You wake-up in the morning and make your way to the kitchen to prepare your morning cup of coffee. In a rush to catch the train to make it to work on time, you settle for breakfast from your local fast food restaurant. A busy schedule does not permit you enough time for a full lunch, so you settle for snacking on potato chips and diet soda. As a standard American diet of artificial flavors and processed foods, it is no surprise that many people suffer from acid reflux.
Known as Gastoesophageal Reflux disease (GERD) this condition occurs when the contents of the stomach leak backwards into the esophagus, which can cause irritation, heartburn and other symptoms leading to the uncomfortable feeling of having your whole meal stuck in your tract.
This sensation is never pleasant, but Barefoot Tiger has a few natural remedies that could help relieve your symptoms.
There are many causes of acid reflux, including too much or too little acid, as well as weak stomach valves. When food is in the stomach, there is a ring of muscle fibers which prevents food from moving back toward the esophagus, called the lower esophageal sphincter. If this muscle does not close properly, food, liquid and stomach acid can leak back into the esophagus, thereby leading to this condition.
The main source of heartburn tends to be too little acid in your stomach, which weakens the body's ability to fully digest foods, such as heartburn inducing proteins. However, treatments that strengthen the body's ability to produce hydrochloric acid can help to alleviate your pain.
The most obvious way of treating acid reflux is with presciption drugs or adjusting your diet to omit fried foods and caffeine, but before seeking these measures, there are a few natural remedies you can try on your own.
You might think that avoiding acid is the best solution, but replacing some of the acid in your stomach can actually help create healthy levels and relieve reflux. It is difficult to swallow alone, but mixing two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar with apple juice once a day can help you live heartburn free.
Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice (DGL) is an extract of licorice and while it cannot cure heartburn, it can alleviate many of the symptoms. DGL promotes mucus release in the gastrointestinal tract, which can soothe an irritated stomach or esophagus lining. This treatment comes in the form of large tablets (2 tablets every 3 to 4 hours) that disintegrate in your mouth.
About the simplest remedy you can use is squeezing half of a fresh lemon in room-temperature water and drinking it first thing in the morning.
The digestive enzyme that is found in papaya, contains papain, which aids in protein digestion. Try adding 500mg or more of papaya enzymes per meal to help relieve symptoms.
The first step to treating acid reflux is making simple lifestyle changes, like these suggested by Barefoot Tiger. Sometimes this is all it takes to relieve the pain and avoid strong medications or anti-reflux operations.
