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Natural Stomach-Acid Reducer
By Nicaela Crawford, eHow Contributor
According to healingdaily.com, one out of ten Americans is affected by heartburn on a daily basis. While some suffer severely from acid-reflux symptoms and require medication, others may have mild problems and prefer to treat these naturally. Fortunately, natural stomach-acid reducers are available, and some may even be sitting in your cupboard already!
Although there are many stomach acid reducing medications on the market, many opt for a more natural route.
Stomach-Acid Problems
Acid reflux, the ailment most commonly associated with stomach-acid reducers, occurs when stomach acid backs up into the esophagus, causing heartburn and often severe pain. Symptoms can last a few seconds or much longer, as noted in earthclinic.com's article, "Cure Acid Reflux." Heartburn by itself does not always indicate acid reflux, and most acid-reflux patients suffer from heartburn on a regular basis. Left untreated, acid reflux could result in serious problems, including esophageal scarring and even an increased risk of esophageal cancer.
Benefits of Natural Stomach-Acid Reducers
Traditional acid-reflux medications such as Prilosec, Prevacid, Zantac and Pepcid are often used to stop the symptoms of acid reflux. These drugs operate by lowering the amount of acid in the stomach, thus treating one of the symptoms of acid reflux: heartburn. Indeed, they often work quite well. However, critics of these drugs argue that they only treat the symptoms of acid reflux, and not the real problem (see article at healingdaily.com, for example). Natural stomach-acid treatment operates by attempting to arrive at an overall balance of the stomach, without exposing the body to foreign chemicals.
Common Home Remedies
Homeremediesweb.com lists several effective home remedies that lower stomach acid. Many natural-remedy advocates encourage the use of apple cider vinegar to reduce stomach acid. This may seem odd, since vinegar is highly acidic, but advocates claim that apple cider vinegar is a "good" acid, that helps to balance the overall acidity of the stomach. Dilute one teaspoon of organic cider vinegar with half a cup of water and drink with meals. Other natural remedies include ginger root, fennel seeds, anise and lavender. Garlic is also said to help reduce stomach acid.
Diet
Changes to diet may also help decrease stomach acid. Avoid foods that are high in acidity, such as citrus and vinegar. Other substances to avoid include chocolate, coffee, alcohol, spicy foods, fried foods, caffeine, tomatoes and peppermint, as noted at healthcastle.com's "Acid Reflux Diet." It may also help to eat several small meals a day, rather than three large ones, and to avoid eating a large meal less than two hours before bed.
Theories/Speculation
There are many supplements on the market that claim to aid in stomach-acid reduction. Likewise, theories about natural remedies abound, and are sometimes even contradictory. According to healthcastle.com, for example, a recent study indicates that avoiding coffee, alcohol, citrus and spicy foods does not in fact lower stomach acid. According to this site, the two main factors involved in stomach-acid reduction are eating less and head elevation during sleep. Including carbohydrates may also help to balance the acid in the stomach, resulting in less heartburn. Nevertheless, avoiding foods that seem to cause acid reflux in any given individual is always advised. Most of the success of natural stomach-acid reduction is based on the individual's own discretion and awareness of his or her condition, as noted in healthcentral.com's helpful analysis of natural stomach-acid reducers.
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