Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Natural Remedies to Alleviate Heartburns

By William Lagadyn

Heartburn is one of those ailments that most people consider minor partly because it is so common, and secondly because people are ignorant about potential hazards of advanced or chronic heartburn. Heartburn is just the manifestation of acid reflux which in simple terms is the backing up of stomach acids into the esophagus. Another medical term for it is Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease or GERD in short. Advanced heartburn can lead to the esophagus lining being infected by ulcers.

Industrial chemical drugs are what most people use as a heartburn remedy. Recent research however sheds doubt on the effectiveness of these drugs to alleviate heartburns. These drugs are designed to inhibit stomach acids which are in fact needed in the stomach to assist in the breakdown of food as well as digestion. To this end, natural remedies have now been introduced. They are effective and do not have any side effects while they are being used. This natural method of heartburn alleviation has its foundation in the types of food that we consume and how we consume them.

For start, ensure that you take lots of water all day. The water must be very clean and filtered so as to help in stabilizing the pH level in the stomach thereby keeping the amount of acid at a required level. The other types of natural cure for heartburn are the use of ginger and peppermint. You can take ginger as it is, but it is recommended that you take it with other foods in measured amounts for better results. Peppermint on the other hand can be mixed with drinks before being taken. It has the ability to neutralize all stomachs acids which help eliminating acid reflux and heartburns.

Apple cider vinegar taken in beverage form has also been found to be an effective way to deal with heartburn. Others prefer to take roasted unsalted almonds as a cure for heartburn and they are said to be doing the trick. As they say prevention is better then cure therefore its prudent that one takes preventative rather than curative measures. The kinds of foods that you consume are of much importance and one should be cautious when it comes to this. Avoid spicy foods as much as possible.

Before you embark on a diet or program to help you avoid heartburns, you should go to a qualified medic for advice since there are many quacks.

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