Finding an acid reflux treatment or a natural cure for GERD is actually quite simple, and you don’t automatically have to go the medical route with acid reflux medication if you are looking for acid reflux relieves.
There are natural cures for acid reflux, a diet for acid reflux, herbal acid reflux remedies, an acid reflux pillow, and even home remedies for acid reflux.
The GERD diet is actually one of the best GERD treatment options, especially if you are cutting out all the acid reflux food to avoid.
Medication, even surgery, may be necessary, especially you have severe GERD symptoms but many people feel more comfortable without medication in their bodies and if possible, a natural cure for GERD and a natural acid reflux treatment is good a good place to start.
I mean, if you can go the natural route, why not try!
Acid Reflux Food to Avoid in Your Acid Reflux Treatment
One of the best ways to cure your acid reflux naturally is to avoid all the foods that cause acid reflux.
There are many different foods that may be responsible for your acid reflux, as they cause your stomach to produce more acid to digest it.
The list of acid reflex food to avoid that you will find below will help you to know which foods should be cut out of your diet in order to deal with your acid reflux naturally:
- Fatty Meat – The majority of the fatty meat that you can find in the supermarket is going to be on the list of acid reflux food to avoid.
The reason for this is that fat is incredibly hard for your stomach to digest, so it has to produce more acid in order to try to break down the fatty particles. Want to prevent acid reflux? Replace any fatty meats with proteins that are low in fat.
- Fruits and Vegetables – That’s right, there are fruits and vegetables that can be bad for you, but only when you have acid reflux. The reason that these foods are so bad for you is that they also cause your stomach to produce acid, and they themselves contain acids that add to your gastric acids in your stomach. These include all citrus fruits and juices, cranberry juice, tomatoes, French fried potatoes, potato salad, and raw onions.
- Fats and Sweets – As mentioned above, fats are hard for the stomach to digest, therefore more acid has to be produced to handle the fat consumption. Sweets are also very hard on your stomach, and you would do well to avoid pretty much all kinds of sweets and fats.
Anything fried, deep fried, containing lots of butter, or very sugary are all on the no-no list.
- Strong Drink – Yes, like Samson in the Bible, you must avoid strong drink if you have acid reflux.
The reason for this is that the strong drinks like coffee, tea, alcohol, soda, and energy drinks all contain lots of sugar, but they are also very acidic and add to the acid content of your stomach.
- Dairy – Most full-fat dairy products actually have a very high fat content, and some of them even have a lot of sugar. While dairy contains lots of important nutrients, the fat is not very important.
You should cut out all full fat dairy from your diet, particularly ice cream, sour cream, whole milk, cream cheese, and cottage cheese.
- Grains – Refined grains are very hard on your stomach, and they are known to contribute to acid reflux.
You should especially avoid white flour, as well as most of the products made with refined flour.
Yes, I know this list of food contains most of your favorite things, but the good news is that by doing so you can prevent your GERD from worsening.
Natural Cures for Acid Reflux: Healthy Acid Reflux Treatment
Some of the best natural cures for acid reflux involve simple things like eating raw foods, while other cures are more complex.
Here are a few natural cures to help you get rid of your acid reflux without needing medication.
Eat Raw Foods
Raw foods contain a special enzyme that your body needs to handle the digestion and distribution of food, but these enzymes are destroyed the minute the temperature of your food passes 116 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you want to engage in a more effective acid reflux treatment, try and get more raw foods (not the ones on the list above) in order to increase the enzymes in your body.
Get More Vitamin D
Vitamin D is an essential vitamin for many functions in your body, and it helps to create special peptides in your stomach that will help to cure infections in your body (such as in the esophagus).
You can get lots of Vitamin D from the sun (be wary of radiation), but you can also find lots of great foods and supplements that are rich in the essential vitamin.
Exercise More
That’s right: exercise is the key to pretty much everything and it may make quite a difference if you include it in your acid reflux treatment.
If you want to boost your body’s natural defenses against acid reflux and GERD, get out of your house and do at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise five times a week.
It will help you to lose weight, improve your circulation, boost your body’s digestive system, regulate your metabolism, and fight off your acid reflux.
Acid Reflux Treatment: Herbal Acid Reflux Remedies
There are some pretty awesome herbal acid reflux remedies that you may want to consider if your stomach acid is acting up.
However, each GERD condition is different and what may work for some, may not work for others. In other words, when it comes to food a bit of trial and error is probably unavoidable:
- Apple Cider Vinegar – Apple cider vinegar contains pectin, which is one of the best fat burning substances. However, the vinegar will also help to calm your poor roiling stomach, and will help to prevent the very acute pain that is caused by acid reflux. It is a fast-acting remedy that can reduce and prevent the pain.
- Baking Soda – So many people have heard of the many benefits of sodium bicarbonate, and one of the benefits of this amazing substance is helping to treat acid reflux and heart burn. It is actually one of the ingredients in antacids, and it can help to prevent stomach pains just by adding a spoonful of it to a glass of water and chugging it down before the fizz stops.
- Fennel Seeds – Fennel seeds are excellent for helping to deal with GERD and acid reflux, as it helps to cut back on the acid in your stomach. As long as you aren’t pregnant, it is an excellent remedy to consider.
- Peppermint – Did you know that peppermint can help to settle your stomach and calm the acid that is churning inside your digestive system? This is why many doctors recommend a peppermint after eating, but you should know that it may cause an increase in acid production before it helps your stomach to settle down.
- German Chamomile – This is a tasty herb that has been given for centuries as a treatment to help settle sleepless children down, but it can also help to calm your poor digestive system down and reduce the swelling of your digestive tract.
- Meadowsweet – Meadowsweet, when prepared in the form of a tea, can provide relief from the pain of heartburn. It is an herb that can soothe and cool your poor stomach and esophagus, and will help to cut back on the production of acid while reducing swelling.
These are a few simple natural herbal remedies that may work for your natural acid reflux treatment, and they are worth considering if you are feeling the pain that accompanies GERD and acid reflux.
They may not have a long term effect, but they can certainly help to cut back on the pain you feel.
The Diet for Acid Reflux Treatment: Good GERD Foods
Your diet for acid reflux is one of the most important things that you can do to prevent acid reflux from getting out of control or being too painful.
Remember that it is the food you eat that is causing the production of acid in your stomach, and thus it is your responsibility to put the right foods in your mouth.
You already know what foods you need to cut out of your diet, but here are some foods that you should add to your diet for acid reflux:
- Fiber – That’s right, fiber is one of the most important things to add to your acid reflux treatement.
Dietary fiber helps to soak up the acid in your stomach, and will send it on its way down the intestines. Make sure that you get fiber from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains that won’t irritate your heartburn or acid reflux, and try to avoid the food items that contain lots of starch and sugar.
- Protein – Did you know that foods that are rich in protein will help to strengthen the muscles of your stomach and esophagus to prevent the acid from coming back up?
It is essential to avoid eating proteins that are very high in fat, so you should look for low-fat protein sources like fish, egg whites, skinless chicken or turkey, legumes, and very low-fat meats in your acid reflux treatment.
- Pineapple – While pineapple should be considered one of the most acidic fruits on the planet, it is actually very good for your acid reflux.
The reason for this is that it contains bromelain, which is excellent to help your digestion, reduce your acid reflex, and calm your stomach down.
- Papaya – This tropical fruit is highly recommended by doctors, as it contains papain.
This enzyme found in papayas improves your digestion and helps to handle the absorption of protein in your body. It can help to reduce your acid reflux, improve your digestion, and bring peace to your stomach.
These are just a few of the most important foods, but you would do well to go further and improve your diet significantly.
Read the list of foods to avoid for acid reflux (see above), and cut out all those foods immediately in order to improve your digestion.
Diet for Acid Reflux Treatment: Good Eating Habits
Another thing to keep in mind is that you need to change the way you eat.
If you eat large meals, you are filling your stomach and thus placing pressure on your lower esophageal sphincter.
Stop eating such large portions, but eat fewer meals throughout the day. Large meals also stay in your stomach longer, thus increasing the amount of acid in your stomach.
If you eat too close to your bed time, you will find that acid reflux will set in during the night. It is best to eat no less than 4 hours before you lay down for sleep, as that will ensure that your food is well digested.
When eating out, make sure to avoid all the foods that are high in fat. You are probably going to have to eat out occasionally, so find a restaurant with foods that are healthy, natural, and low in fat in order to give you stomach a break.
Home Remedies for Acid Reflux Treatment
There are some pretty awesome home remedies for acid reflex treatment, and these remedies will be great to try if you are feeling the pain from acid reflux, GERD, or heart burn:
- Aloe Vera – Aloe Vera is known for its calming and soothing effect, and it will help to soothe the pain in your esophagus and stomach.
It also helps to improve your digestion, so mix up some aloe vera juice in water to give your stomach a break.
- Licorice – Licorice can be very effective at helping to protect your stomach from acid reflux, as it creates a thick gel that lines the inside of your stomach.
This isn’t the Twizzlers that you find in Walmart, but it is the herbal licorice that has been used as an herbal remedy for centuries.
- Papaya – As mentioned above, papaya can be effective in reducing the pain from acid reflux, but you may not have fresh papaya fruit if you don’t live in the tropics.
You can usually find chewable tablets in the pharmacy, and they will be effective at helping to cure your acid reflux.
- Gum – Chewing gum will actually help to reduce the pain of acid reflux, as the increased saliva production caused by your chewing will help to soothe your poor esophagus, cause the acid to be neutralized, and send the acid back down into your stomach thanks to the fact that you are constantly swallowing.
Acid Reflux Medication
Here are some of the medications you may want to consider if acid reflux is a serious problem:
- Antacids – Antacids are the short term solution to acid reflux, as they help to send the acid on down into your intestines. The effects last for an hour or so before the acid starts building up.
- Foam Barriers – Foam barriers work like antacids, but they also create a foamy surface on top of the acid that prevents it from coming back up. It is a more long term solution.
- H2 Antagonists – These H2 blockers basically prevent the stomach from producing acid, thus providing a more long term solution.
- PPI – Proton pump inhibitors shut off the secretion of acid in your stomach for a long period of time, thus providing a much more permanent solution to acid reflux.
- Pro-Motility Drugs – These drugs strengthen the muscles of your digestive system to help move the food and acid along its way.
Medications are sometimes the way to go with your acid reflux treatment, though not always.
Unique Acid Reflux Cures – The Acid Reflux Pillow
The acid reflux pillow is a nifty invention, and it can be very effective in helping to prevent acid reflux from setting in at night.
The pillow basically looks like a comfortable ramp, and it elevates your head at least 45 degrees above your stomach. This helps to prevent stomach acid from coming back up, as gravity works to keep the acid heading towards your intestines rather than back up your esophagus.
Moderation is the Key to the GERD Diet for GERD Treatment
The secret to the GERD diet is actually to cut down on the food you eat, as that is the most effective acid reflux treatment.
The less food there is in your stomach, the less acid your stomach needs to produce and the less pressure there is on your esophageal sphincter.
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Typical and Severe Symptoms of GERD: Dealing with Symptoms of Acid Reflux Disease
A Long List of Symptoms of Acid Reflux and an Explanation of the Similar GERD Symptoms
Natural GERD Treatment: Healthy GERD Diet & Foods to Avoid with GERD
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