some bad news: For many people, a morning cup of coffee is a strong heartburn trigger. While there’s no hard medical research that coffee causes heartburn, there’s enough anecdotal evidence that it’s best to steer clear if you can’t identify the source of your discomfort. Or cut it out for a day or two to see how your body reacts. If eliminating coffee eases your symptoms, caffeine may be a trigger. Try decaf instead or one of these caffeine alternatives.
Can bananas relieve heartburn?
Some fruits are acidic and can trigger heartburn, but others may provide relief. Bananas are a low-acid fruit. They can help soothe your irritated esophageal lining and are high in fiber, which helps keep your digestive tract healthy. Beyond bananas, honeydew melons and cantaloupe are also good for heartburn. They contain magnesium, an ingredient in many over-the-counter heartburn medicines. Eat them on their own or add them to a smoothie.
Eat smaller meals, slower, and more often
If you’re eating three square meals a day and have heartburn, you might want to mix things up. Too much food at too few sittings may be contributing to your discomfort. Instead, eat five or six smaller meals throughout the day, chewing slowly and thoroughly to maximize digestion. When the stomach is too full or the food is too fatty, the esophageal valve opens and food and acid move from the stomach back up toward your throat, leading to heartburn, says Scott Gabbard, M.D., a gastroenterologist at the Cleveland Clinic. Meals that are more than 500 calories cause more reflux than lower-calorie meals, says Dr. Gabbard, and foods that contain more than 10 to 15 grams of fat tend to increase the amount of heartburn.
Avoid These Heartburn-inducing Foods
Along with coffee and whole milk, other foods may lead to heartburn. Look at your diet and consider whether any particular food is causing your troubles. If you notice that the burning appears after you eat or drink something specific, do a test. Remove the item from your diet for a few days to see what happens. Foods known for triggering heartburn in people include:
ChocolateCitrus fruitsHeavy and high fat foods (French fries, potato chips, fast food, desserts)MintPeppermintSoda or anything carbonatedSpicy foodsTomato and tomato products, like tomato paste and tomato sauce
Heartburn Relief During Pregnancy
There are two reasons why pregnant women might get heartburn. First, during pregnancy a woman’s body starts releasing hormones that relax abdominal and pelvic muscles in preparation for delivery. This can also cause muscles like the one that controls the valve between the esophagus and the stomach to relax, allowing acidic bile to flow back toward the throat. Secondly, as the baby grows, it puts pressure on the stomach, which can also lead to acid reflux. Avoiding trigger foods may help, along with these other tips to reduce heartburn:
Chew slowly and thoroughly to break down the food as much as possible for digestion.Drink your nutrients through protein and fruit shakes.Eat small meals throughout the day.Elevate your torso—not just your head—while sleeping.Speak to your doctor or pharmacist about over-the-counter heartburn treatments during pregnancy.Try sleeping on your left side, which makes it harder for acid to move backward through the esophageal valve.
Home remedies are an inexpensive and accessible way to treat heartburn pain. If the first remedy doesn’t help, keep trying—eventually, one of these options will likely work for you. But if your heartburn keeps coming back or you find that it’s getting worse, speak with your doctor. Remember, heartburn is a symptom—you may need to treat the problem that is causing it. Up next: Drinking enough water is an important part of digestion—but can you drink too much water?
Sources
Julia Zumpano, R.D., dietician, Cleveland ClinicBrenda Rea, M.D., R.D., professor of medicine at Loma Linda UniversityScott Gabbard, M.D., gastroenterologist at the Cleveland ClinicAmerican College of Gastroenterology: “Acid Reflux”Medical News Today: “Does Baking Soda Work as a Treatment for Acid Reflux?”National Capital Poison Control Center: “My Child Got Into The Baking Soda”Johns Hopkins Medicine: “GERD Diet: Foods that Help with Acid Reflux (Heartburn)”Franciscan Health: “Home Remedies for Heartburn (And When You Need a Doctor)”Aromatherapy Sciences: “How Do Essential Oils Work?”Harvard Health Publishing; Harvard Medical School: “Herbal Remedies for Heartburn”National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health: “Chamomile”Gastroenterology Hepatology: “Advances in GERD”AARP: “5 Top Foods to Stave Off Acid Reflux Symptoms”
