Natural Heartburn Cures Against Acid Reflux

If there is one big culprit on why we suffer from heartburn, it is the food that we eat or the type of diet we maintain. Natural heartburn cures are effective in reversing the effects of acid reflux, but to be so, we must plan our diet carefully.

First off the list of natural heartburn cures is identifying foods which are in themselves acidic. This may include citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and grapefruits. When taken in moderation, citrus fruits will provide us with a natural source of vitamin C and will help in cleansing our stomach. But too much of sour fruits may lead to hyperacidity. Tomato, although good for the skin and may have anti-cancer properties, can also trigger acid reflux if more than needed is eaten. With less of these foods in our diet, your fight against heartburn will be more effective.

Recognizing which foods in our diet contain an overload of fat is another one of the natural heartburn cures that is hard to miss. Fatty foods take time to process, thus necessitating more production of acids in the stomach so that these can be properly digested. Fatty foods also lessen the effectivity of the esophageal sphincter to function properly in preventing the food and acid in our stomach to come back up in our esophagus. Combining too much acid and a relaxed sphincter muscle is a sure formula for acid reflux.

Up next in the roster of food to be wary of are food stuffs which are hard to digest. Hard-to-grind foods tend to linger in the stomach longer and require more gastric juices produced. Spicy foods also activate stomach acid overload. So be very careful with those hot chili whatnots that you put in your mouth. Starchy and sugary foods also are acid generators, so better keep them at bay.

Finally we get to the liquids in the natural heartburn cures food inventory. The favorite morning brew is one beverage you need to watch out for. As you can see, coffee is naturally acidic and if you take too much of it you’ll have more acid in your stomach than you wish for. Definitely sodas and alcoholic drinks are included in the no-no list. And beer! Studies have shown that beer can in fact turn your acid content twice over in as little as sixty minutes. Milk, unfortunately, is also on the no-no list, but this is only for those who frequently experience heartburn. Drinking milk before bedtime does calm the stomach, but for a hyperacidic, this may later trigger the production of stomach acid and cause an acid build-up which will lead to heartburn.

Too much too soon is also an maxim you need to abide by, and this in reference to how you eat. No matter what you eat, even if you avoid the foods listed above, if you overstuff yourself your stomach will be working doubly hard to grind the foodstuff. And for this, more acids will be produced.

Now, that’s a long list of DON’TS! It seems like there are no more foods left to be eaten. Despair not! Just because those foods are in the natural heartburn cures’ watch list, it doesn’t mean that you can’t have them anymore. What is important is that you have to set up a healthy-eating plan first if you want to get control of your acid reflux problem.

First on the natural heartburn cures’ DO’s list is to identify which in your current foods elicit acidic reaction. The list above is your guideline. If you identify certain foods cause heartburn when you eat them, put a red mark on them and avoid them as much as possible. In no time, you will be able to classify which ones are good for you and which are not. Keep a diary or journal to keep tabs of everything you eat and note any incidence of heartburn.

By following these recommendations to fight heartburn, you will be preparing meals which are not only healthy, but will not trigger excessive acid discharge in the stomach. There are thousands of menus available online which can guide you through your daily quest. Some even include recipes which include low-fat and low-acid content ingredients and substitutes to foods which are acid-triggers.

Going back to too much too soon, instead of foregoing your lunch to enjoy a big dinner, learn to eat little portions in regular intervals all throughout the day—even if you have six meals! Don’t worry about it, you’re not going to be fat because what you will be eating will just be small servings. By   eating small portions of food you allow the stomach to digest normally without having to rely on too much acid to soften the food.

The good part of using natural heartburn cures is that once you have your acid reflux under control, you can slowly ease in your favorite foods which may have been taken of the list for a while. Again, do not over-indulge. Satisfy that craving a bit and just once in a while. Natural heartburn cures will work best when you take command of your eating habit and lifestyle.