Home Remedies for Indigestion

Indigestion is one of the most common ailments of the gastrointestinal tract. Each year, the vast majority of the world population will suffer at least one bout with indigestion due to overeating and overindulgence in alcoholic beverages. Each year, people spend hundreds of dollars on expensive over the counter and prescription medicines to treat and prevent the occurrence of indigestion. Many over the counter and prescription drugs used to treat indigestion can cause undesired side effects. As with many other minor health conditions, treating indigestion need not turn into such a costly undertaking. There are many highly effective home remedies for indigestion. The home remedies also do not cause any undesired side effects.

One of the simplest home remedies for indigestion is hot carbonated soda such as Coca-Cola, Pepsi, ginger ale, or Sprite. When you drink these beverages at room temperature with no ice, the acid works to neutralize excess gasses and acids in the upper GI tract and in the stomach to relieve your indigestion. For best results, sip an eight ounce glass of un-iced carbonated beverage slowly as soon as possible after you notice the symptoms of indigestion.

A mixture of baking soda and warm salt water is also an effective home remedy for indigestion. Mix one tablespoon of salt and one tablespoon of baking soda into an eight ounce glass of room temperature water. This isn't the most pleasant-tasting concoction in the world, so it is best to drink it down rather quickly, but not so quickly that you intake a lot of air along with the water. Taking in a lot of air as you drink may actually increase the severity of the indigestion.

Citrus fruits such as oranges, tangerines, lemon, and lime are also effective remedies for indigestion. The citric acid found in these fruits neutralizes the acidity of the upper GI tract and the stomach, as well as the acid given off by certain types of foods.