Monday, November 9, 2009

Heartburn Home Remedies, A Little Something For One And All

By Bob Cox

Information on heartburn home remedies can be found just about anywhere. There are those that make sense and others that leave you scratching your head. For sensible remedies try eating almonds, papaya, bananas, garlic and apple cider vinegar.

Each remedy comes with a warning. Read the entire how to use and the warning before trying the method.

Garlic is a versatile food. Used mainly in cooking, it can also be an herbal supplement. Garlic strengthens your heart and gives your immune system a needed boost. It is the most popular of all home remedies. Some say that sauces rich in garlic are the cause of their heartburn. A simple clove or two can stop the heartburn as quickly as it hit.

To use garlic to combat heartburn, chew a clove when heartburn happens. For future use, put a few cloves in apple cider vinegar and take a sip of the liquid to cure your next encounter with it.

Raw garlic works because it is an antibiotic. The organisms that cause heartburn are actually killed by the garlic.

Warning: Garlic may interfere with certain prescription medication. Consult your doctor before you use it. You are going to have bad breath after chewing the garlic. To treat this problem, chew gum, sprigs of parsley or a couple coriander seeds.

Another remedy is papaya. This fruit assists in digestion as well.

Dried papaya can be used in small amounts if you cannot find fresh papaya.

Eat the papaya before you start your meal or as soon as you develop the symptoms.

Papaya contains an enzyme known as Papain that helps with digestion.

Warning: Talk to your doctor before eating this fruit if you have allergic reactions to latex. Avoid this fruit altogether if you are pregnant.

Hopefully you are not someone who suffers from heartburn after eating a banana. If you are, try one of the other remedies. For those who can eat them, and like them, because bananas coat your stomach, some say it gives them relief from their heartburn.

For optimum results, eat fresh but not too ripe bananas.

Peel the banana and eat it or try dried banana slices.

Bananas act as an antacid by covering the lining of your stomach, which in turn, provides relief from heartburn.

Warning: People taking MAOI inhibitors, or those who are diabetic, need to talk to their doctor before eating bananas.

Another home remedy, for heartburn, that many swear by is apple cider vinegar.

If you feel up to it, drink a teaspoon of this vinegar by itself. Many would prefer not to even attempt that so make a little drink for you to help it go down easier.

Mix 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with a tad bit of sugar. Add a little amount of baking soda and 6 ounces of water. Drink the mix while it is still fizzing.

Since vinegar is a base, it is understandable that it would work against excessive stomach acid. It is believed that vinegar also makes the esophageal sphincter contract which aids in keeping the stomach acid down.

Warning: Remember that vinegar will eat your teeth if you use it too much. Anytime you use vinegar, follow up with a glass of water or drink it through a straw so it will not come in contact with your teeth.

Unless you do not like nuts, or are allergic to them, the next remedy does not get much simpler than this, almonds. Try to leave a little room on your stomach for this remedy.

At the first sign of heartburn, eat a little handful of almonds.

The high level of oil in almonds counteracts stomach acid.

Warning: Those who are allergic to tree nuts need to avoid almonds.

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