The causes of temporary or chronic heartburn are very numerous and often rooted in the person’s style of life: junk food, fizzy drinks, coffee, smoking or too much stress are only a few of them. Over-the-counter drugs are not the best of solutions, since we do have natural remedies for heartburn within reach; the problem is that we don’t know what alleviates the symptom. Therefore, here are some natural remedies for heartburn, together with some heartburn myths debunked.

I will start by telling you that chewing gum does immense harm to your body, aggravating heartburn. You will find recommendations such as: when you chew gum, you secrete saliva that dilutes the acids in the stomach and eliminates heartburn. False. Chewing gum makes the stomach think you’re going to eat, and consequently, it secretes more acid that could be used for digestion. The natural remedy for heartburn in such a case would be to drink a glass of warm water or milk on the empty stomach.

Another false myth related to a truly functional natural remedy for heartburn is the use of lemon juice; many people say that it does nothing beneficial. Lemon may look acidic and unfriendly to you but the substances it contains causes a basic reaction in the stomach that counteracts the cause of the heartburn in the first place. Natural fresh lemon juice is a natural remedy for mild heartburn; avoid any of the chemical lemon substitutes available on the market, they can be harmful to your system.

Furthermore, you will need to eat only those foods which alleviate or prevent heartburn. For instance biscuits or crackers absorb the acid in the stomach and improve heart burn symptoms (you should not make these a staple part of your diet though for obvious reasons). Furthermore, some combinations of herbs are also helpful if you are looking for a natural remedy for heartburn. Chicory root is one such case; boil it for 5-10 minutes, let it cool and drink the resulting tea. The acid reflux problem will fade and you can enjoy your meals.

Papaya and pineapple are said to be great natural treatments for heartburn too. Not only do such fruits support digestion, but they reduce any possible inflammation due to the high amount of enzymes in their content. Fresh pineapple juice should be consumed at every meal, thanks to its curative properties. For those who are interested, there are natural pill supplements based on papaya and pineapple enzymes that are not very expensive and work well to fight heartburn; their administration must be done during meals.