Heartburn home remedies (like ginger tea, melon juice, or marshmallow root infusions) are great natural options to relieve symptoms like burning in the stomach, foul taste in the mouth, nausea or constant burping. These remedies contain antacid and anti-inflammatory properties that help to decrease swelling and gastric secretions and help to protect the stomach lining.
Although these remedies should not substitute treatment indicated by a doctor, they can be options for helping to control reflux attacks. They can also be used as a complement to prescribed treatment.
Some ways to treat heartburn at home include:
1. Water with sodium bicarbonate
When sodium bicarbonate is dissolved in water, it has an alkalizing effect in the digestive tract. This helps to quickly neutralize stomach avid and temporarily relieves heartburn. This can be used for up to 2 weeks.
Ingredients:
- ½ teaspoon of sodium bicarbonate
- 1 cup of water
How to prepare
Mix the ingredients and then drink the mixture slowly, taking small sips.
You should know drink more than 3 teaspoons of sodium bicarbonate water in 24 hours, and you should not use this remedy for longer than 2 weeks. Excess use can result in rebound acid, which is when the stomach notices that acid quantity has decreased and begins producing even more. This can cause even worse reflux symptoms.
2. Ginger tea
Ginger tea contains gingerol, shogaol e zingerone, which are substances with antiemetic and anti-inflammatory substances. They help to relieve stomach inflammation and reduce stomach acid, which decreases reflux and burning in the stomach. This is a great home remedy for heartburn treatment.
Ingredients:
- 1 cm da ginger root, either diced or grated
- 1 liter (or 33 oz) of water
How to prepare
Boil the water and add the ginger to the pot. Allow the ginger to boil in the water for 5 to 10 minutes. Then remove the ginger and drink the tea. You should drink 3 or 4 cups throughout the day, 20 minutes before a meal.
You can also substitute the ginger root for 1 teaspoon of ginger powder.
This tea should be avoided by people with active bleeding in the stomach (e.g. with ulcers), or by people who are using anticoagulant medication. Ginger possesses anticoagulant properties that can increase the risk for bleeding and hemorrhaging.
3. Maytenus ilicifolia tea
Maytenus ilicifolia tea is a great home remedy for heartburn because it contains anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcerative and digestive properties that can protect the stomach lining, reduce stomach acid and improve poor digestion.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of water
- 1 tablespoon of Maytenus ilicifolia leaves
How to prepare
Boil the water and add the Maytenus ilicifolia leaves. Allow them to infuse for 5-10 minutes, then strain them using a mesh sieve. You can drink this, unsweetened, 2 to 3 times per day. or dia.
Maytenus ilicifolia should not be used in children under the age of 12, pregnant women (due to risk of miscarriage) or breastfeeding women (due to decreased milk production). People who are allergic to this plant should also avoid this tea.
4. Fennel tea
Fennel tea contains anethole, estragole and camphor, which has antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic and digestive properties. These all help to decrease stomach inflammation and decrease burning in the throat. This tea also helps with stomach emptying, which makes it a great option for treating heartburn attacks.
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon of fennel seeds
- 1 cup of boiled water
How to prepare
Add the fennel seeds to the cup of hot water. Cover the cup and let it cool for about 10-15 minutes. Strain the seeds from the infusion with a mesh sieve. You can drink 2 to 3 cups per day, 20 minutes before a meal. You can also purchase fennel tea bags as an alternative.
Fennel tea should not be consumed by pregnant women.
5. Pear smoothie
Pear smoothies are rich in anti-inflammatory substances like flavonoids that help to relieve stomach inflammation. They are also rich in fiber, which improves digestive health. Pear smoothies can help to dilute stomach acid and relieve discomfort associated with heartburn.
Ingredients:
- 2 ripe pears
- 3 drops of lemon juice
- 250 mL (or 8 oz) of water
How to prepare:
Mix the pears and the water in a blender until well-combined. Add the drops of lemon to avoid darkening of the smoothie. You can drink this twice a day, or whenever you start to feel reflux or heartburn symptoms.
6. Apple cider vinegar
Although apple cider vinegar is acidic, it can help to regulate stomach pH and improve reflux, heartburn and the formation of gas in the stomach that causes burping. This occurs because the acid present in apple cider vinegar help to correct the excess acid produced in the stomach, which helps to regulate it.
Ingredients:
- 1 to 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup of water
How to prepare
Add the apple cider vinegar to the cup of water and mix well. Drink this 20 minutes before breakfast, lunch or dinner. It is important to rinse your mouth with water immediately after drinking this solution and brush your teeth 30 minutes later to prevent tooth decay.
7. Liquorice tea
Liquorice contains glycyrrhizinic acid, which is a substance that helps to reduce stomach acid and protect the stomach lining. This tea can be very useful as a home remedy for reflux, ulcerative gastritis and heartburn.
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon of liquorice root
- 1 cup of boiled water
- Honey to sweeten as needed
How to prepare
Boil the water and add the licorice, allowing the water to boil for an additional 10 minutes. Strain the infusion with a mesh sieve and sweeten with honey if necessary. Drink this tea up to 2 times per day.
Liquorice tea should not be consumed by pregnant or breastfeeding women, nor should it be consumed by people with cardiac problems.
8. Aloe very smoothie
Aloe vera has a calming and anti-inflammatory action that helps to relieve heartburn symptoms. To achieve this, you will need to use aloe vera pulp, which is the gel found inside the plant.
Ingredients:
- 100 g (or 0.2 lb) of aloe vera pulp
- 1 L (or 8 oz) of water
- Honey to sweeten as needed
How to prepare:
Combine all the ingredients in a blender and mix until they become a homogenous mixture. Drink half a cup of this smoothie 2 to 3 times per day, as high amounts of aloe vera can cause the opposite effect and result in further stomach irritation.
To prepare an aloe vera smoothie, it is important to cut the base of the leaf and to position the plant vertically to drain out the aloin. Aloin is the yellow sap found inside the leaves, which can be toxic if consumed in high quantities. You should only use the white gel or pulp inside the leaf in your your smoothie.
Aloe vera smoothies are not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women. People who take anticoagulants or are being treated for diabetes with medication should speak to their doctor before drinking an aloe vera smoothie.
9. Potato juice
Potato juice is a great home remedy for heartburn, esophagitis, GERD, gastritis and stomach ulcers, because it is very alkaline and will neutralize stomach acid (just like an antacid).
Ingredients:
- 1 raw potato
How to prepare:
To prepare this juice, you should place a potato in a juicer to extract its fluid. You can also blend the potato in a blender, then strain it and drink the juice. You should drink potato juice every day as soon as its prepared, and it should be taken before breakfast on an empty stomach.
10. Lettuce tea
Lettuce tea is a good home remedy for heartburn because it is rich in enzymes that help to reduce inflammation of the stomach lining. It also has a calming action, which can help to reduce discomfort associated with heartburn and improve well-being.
Ingredients:
- 30 g of lettuce leaves
- 500 mL (or 16 oz) of water
How to prepare:
Place the ingredients in a pot and allow them to boil for about 10 minutes. Allow the infusion to soak for another 5 minutes, then strain with a mesh sieve. You can drink 4 cups per day.
11. Marshmallow root infusion
A marshmallow root infusion is prepared using the root of a medicinal plant scientifically known as Althaea officinalis. This plant has calming, soothing and anti-inflammatory effects that help to protect the stomach, which makes it another great option for treating heartburn at home.
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon of marshmallow root
- 1 cup of boiling water
How to prepare
Add the root to the cup of hot water and allow it to soak for 10 minutes. Strain the infusion through a mesh sieve and drink. You can drink up to 2 cups of this infusion per day.
12. Banana smoothie with honey
A banana smoothie with honey is a great way to treat heartburn because bananas are rich in flavonoids (especially leucoanthocyanidins), which thicken stomach and intestinal mucus and neutralize stomach acid. This makes bananas a great, natural antacid. Honey also contains digestive enzymes like diastase, amylase, invertase and protease. These enzymes help with the digestion of food, which reduces heaviness and reflux discomfort.
Ingredients:
- 1 ripe, medium banana
- 250 mL (8 oz) of water
- 1 tablespoon of honey
How to prepare:
Mix the ingredients in a blender and drink. You can drink this smoothie once per day, or when you feel heartburn symptoms.
13. Melon smoothie
A melon smoothie is an excellent home remedy for heartburn because melon is a very alkaline fruit that is rich in magnesium. Magnesium is actually a very common component of antacid medication, and it it helps to decrease stomach acid and decrease any burning sensations. Melon is also high in fiber, which helps digestive health by promoting bowel regularity and the development of naturally-occurring intestinal bacteria.
Ingredients:
- 2 slices of melon
How to prepare:
Blend the melon in a blender until it becomes a smoother liquid. Drink this smoothie twice a day, or whenever you feel heartburn symptoms.
This smoothie is a great option for pregnant women, as it poses no risk to pregnancy. Melon that is pureed will be easier to digest in the stomach, which will result in less acid production than if it was consumed as whole slices.
