Many of us seem to avoiding milk in the present times. Nevertheless, milk is one of the finest heartburn remedies. But, there is one thing to note here. The milk should be cool, not warm or hot.
" Some people however may not get relief by drinking milk and they should not use milk, as it may on the other hand worsen heartburn. But yo got to try it first."
This remedy is largely unknown to most people, but it works for kids and some adults. Although kids generally don't suffer from heartburn, it can happen to them occasionally. Giving them soaked almonds helps to alleviate heartburn.
Ginger is the best home remedy for indigestion, and as such, it really helps with indigestion. Ginger can be taken in many forms for heartburn. Here are the popular ginger heartburn remedies.
Ginger ale ( excellent for heartburn and indigestion, a tonic for people with poor digestion )
Ginger oatmeal ( add some grated ginger in the oatmeal. )
9. Pickle Juice
Drinking pickle juice may help you with heartburn pain relief. It has been used by numerous people. Its just trial and error perhaps, how people find out such remedies.
- Ingredients
Pickle Juice ( especially of dill )
- Directions / How to use
1-2 oz of pickle juice should do the trick, and it acts fast too ( before 5 minutes )
- Why it works ?
I have no idea. Maybe it is because of the nutrients of what was kept in the pickle juice, or perhaps because of the salts in it.
( Photo Courtesy: izik )
10. Pretzels ( yum delicious )
Pretzels are fantastic for heartburn. They are a bakery product and they come in myriad of shapes and sizes, from tiny to huge sized. Pretzels taste good and they relieve the awful pain of heartburn very fast.
- Ingredients
Fine quality pretzels ( you might be knowing where to get delicious pretzels )
- Directions / How to use
Eat some pretzels and drink a sip of water afterwards.
- Why it works ?
Pretzels contain salt, baking soda and caraway seeds. Combined together in this bakery product, they help in combating the heartburn. Caraway seeds are used as topping.
( Photo Courtesy: llstalteri )
11. Apple Cider Vinegar
ACV is fantastic for heartburn. People may shy away from it, but ACV is a really a powerful remedy for almost all our troubles. ACV is acidic, so you got to dilute, otherwise you can get a heartburn from the outside, and not from your internal acid.
- Ingredients
Apple Cider Vinegar ( organic, raw, unfiltered. This one looks darker and has small sized particles in it. )
Water
- Directions / How to use
Add ACV and Water in 1 : 1 ratio. Make a glass full and drink it when you are having pain. Sit straight, don't lie down. As the ACV goes down, you can notice the pain subsiding. For many sufferers, the pain just disappears in a few days, as ACV heals your mucus membrane.
- Why it works ?
That's cause it is made from apples.
12. Honey
Just plain organic honey would help to lower the pain a bit, if not much. You can try it and see how much of the heartburn pain vanishes. Honey soothes the digestive tract and throat. So, you feel less of the smoking or burning sensation in your throat, jaw and upper arms / shoulders. The acid reflux / GERD may again attack your throat, but the pain would be lesser as honey would have coated your food pipe, protecting it from severe damage. Honey is also good for
constipation.
( Photo Courtesy: joliebean )
" By the way, did you know that heartburn is actually quite dangerous. Over the course of years, a perso suffering from chronic acid reflux may have his or her esophagus so damaged that a hole may be carved in by the stomach acid. This acid can now spill into other regions of the body, even the heart, making you vulnerable to anything imaginable. So, always keep your heartburn managed and under control. Know what your body is going through and how it behaves with different foods."
13. Peppermint leaves
The leaves of peppermint can be crushed and mixed with pepper. This can be used as sauce or dip with food. It cools and relieves the stomach. However, peppermint oil may aggravate GERD, so avoid it in case of heartburn. Peppermint oil however is great for mild tummy trouble.
"What if I don't have fresh peppermint leaves. "
Well, you can use dried peppermint and make a herbal tea out of it. This tea smells great and is cooling to the body.
( Photo Courtesy: jylcat )
14. Chamomile tea
It is well known for its soothing and mind calming properties. Chamomile tea also helps in acid re-flux and thus reduces the bouts of heartburn. Moreover, most people have it in their homes as it relieves stress related
insomnia.
( Photo Courtesy: gwdexter )
15. Lemon balm tea
It is a calming herb that helps a person in heartburn.Lemon herb is well known because of its anti-viral capabilities, which are put to use for relief from herpes virus infections.
- Ingredients
Dried lemon balm
Water
- Directions / How to use
Add 15 grams of lemon balm to a pan of water. Bring to simmer and slow boil for some time. Cover it with a lid. Let the water boil and then lower your heat. Wait for 15 minutes. Its steam is trapped underneath the lid, on purpose.
Pour the tea, let it cool down and drink it when it is lukewarm.
- Why it works ?
Lemon balm relaxes the brain and nervous system. This may have something to do with acid secretion in stomach. Heartburn is relieved by lemon balm.
( Photo Courtesy: quinnanya )
16. Baking Soda
This is your home based antacid, although not technically so. Baking soda ( sodium bicarbonate ) is alkaline, so it neutralizes your gastric acid. But, do not overuse this remedy.
17. Asafoetida
It is a spice and well known for its ability to support digestion. It helps the stomach complete digestion and people can often eat to their heart's content which is often difficult for people with indigestion. Asafoetida is a remarkable anti-flatulent ( it helps to pass gas from the intestines and reduce bloating ). It also helps with heartburn.
- How to use Asafoetida ?You can use a pinch of this condiment while preparing food. It can also be taken directly with water to aid digestion. It should reduce your early morning acid reflux as food is digesting better.
( Photo Courtesy: frenkieb )
18. Coriander ( also Cilantro )
It is a garnishing for food. Fresh coriander leaves are added to many foods. It helps in digestion and one should include it in every meal. These flavored leaves are wonderful and can make bland things taste better. Coriander leaves are good for indigestion , and as such may help with heartburn as well.
How to use coriander for heartburn ?
Just garnish your food with a few fresh leaves of coriander , every time. In due course of time, your heartburn should reduce. It is not a quick acting remedy, but takes a few days to work.
( Photo Courtesy: joi )
19. Slippery Elm Tea
This one deserves a special mention. Slippery elm is extracted from a tree. This bark is used to make slippery elm tea which heals the entire intestinal tract. This tea also relieves the symptoms of heartburn in adults. However, one should not give it to babies and pregnant women because it can interfere with other medication or cause allergy.
- Ingredients
Slippery elm powder ( It is easily available online, but may not be easily available on health stores )
Water
Cinnamon
- Directions / How to use
Make a herbal tea by putting 1 tablespoon of slippery elm powder in a 250 ml volume of water. Bring it to a boil. After it has cooled down, add a dash of cinnamon to it. Then drink this herbal tea.
- Why it works ?
Slippery elm is a notable demulcent. It contains a gel like substance which is called mucilage. It coats our mucus membrane and prevents it from damage. Slippery elm tea is very healing for almost any digestive issue. It relieves heartburn, indigestion, colitis and IBS.
( Photo Courtesy: ideonexus )
20. Aloe Vera Juice
Aloe Vera wonderfully soothes the entire digestive tract. It may be somewhat bland to taste, or even a bit bitter. But, it does help a lot in relieving heartburn.
- Ingredients
Aloe Vera leaf
Juicer
Water
- Directions / How to use
Properly cut the Aloe Vera leaf and take out its skin from above, below and the sides. Then, put the gel like remaining substance from the leaf into a juicer and extract its juice. Dilute it with equal amount of water and drink this.
- Why it works ?
Aloe Vera juice is a nice soother of internal and external burns, as it is cooling in nature. Your digestive acid is literally burning the esophagus, so it needs Aloe Vera juice to heal.
( Photo Courtesy: seafaringwoman )
Some other home remedies that people try for heartburn. ( These may not be so effective as the above ones, but sometimes you just don't have the things you need. )
- Chewing gum. Just the act of chewing nicely helps secrete loads of saliva in your mouth, which goes down the food pipe and heals it. The damage done by stomach acid is healed to some extent and your pain may reduce.
- Eating a pineapple slice.
- Eating brown jaggery may also help.
- Drinking juices of alkaline foods, mainly vegetables like spinach, collard greens, swiss chard, broccoli, cauliflower and notable cabbage. By the way, cabbage juice is magic for stomach ulcers.
So, there you go, these are some of the simplest and easiest home remedies for heartburn. However, some people may not get relief from these substances alone. Excess back flow of gastric acid from the stomach to esophagus can occur in diseases like GERD ( Gastro esophageal reflux disease ).
These are nothing short of home made medicine for heartburn. Although there is no single remedy which I can say is the best for heartburn, but ACV is really good. Many of these remedies relieve even the " bad
heartburn ". Just have some patience and try to avoid the heartburn pills. Natural remedies are generally safer and in many cases much more effective.
Heartburn is known to be most severe at nighttime and in morning. So, one should be well prepared if he or she is prone to heartburn. Keeping a packet of ginger cookies is a great way to stay away from heartburn, even when you are on go. At your home, it is always easy as most of the things mentioned above can be found. But when you are on the move, it is different scenario.
( Photo Courtesy: imaffo ) 
