What to Do About Stomach Acid

Natural Remedies to Improve Digestion

The holidays are a time that some people might associate with heartburn, gas, acid reflux, and other types of stomach upsets. You could stock up on Rolaids, Tums, or Alka-Seltzer for your family and guests, or you could read this article to learn why you need stomach acid, and how to make it work for you, instead of causing you pain. 

Adequate stomach acid is necessary for proper digestion and assimilating nutrients. Acid also helps digest and absorb protein. The gastric (or stomach) acids also helps destroy bacteria and parasites that might be in the food. So you need the stomach acid. The question is how to keep it from keeping you up all night with heartburn. 

First, some common sense tips:
Eat a balanced diet full of whole grains, protein, fiber, vegetables, fruits and essential fatty acids.
Chew your food thoroughly. This stimulates the salivary gland to make saliva, which helps kill bacteria.
Relax. Eating on the run is bad for you. Stress and anxiety diverts blood away from digestion into the muscles.
Don’t drink so much with meals, and only drink alcohol after meals. Washing food down with too much fluid can compromise normal digestion. 

Don’t overeat. Eating smaller meals more often is healthier for your digestive system. 

Stop the bedtime snack. Your body rests better when it isn’t trying to digest that piece of pizza you ate on the way down the hallway. 

The myths about stomach acid that you may have heard include drinking milk to help ease stomach acid before bed. 

However, that milk will create a rebound reaction, and chances are good you will wake up a few hours later with acid reflux or heartburn. Some people think that avoiding coffee, citrus and spicy foods will ease their stomach acid woes, but there is no evidence of that helping. Go ahead and drink your coffee and orange juice and enjoy your spicy favorites. However, what you drink does make a difference. Soda and beer create excessive stomach acid. In fact, one beer can double your stomach acid production in an hour.