DGL (deglycyrrhizinated licorice) and Heartburn

Here is some information on DGL studies from Astrid Pujari, M.D.”In terms of relevant studies, the two that I know of were published in the late 1960s and early 1970s. They were small, and didn’t meet the ideal criteria we now use for research studies. These scientists didn’t study heartburn specifically, but found that DGL helped to accelerate healing in people with ulcers.

While the data on DGL for heartburn is fairly skimpy, licorice has been safely eaten as a food, in reasonable amounts, for hundreds of years. Without the glycyrrhizin, the risk is even lower. Given that, it may be worth a try ”as long as your doctor agrees.”

This is very close to my experience. DGL is claimed to be a proven heartburn remedy by many web sites but there is very little ground for that.

For more information read entire article in Seattle Times.

Calendula (marigold) Tea and Heartburn

These report will be interesting for those who is interested in herb treatments for heartburn and acid reflux.

This summer I discovered a very tasty tea and also a way to naturally relief heartburn. This tea is brewed from marigold flowers.

I got an advice about this tea from a friend and it really made a difference for me.

There are multiple benefits of it:

1) It has no caffeine

2) It has anti-inflammatory, anti-septic properties

3) It has no known side effects

Before trying it I looked at some sources on the net to see if it is true.

Calendula article in wikipedia confirms that calendula has anti-viral, anti-genotoxic and anti-inflammatory properties.

Also I found following article on google scholar http://www.balestramech.com/usa/pdf/DolceDigestivoTech.pdf. This article describes a herb preparation for GI problems treatment and marigold (calendula) is part of it. This article doesn’t look like marketing material but actually has some scientific background. You will also find lots of other herbs which help in treating heartburn and acid reflux.

Also if you’re really into science use google scholar http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=2000&q=calendula+stomach+inflammation to get scientific proof on calendula properties.

Make sure that you’re getting tea components from professional. I got calendula (marigold) flowers from my friend who is very good in finding herbs.

Milk is not a remedy for nighttime heartburn!

Milk is a very popular home remedy for heartburn. Well it may work fine during the day to soothe the stomach after heavy meal. But don’t use it before sleep to prevent nighttime heartburn. The problem is that milk is only effective for 30 or 40 minutes. Since it is a high calorie food which requires quite some energy to be digested your stomach will produce even more acid than milk originally neutralized. That is why if you had some milk before going to sleep to treat your heartburn you can expect a sleepless night.

I strongly recommend to replace it with water since it will dilute the acid and get it out of stomach faster.

Don’t try to get rid of heartburn by eating something (there are lots of beliefs that eating something will help heartburn). If it is something high calorie it will produce even more acid.

Best recommendation is to stay awake for 2-3 hours after your last meal. This will guarantee that you will go to sleep with an empty stomach and zero nighttime heartburn.

If you cannot stay awake for that long I strongly recommend getting wedge pillow. It will elevate your body in a way preventing acid from getting to your esophagus. Wedge pillow could be uncomfortable for some people but you don’t need to sleep on it entire night (except a case when you have a severe chronic heartburn which needs to be treated for several months). Usually you will need it only for first 2-3 hours of sleep.

 

How I cured my Heartburn

To celebrate 1 year anniversary of Manage Your Heartburn I created an overview of “How I cured my Heartburn” in a form of a short article so every visitor of this site could read it in 5 minutes and get a good overview on how I did it. Check it out here

Quick tip to reduce night time heartburn

Sorry for the delay in writing – I was on short vacation. I hope you find my blog interesting and useful. Even though it is not very personalized I try to put as much useful information here as possible.
There were a couple of occasions recently when I was drinking beer or wine. Usually when I drink it over some certain amount I’m guaranteed to have night time heartburn. Usually my limit is 1 glass. Anything more than that = pain (usually minor but still pain).

So I tried to come up with some idea on how to reduce this pain even when you overindulge. I though that when you drink much you usually have alcohol staying in your system for some time. I read that alcohol usually stays from 1 hour to 10-12 hours. So the goal is to get rid of this alcohol as soon as possible. Doing this has two benefits. First it will reduce the night time heartburn (or hopefully it won’t show up at all). And second it will reduce the hangover.

So here are couple advices.

  • Eat food while you drink. Food, especially high protein food such as meat, cheese and peanuts, will help slow the absorption of alcohol into your body.
  • Drink water 1 hour before going to sleep (after being done with drinking). Alcohol pushes out water from the body. At the same time water pushes alcohol from the body too. This will also reduce morning dehydration and hangover (if you were drinking way too much)
  • Incliner Sleep Wedge is an innovative sleep solution. It was scientifically designed just to help acid reflux sufferers. It relieves acid reflux by elevating your head, shoulders and upper body as doctors recommend. It helps you to sleep in a natural position for controlling heartburn, respiratory problems and digestion ailments. An alternative to sleep wedge pillow is Mattress Genie
  • Over the course of living with heartburn and acid reflux I found only one herbal treatment which is very effective. It is Slippery Elm. I mostly use it in the form of the powder and make a tea out of it. Tea isn’t very tasty but it covers stomach and esophagus with gel like liquid which protects them from acid. Usually one cup of tea is good enough to have zero heartburn through the night and in the morning.

When it comes at night (hopefully it won’t) don’t suffer in the bed. Stand by and sip some water. This will dilute acid in your stomach and also help your stomach to clear up. Also wait for some time 10-20 minutes before going to sleep again. Water and acid will leave stomach sooner when you’re standing or sitting.

I hope these advises will help you to win a fight over the heartburn!

20 ways to stop your heartburn fast

1. Take some Tums or Mylanta

2. Drink some milk

3. Drink some Slippery Elm tea

4. Elevate the head of your bed

5. Take some Prilosec from any drug store

6. Take some deglycyrrhizinated licorice

7. Chew a chewing gum to neutralize acid with your saliva

8. Take some aloe juice

9. Take some honey

10. Eat some bananas – they reduce stomach acid

11. Suck some hard candy.

12. Take a teaspoon of mustard

13. Try eating a peace of toast

14. Eat some yogurt.

15. Eat cooked rice

16. Drink peppermint/basil/salvia/chamomile tea

17. Eat uncooked almonds

18. Take some Pepto Bismol

19. Eat baked potatoto

20. Don’t forget to go to your doctor! This maybe the most effective way.

 

Acid reflux tips

1. Acid Reflux And Apple Cider Vinegar

Q: Does Apple Cider Vinegar help heartburn?

A: Maybe. Some people swear by it. But there is no medicinal evidence that it helps. Read this article for more information about how Apple Cider Vinegar can help you.

So it worth a try.

2. Acid Reflux And Apples

Q: Does Apples help Heartburn?

A: Apples are acidic fruits so there is no clear evidence that they should help heartburn.

But several sources on internet claim that certain kinds of apple help acid reflux.

3. Acid Reflux And Burping

Q: Is burping caused by Acid Reflux?

A: It maybe. Though there are multiple other conditions like aerophagia which can cause burping.

Work with your doctor to discover exact reason for it. Try elimination diet.

4. Acid Reflux And Caffeine

Q: Does caffeine increases heartburn?

A: Yes. It is clinically proven that caffeine relaxes LES (lower esophageal sphincter) and causes heartburn.

So switch to decaff coffee or cocoa. Read this article about caffeine to know more about it.

5. Acid Reflux And Baking Soda

Q: Does baking soda helps heartburn?

A: Yes. Certainly baking soda and any of the previously mentioned neutralizing agents can be used to treat GERD. These medications are very safe to use in the recommended doses. However, stronger therapy is often needed because GERD is a chronic disorder and the symptoms tend to recur very frequently, often many times per day.

6. Acid Reflux And Beer

Q: Does beer increases heartburn

A: Yes and No. Some kinds of beer will make it worse while others won’t. Unfiltered wheat beer seems to be the safest for heartburn. See more details on alcohol and heartburn.

7. Acid Reflux And Honey

Q: Does honey helps heartburn

A: There is no medical evidence that it helps heartburn. But it can help lots of other medical conditions which could have caused acid reflux. So if honey doesn’t hurt you should use it. Raw and unpausterized honey is the best.

8. Acid Reflux And Lump In Throat (Globus Hystericus)

Q: What is Lump in the throat and what could be causing it?

A: Lump in the throat (Globus Hystericus) is a common complaint that many patients have when presenting to their ENT (otolaryngology-head & neck surgeon) physician. This lump sensation in the neck is most often described as “annoying,” but not painful. The sensation is more pronounced when swallowing and may even interfere somewhat with swallowing whether it be solids or liquids. Often, a person may feel compelled to swallow a second or third time to make sure things get down. The lump itself is described to be roughly the size of a golf ball and is precisely located in the middle of the neck right above the sternum and below the Adam’s Apple.

Heartburn and acid reflux definitely can cause it so try some PPIs and see if they help. If PPIs doesn’t help then most probably the cause is in anxiety. Try exercising more, doing yoga or pilates. Reduce your caffeine. Also it can be related to aerophagia

9. Acid Reflux And Throat Clearing

Q: Is heartburn related to throat clearing?

A: Yes and no. Heartburn may cause throat clearing because your throat could be inflamed by acid. But if you’re on PPIs and don’t have heartburn symptoms and ENT says that everything is fine with your throat then it could be just a bad habbit. You should work on getting rid of it. Try control throat clearing reflex and it should go away. It can take several weeks though.

10. Acid Reflux And Protonix

Q: Will protonix help my heartburn.

A: It most probably will since this drug is one in the family of proton pump inhibitor drugs. PPIs are the most powerful drugs for your heartburn. They reduce acid in your stomach by more than 90% to the level which won’t hurt your esophagus but still will be good enough to digest the food.

Natural Home Heartburn Remedies

It seems that everyone is talking about the need to use natural acid reflux heartburn remedies but you seldom see actual recipes for these cures. Many of these time tested cures are rooted in folklore or oriental medicine. Conventional medical practice is to use either standard ant- acids or one of new prescription medications to control acid reflux and heartburn. Many natural medicine advocates and herbalists warn that taking a steady diet of ant-acids will lead to aluminum toxicity. However most credible research indicates there is no danger from taking ant-acids that contain aluminum unless you have other chronic illness. Never the less many people plain do not want to put anything unnatural into their bodies and natural remedies will give relief to these heartburn sufferers.

We researched a good many different home and natural remedies that are still in frequent use. We have listed these below for your use. We make no claim as to their effectiveness only that the people who provided the remedies claimed that they were very effective for relieving their acid reflux heartburn. All used ingredients that are found in the home or in the local health food store. It should be more or less obvious that if you are not eating or drinking properly, chewing tobacco or smoking, ingesting lots of caffeine or citrus, abusing alcohol or any other activity that will exacerbate your heartburn symptoms, it less likely that these remedies will be effective. In addition if you are suffering from GERD or Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, LES (lower esophageal sphincter) muscles problems, ulcer, chronic heartburn or any advanced form of Gastro Reflux Disease you need to see a physician that specializes in treating acid reflux disease. Delaying treatment can lead to a more serious condition.

  • Almonds: Eating almonds have reduced heartburns symptoms when taken prior to meals and an hour before bedtime.
  • Bananas: Bananas have a natural ant-acid in them that provide heartburn relief. Dried and powder bananas are available and at time more convenient to use.
  • Pineapples are a storehouse of enzymes and contain bromelain, an enzymes that breaks down proteins. Pineapples facilitated digestion, reduce inflammation, and supports wound healing. The fresh juice has a high level of enzymes that will help you stop your acid reflux. It is reported that using fresh pineapple provides better results.
  • Pineapples are a storehouse of enzymes and contain bromelain, an enzymes that breaks down proteins. Pineapples facilitated digestion, reduce inflammation, and supports wound healing. The fresh juice has a high level of enzymes that will help you stop your acid reflux. It is reported that using fresh pineapple provides better results.
  • Raw fruits and vegetables in particular diced apples, carrots and white potatoes are reported to give relief to heartburn pain. Several people have used this remedy for many years with reported success.
  • Vinegar is an acid in itself but it is the number one natural home remedy reported to us. That includes Apple, Japanese and white formulas. Most report that it burns going down the esophagus but once it reaches the stomach the pain and discomfort of acid reflux ends immediately.
  • Chamomile can be found in most health food stores. It is commonly used to make a tea by simmering 1 teaspoon of licorice root powder in a cup of water for about 15 minutes then add 1 tablespoon of chamomile to the pot and cover and let brew for another 10 minutes. Use a tea strainer to remove grounds and then drink while warm. It is reported that this works well as a daily therapy for acid reflux heartburn.
  • Licorice as mentioned above has long been used to treat the symptoms of heartburn. Sold in health food stores as DGL deglycyrhizinated licorice) it comes in the form of gum, chewable tablets or powder. The powder or tablets are usually dissolved in warm water, and then this composition is drunk. Again this remedy is usually most effective when taken as a preventative on a daily basis. As with all licorice it can temporarily raise your blood pressure.
  • Anise, Peppermint and lavender tea has been a popular home remedy for many ailments including reducing the symptoms of acid reflux. It reportedly reduces that amount of acid in your stomach. Boil two cups of water and pour over a tea strain filled with equal amounts of aniseed, peppermint and lavender. Let it steep for about 5 minutes then further strain out the grounds ad a few drops of honey. The prescription calls for drinking this tea with breakfast and again in the evening prior to retiring for the night.
  • Anise is considered a powerful herb that is used for many ailments including heartburn. Apparently there are many types of anise and it is recommended that you use sweet, European, or green anise and avoid star and caraway varieties. Some people have reported that using a couple of drops of anise oil in their morning green tea has help reduce acid reflux symptoms.
  • Peppermint was the second most common home remedy given to us in our search. Many heartburn suffers carry peppermint candies in their pocket and use these to sooth the burning sensation of heartburn. Health food stores have a number of peppermint products that provide an increase dosage of this herb. These in clued drops. Gum and tablets. Reported benefits include reduction of gas, bloating, cramps while improving digestion.
  • Lavender, also an herb is known to increase proper digestion while healing the damage that comes with acid reflux. It is most commonly used in teas.
  • Chicory is a bitter herb that contains the compounds of endive and escarole. Used to make teas it is best taken twice a day, once in the morning and again in the evening to reduce the effects and discomfort of acid reflux heartburn. Chicory can also be added to fresh salads as well.
  • Papaya is a fruit of the tropics but also is grown in south Florida. It can be found in some grocery stores. The enzymes in this fruit have been used for hundreds of years for stomach disorders. The best result come from eating the fresh fruit with breakfast. Jellies made from papaya are also reported to give relief to the symptoms of heartburn. Some health food stores carry papaya related products including papaya enzyme that may be affective as well.
  • Turmeric is found in most curried foods. Someone suffering from heartburn would naturally tend to avoid spicy foods, however turmeric is known to aid in digestion and reduce stomach acid levels. It most commonly used in cooking but it is available in capsules. Taken prior to each meal it has been reported to stop or reduce the symptoms of acid reflux.

These are just some of the many natural home remedies that were reported to us during our research. Again all these remedies were reported to us as effective in reducing or stopping acid reflux heartburn symptoms. Each of us is an individual and as such will find that what remedy works well for one individual will not for another. As a result you will most likely have to try several of the above outlined remedies that will work for you.

As we stated in the beginning, if you are suffering from severe acid reflux disease in the form of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, LES muscle problems or chronic heartburn you need to contact your physician for a proper diagnosis. Failure to do so made lead to a more serious condition like esophageal cancer. According to the many people who contacted us, these time tested natural remedies do indeed work for many people with ordinary acid reflux heartburn disorders.

James Kesel, MS

http://www.heartburnscures.com/

Acid Reflux Heartburn Information

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

Natural remedies for gerd / Heart burn cures

Here is a list of what I think are the best out of home remedies for heart burn.

1) Slippery elm – it rocks! Make a tea out of slippery elm powder and it will coat your stomach with protective mucilage. I always have this powder with me and if I feel that heart burn is about to begin I take one cup before going to sleep. Note: take it warm – NOT hot, otherwise you can get opposite effect (hot liquid relaxes LES).

2) Oatmeal cereal – yeah it helps a lot too. If you have heart burn for a while try switching to cereal for a while. It may help. Just don’t forget to eat something else because oatmeal is not very nutritious.

3) Some warm water. Not such good effect as from slippery elm tea – but can be good enough if you don’t have anything else.

Read more about slippery elm in other sections of this site.

Check out more remedies from heart burn at my remedy database

Baking soda for heartburn?

Will baking soda work for heartburn or not? Yeah it will but only for a very short time. In response to alkaline environment created by baking soda your stomach will try to produce more acid which will then cause even more pain.

So use it only when it really hurts badly. Otherwise try some warm water to dilute acid. It is a longer term solution.