7 Ways to Ease Heartburn

From Care2

1. Choose foods with care
Perhaps there’s a reason why the sales of PPIs have risen in tandem with the profits of several fast food chains. Compared with fruits, vegetables, and grains, fatty foods spend more time in the stomach generating acid. That’s why pepperoni pizza is a classic heartburn trigger. Acidic foods such as coffee, chili peppers, orange and tomato juice, and tomato sauce can also cause heartburn, as can drugs like tetracycline, aspirin, and ibuprofen, as well as iron and potassium supplements.

There are also several foods that seem to promote heartburn by weakening the muscle at the base of the esophagus. These include garlic, onions, and–say it ain’t so–chocolate. Some drugs can have this effect, too. Formulations you’ll want to avoid include estrogen, narcotics, and Valium, as well as certain antidepressants and asthma medications.

2. Eat elegantly
Beware the double whammy of stress and eating on the run, which tend to go hand in hand. Stress triggers both acid production and sensitivity to heartburn pain, while eating quickly encourages overeating and pushes acid up the esophagus. Eat slowly, chew thoroughly, relax when you eat, and keep portion size moderate.

3. Pop that gum
One heartburn soother may come as a surprise: saliva. Chemically, saliva is a base, it neutralizes refluxing acid and washes it back into the stomach. Enter gum: A study at the VA Medical Center in Albuquerque showed that chewing gum after meals significantly reduced esophageal acid levels.

4. Take soothing herbs
Several herbs have long histories as heartburn remedies. After you eat, steep one to two teaspoons of chamomile, angelica, anise, caraway seeds, coriander, fennel, or a combination to make a soothing tea. Peppermint and spearmint, once considered reflux triggers, also appear to reduce heartburn. German researchers found that taking a capsule containing peppermint and caraway seed oils for four weeks reduced heartburn significantly more than taking a placebo.

5. Walk it off
Walking after meals helps too, by settling food and aiding digestion. We’re not talking about strenuous walking, which stalls digestion, leaving food in the stomach longer. A pleasant half-hour stroll is all it takes.

6. Rely on gravity
When you stand or sit, gravity helps keep stomach acid where it belongs. But when you lie down, you lose that benefit.

Make gravity your friend by putting several bricks under your mattress to tilt the head of your bed up at least six inches. Don’t rely on extra pillows; you’ll just end up bending your body at the waist, which increases upward pressure on your stomach.

7. Downsize yourself
A spare tire around your abdomen will press against the stomach, pushing acid upward. Tight clothes are another culprit, so don’t squeeze yourself into your Calvins before a big meal. If you do eat extravagantly, go ahead and loosen your belt.