Herbal Heartburn Relief: Can These Time-tested Tales Treat an Intemperate Tummy?

Everyone's felt it- that burning, painful sensation that crawls up out of our stomach and makes us feel like our throat is on fire- Heartburn. There are about as many old wives' tales about heartburn relief, and just as many over-the-counter remedies available from the local drugstore. If you're looking for Herbal Heartburn relief, however, your options are a bit more limited, and tend to sound a bit more like witches' brew than actual remedy. There are a few, however, which might be worth trying, and couldn't cause any more harm than you've already done to yourself by eating that triple Burrito with guacamole and Jalapenos for dinner.

One of the first suggestions that many herbal practitioners suggest when confronted with people seeking heartburn relief is to wash it down with a cold glass of low-fat milk. The idea here is that just like calming the fire after eating hot food, milk tends to reduce stomach acid. This should only be considered for mild cases of heartburn, however, as in time, the milk tends to actually increase the amount of acid in your stomach.

Vegetable-wise, some Herbal heartburn relief might be found in Celery. The reasoning here is that celery has an alkaline pH, which in turn neutralizes stomach acid. It can be taken either as a raw vegetable, or juiced with other veggies to provide the needed heartburn relief. Green apples may work, too, if you've got some in your fridge.

One universal cure that is mentioned again and again is chewing gum. No, the minty flavor or fruit won't be what provides the herbal heartburn relief, but the production of saliva through the action of chewing. Saliva neutralizes the stomach acids better than practically any heartburn relief medication on the market- provided that your spit works the way its supposed to. Pretty much anything can be used under this theory which will stimulate the saliva glands in your mouth. Technically, that may also be why celery seems to work so well- depends on how you chew it up. On the liquid side of apples, it seems to be a popular fix to try a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. Think of it as a shot- do it quick, and you'll be all right!