Herbal Remedies for Acid Reflux

Acid reflux can make eating a meal absolutely miserable.  Otherwise known as heartburn and clinical known by doctors as gatroesophageal reflux, or GERD, it starts with a burning sensation in the stomach or chest that swells up into the throat and feels like literally acid is on your throat.  

The reason why you get it is because of the sphincter muscles in the esophagus not closing properly which allows stomach acid (hydrochloric acid) to surge upward.  About 60 million Americans suffer from this condition and most resort to over the counter medication and prescription drugs to ward it off.  In this hub, I intend to show you some alternatives to the normal prescription drug treatments  and highlight some of the herbal alternatives available for heartburn sufferers.

Aloe Vera juice will help heal the intestinal tract and is available in your local health food grocery.  This is perfect for an after-the-fact treatment and can actually be used as a preventative.

If you already have the effects of heartburn (burning in the throat), then you can drink some chamomile tea.  Chamomile actually helps relieve the irritation in the esophagus caused by acid reflux.

Catnip, fennel, ginger, marshmallow root and papaya are all good for general digestion problems but they are very good with stopping heartburn.  They basically create a buffer between the acid and your throat.  You can drink these in a tea and while some will be harder to find than others, some herbalists will have them readily available.  You can also get them online.

DGL or Deglycyrrhizinated licorice is a very effective herb to treat acid reflux and probably the most recommended.  DGL not only treats those suffering from GERD but also treats ulcers in the stomach and esophagus.  The one downside to licorice is that you can't use it if you have high blood pressure.

Slippery Elm can be used to help soothe and reduce inflammation in the lining of the esophagus and stomach.

Finally, there are some preventative herbal remedies to take before you eat.  For instance, you can take some digestive enzymes before you eat to help aid in digestion.  Some people believe that taking these will help with warding off acid reflux.

Another option is probiotics.  Probiotics work much in the same way that digestive enzymes work and can be found in active yogurt cultures.  The recommended allowance for this is to get as much as 4 billion active organism.

That's pretty much it.  Of course, if you want to prevent acid reflux, your best bet is to maintain a healthy weight and eat the proper foods.