Let’s face it, Americans are stressed, and one of the uncomfortable side-effects of stress is mild to moderate heartburn.
If you experience heartburn more often than you like, and you’ve ruled out more serious conditions, there are some simple and natural solutions that can bring you relief!
Heartburn, or gastric reflux, occurs when there is too much stomach acid, or stomach acid in the wrong part of the digestive system, usually in the throat rather than the stomach. It can be mildly uncomfortable to downright painful, and it often happens at night, disrupting much-needed sleep. Heartburn can be caused by stress, poor digestion, spicy food, and more. If you have severe or continuous heartburn pain, be sure to see a doctor to rule out more serious conditions.
Soothing herbs like Marshmallow Root and Licorice Root can ease discomfort and soothe sensitive tissue, bringing relief right away. These herbs are mucilaginous, meaning they create a slippery substance when added to water. Either one of these herbs can be taken in capsule form with a glass of water or as a warm or cool tea. For those with high blood pressure, make sure the Licorice you choose is deglycyrrhizinated! Unprocessed licorice may increase blood pressure and water retention.
Bitter herbs, like Dandelion Root, Burdock Root, and the herbal compound Triphala, can be helpful for long-term use to prevent acids from rising up out of the stomach in the first place. If you get mild to moderate heartburn fairly often try a moderate dose of one of these herbs daily. They can be taken in capsule, tablet, tea, or powder form. If you have heartburn frequently, you may want to avoid tinctures, and alchoholic drinks as well, since the alchohol can aggravate already sensitive tissues.
If you don’t get heartburn often, or know that it’s because of spicy food, too much coffee, or something similar, cooling herbs can be helpful. Flax seeds (whole or ground), Fennel seeds, Peppermint, and Spearmint are all good choices for cooling herbs for the stomach. These are best taken as a tea, soon after the spicy meal. You’ll be amazed at how quickly they can help. Fennel and Peppermint can also help with gas, bloating, and other effects of over-eating. They’re always a great choice to end a big meal!
Thank you so much for the info you share. I was in the store last week. It was suggested I take slippery elm powder to help with digestion. I have mixed it with oatmeal +/also tried Apple sauce have gritty feeling in the throat area cough even after drinking liquids any suggestions. I’m on Nexum and am seeking other alternatives for GERD acid reflux thank you
Slippery Elm is also a wonderful soothing herb for the digestive system. I tend to use Marshmallow Root instead because Marshmallow is so easily grown and Slippery Elm, a tree, is becoming threatened in the wild.
Adding a bitter tonic may help with the irritable feeling in the throat. Cold dandelion root tea, or even unsweetened black tea, can help considerably. If these don’t seem to help, you may want to see an herbalist one-on-one to go into more detail.
This was helpful to add to my study of Herbs. I appreciate all your help. I am now a student of two Universities of holistic medicine. Thank you! I hope to join you and attend some of your sessions. Do you remember me? I miss you guys!
Aiji
HI, I HAVE BEEN PLAGUED WITH ACID REFLUX FOR YEARS NOW, AND NO DOCTOR SEEMS TO HAVE A CURE FOR IT, DO YOU HAVE ANY HERBAL MEDICINE THAT CAN HELP ME,? AM DESPERATE, AN DUE TO GO FOR A PROCEDURE NEXT WEEK, WHERE THEY PUT A LIGHT INTO YOUR MOUTH TO SEE IN YOUR THROAT TO THE STOMACH LOOKING FOR WHAT I DONT NO, AT LEASTTHAS WHAT HE SAYS. JUST LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY HERBAL MEDICINE THAT CAN HELP, YOU CANNOT USED THE WORD CURE, AM SORRY NOT.IN MARYLAND AT LEAST
PLEASE REPLY
THANKS VERY MUCH
GOD BLESS
The procedure that your doctor recommended is most likely an endoscopy, where they will look at your stomach and small intestine for ulcers and other possible issues that may be causing your heartburn. What they find will determine what the best treatment will be.
In the meantime, the soothing remedies that we discuss in the blog article are helpful. I would not advise taking the triphala before your endoscopy, however. It’s not dangerous, but it could interfere with the test.
When you have your test results from the doctor, you may want to meet with one of our herbalists to discuss the best herbal treatment plan for you.