Best Remedies for Acidity and Heartburn

Acidity is Amlapita in Ayurveda, is misunderstood most of the times. When we suffer from regular episodes of acid reflux, heaviness in chest, burping and heartburn, we thought that it is due to excess of acid in our stomach. But actually its opposite. All these symptoms signifies low stomach acid due to our bad lifestyle and dietary habits. When this happens, stomach is unable to break down the food properly and it gets fermented and releases more gases.

This condition is often misunderstood by the patients, and they start taking antacid pills for years. But those pills are actually suppressing the release of acid in stomach and it may lead to serious stomach complications in future.

In most of the cases the major cause is today’s sedentary lifestyle and lack of exercise. Less movement and activity is a big obstacle in proper digestion of food.

If the food sits in stomach for longer period of time, then the chances of increased acid levels can cause gases to be formed which in turn can result in bloating, burping, and heartburn due to acid reflux.

Excessive spicy food intake causes increase in acid production which creates burning in stomach and causes inflammation of the stomach lining and turns to Gastritis.

Similarly increased intake of Junk food (vaat and kapha increasing foods) are heavy so cause indigestion which ultimately leads to low metabolism. Low metabolism makes digestion further difficult causing bloating and constipation. This again causes belching and increases pitta causing Acidity (Amlapitta).

Now we all know the problem, let me give you some useful remedies to solve this problem at home without taking any pills.

Lifestyle Changes

1. Don’t eat big meals at a time as large portion size put pressure on the stomach and it is hard on our digestive system. Eat small and frequent meals after every 2-3 hours.
2. Chew your food well. Half of your digestion should be in your mouth. The more you chew your food, the more digestive enzymes get released in stomach. Chewing your food in the mouth properly will send signal to pancreas to release more enzymes in our stomach.
3. Keep moving and Stay Active. Active lifestyle and good workout is the real solution as it helps in proper blood circulation and mobilizing your digested food from stomach towards small intestines.
4. Overuse of antacids and painkillers- Regular use any drug will also cause acidity over time so don’t depend on medicines for every minor health issue.
5. Avoid junk food, refined foods and processed foods completely, they put pressure on stomach to produce more acid to digest them properly.
6. Maintain a gap of 2.5 to 3 hours between dinner and bed time. Eating just before bed time causes acidity and heartburn.
7. Keep a food journal, observe and note down which foods are triggering the acidity.
8. Keep yourself hydrated. Even 1% drop in water level in your body makes you acidic. To balance our ph level of body naturally, it needs water.

Dietary Changes

1. Baked fennel seeds do an excellent job of soothing the stomach. Eat ¼ teaspoon thrice daily, in between your meals.
2. Ayurveda strongly recommends Zeera for treating all types of digestive woes. Soak 1 tbsp Zeera in 1 glass water overnight, next morning warm it and drink like tea.
3. Include banana, cucumber, yoghurt and Buttermilk in your diet. They are known to give instant relief from acidity.
4. Caffeine-rich coffee, tea and sodas will aggravate acid reflux. Avoid having too much coffee or tea and replace with non-caffeine tea like chamomile or green tea.
5. Coconut water: This tasty treat is known to soothe your stomach and the digestive system. Take at least two glasses a day.
6. Fruits like pineapple & papaya contain enzymes such as bromelain & papain respectively. These enzymes help to aid digestion to fix any issues like acidity, bloating, indigestion.
7. Aloe vera juice- Start your day with 30ml Aloe vera juice in 1 glass water. It helps by coating the stomach, and heals the lining and tissues damage which is caused by acidity.
8. Ingest Apple Cider Vinegar with mother (diluted) – 1 tablespoon with a room temp glass of water 30 min. before your meals.
9. Tulsi leaves- You can chew 4-5 fresh tulsi leaves or you can brew those leaves in water for 4-5 min and sip on it after main meals.
10. A glass of Buttermilk with Mint leaves will provide a big relief from acidity. Take 1 glass everyday 15 minutes before your lunch.