Home Heartburn Remedies

Heartburn. Ugh. There are so many different things that can trigger it for different people and not everyone enjoys eating those chalky antacids. Here are a few quirky home remedies to put that fire out. 

I’ve had some tummy troubles lately, so as I was Googling around looking for what was wrong with me, I stumbled upon these easy home remedies for heartburn. Obviously, if you keep having heartburn issues, you should see someone about it, but if it’s just the occasional case, these may really help.

Not only can gum get rid of bad breath, gum can also help get rid of heartburn. That’s because when you chew gum, it stimulates saliva production and you swallow more, causing whatever’s making your stomach to be upset to be flushed out more quickly than if you had done nothing. According to a study done by the Journal of Dental Research, chewing a piece of sugar free gum for about a half an hour after you eat can lessen the symptoms of heartburn.

There’s an old wives tale out there saying that baking soda is best when it comes to getting rid of heartburn, and this “old wives tale” is one that turns out to be true! Dr. Jaqueline Wolf with Harvard Medical School says that “Baking soda is OK for most people with heartburn.” Dr. Wolf recommends you mix about a half a teaspoon to a whole teaspoon of baking soda with a glass of water, “because it’s a base, it helps neutralize acid.” Just watch it, though. Baking soda contains salt and too much salt can lead to unpleasant side effects like bloating and nausea.

You know how after you’re out in the sun and get sunburn, you’re supposed to slather on aloe vera? Well, it turns out that it works the same for heartburn. Dr. Victor Sierpina with the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston says that aloe vera is an anti inflammatory so "it quiets down any inflammation that is in the esophagus as well as the stomach.” Dr. Sierpina says to drink about a half a cup of aloe vera juice before meals, but he cautions sometimes aloe vera can have a laxative property, so look for one that has that removed. He recommends Aloe Vera Power.

This last one is probably most tasty (aside from the gum), but bananas also can help reduce heartburn. Bananas are a natural antacid. There’s one tiny little problem. About one percent of people who eat bananas say that their heartburn is actually made worse by eating, so just remember that what may work for others may not always work for you.