Acid, also known as heartburn, is a digestive disorder that results from stomach acid flowing up towards the esophagus and mouth. This occurs when the muscle responsible for keeping the juices in the stomach, the sphincter, weakens.
The key symptom of acid is an uncomfortable burning sensation in the lower area of the chest. However, it’s often confused with heart attack symptoms.
In addition, patients suffering acid often experience burping, abdominal inflammation and other common indigestion symptoms.
While it isn’t a serious nor an ongoing problem, it’s always better to treat acid in order to neutralize pH levels and avoid complications.
Fortunately, in addition to conventional antacids, plenty of natural remedies are available that help us feel better faster.
In this article, we’d like to share the 5 best natural remedies so you know what to do if you encounter this problem.
Keep on reading!
1. Papaya and flax seed smoothie
This delicious papaya smoothie is rich in digestive enzymes and noninflammatory compounds. This makes it an excellent alternative for controlling excess acid in the stomach.
The smoothie’s fiber content supports digestion while hindering acidic juices from moving into the esophagus by neutralizing the stomach’s pH level.
Ingredients
3 slices of papaya
1 tablespoon of flax seeds (10 g)
A cup of water (200 ml)
1 tablespoon of organic honey (25 g)
Preparation
First, cube the papaya and blend it together with the flax seeds, water and honey.
Once the mix is homogeneous, serve immediately.
Drinking instruction
Drink the smoothe after heavy meals.
As a preventive measure, drink before meals.
Also see: 6 Amazing Benefits of Flax Seed Water
2. Mint tea
In addition to mint’s digestive properties, we can also use it to reduce heartburn.
Mint helps with eliminating waste as well as controlling excessive acid production.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon of mint leaves (10 g)
A cup of water (250 ml)
1 tablespoon of honey (25 g) (optional)
Preparation
Put the mint leaves in a cup of boiling water and leave it for 20 minutes.
When the water has cooled, use a colander to strain the leaves. If you’d like, sweeten the tea with a tablespoon of honey.
Drinking instruction
Drink the tea 30 minutes before eating.
3. Aloe vera, cucumber and apple smoothie
The combination of this homemade smoothie’s ingredients is perfect for neutralizing excessive acid production in the stomach. Also, it helps soothe the resulting irritation.
The laxative properties of this recipe help eliminate leftover waste in the colon in addition to being great for promoting bacterial flora.
Ingredients
½ cucumber
2 green apples
3 tablespoons of aloe vera gel (45 g)
1 cup of water (200 ml)
1 tablespoon of honey (25 g)
Preparation
Dice the cucumber and apples.
Then, proceed to blend them with the aloe vera gel and water.
Make sure to blend thoroughly. Before drinking, sweeten the mixture with honey.
The alkaline power of baking soda mixed with lemon helps to neutralize acids in the digestive system. As a result, this combination soothes irritation and burning sensations.
Furthermore, both ingredients help with digesting heavy meals and decreasing excess gas.
Ingredients
1 teaspoon of baking soda (5 g)
The juice of ½ lemon
1 cup of water (200 ml)
Preparation
Mix the baking soda and lemon juice in a glass of water.
Then, stir well and wait for the blend to fizz out.
Drinking instruction
Drink the mixture when you first notice stomach acid symptoms.
5. Potato water
The starch found in potatoes– which also has fibers and antioxidants- is perfect for controlling acid symptoms.
Its light alkaline effect regulates the stomach’s pH level. In addition, it prevents gastric juices from passing towards the upper part of the body by keeping the sphincter in check.
Ingredients
1 potato
½ cup of water (125 ml)
Preparation
Grate the potato and strain the pulp to extract its natural liquid.
Make sure that the potato doesn’t have black or green spots, as they’re signs of toxic substances.
After, combine 2 or 3 tablespoons of the potato juice with the half cup of water.
Drinking instruction
Sip the mixture when you feel acid and heartburn.
Do you often feel the effects of stomach acid? Treat it naturally with one of the remedies on our list and try out their benefits for yourself.
On a final note, make sure to analyze your diet. What’s causing your acid might be problematic food combinations or excessive consumption of irritating foods.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
Papaya preparation (Caricol®) in digestive disorders.
Muss C, Mosgoeller W, Endler T.
Research Center of the International Scientific Group of Preventive medicine, I-GAP, Vienna, Austria.(2013). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23524622
Early effects of peppermint oil on gastric emptying: a crossover study using a continuous real-time 13C breath test (BreathID system).Gastroenterology Division, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan. (2007). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17653649
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2018). Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gerd/symptoms-causes/syc-20361940
