Many women tend to experience heartburn symptoms when they are still carrying their babies, and this happens for several reasons.

One of these is the increase of hormones in the women’s body while they are pregnant. The occurrence of this will result in softening the ligaments which function is to keep the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) firmly closed. When the LES rests at unsuitable periods, tendency is, this will let the gastric acid and food to reflux back to the esophagus and throat.

One more reason of experiencing heartburn during pregnancy is because the changes in the body and the development of the baby creates more pressure in the women’s stomach. Therefore, the stomach contents are forced right into the LES, and then to the esophagus.

However, there are several methods that a pregnant woman can observe to lessen the discomfort brought by heartburn. The following are good advices, although this may not remove the heartburn totally:

•    Avoid the food that triggers heartburn. Examples of this are chocolates, spicy foods, citrus fruits and juices, mustard, tomatoes and tomato based products, fatty foods, fried foods, and highly seasoned dishes. Try to refer to medical specialists to know the complete list of foods to avoid Acid Reflux. Also, for foods that you may take which contains little danger of causing heartburn.

•    Get rid of drinks that have caffeine, like tea, coffee, and soda. Too much of these will cause the LES to relax and let the acid to return into the esophagus.

•    Stay away from alcohol beverages. This, like caffeine tends to relax the LES thus, creating the same effect—triggering heartburn.

•    Avoid eating large meals. It is suggested that taking numerous small meals throughout the day will be better.

•    Avoid rush in eating your meals. Chewing food thoroughly will really help in avoidance of heartburn, so better take your time in eating.

•    Rest for at least three hours after having your last meal before taking your sleep.

•    A pregnant woman is advised to take more glasses of water a day, at least 8 to 10 glasses, though this must be taken not just during meals. Through this, the stomach will expand, and then the LES will be given more pressure, obliging it to open inappropriately. Hence, it is really recommended to drink more water and other fluids in between meals.

•    When sleeping elevate the head of the bed for at least six to eight inches. Try to sleep with an elevated head and shoulders through a wedge pillow. Through this, the gravity will work as much that it will keep the acids in your stomach in their place—in the stomach, not in the esophagus. Try to consult physicians to gain additional knowledge on how to relieve nighttime heartburn.

•    Don’t wear tight fitting clothes. Tightness around the waist and stomach will trigger heartburn as it causes uneasiness.

•    When bending, do it at the knees, not at the waist. This will avoid in creating too much pressure in the stomach.

•    Don’t slouch; rather sit erect in a relaxing chair.

•    Maintain a sensible amount of weight, too much weight and fatness will give more stress in your stomach. As a result, this will force stomach contents throughout the LES and to the esophagus. Stay with your doctors guidelines.

•    Avoid smoking. Doctors stated that smoking could cause several effects to a pregnant woman, much that it can add to the possibility of experiencing heartburn.

Using antacids for acid reflux or heartburn will create more acid imbalance in your body.  Using
natural remedies for these conditions provides you a way that you can rebalance your stomach digestion problems. You will also gain the additional health benefits that these remedies provide.  Discover 3 different natural remedies that will help you with your acid reflux or heartburn.

Here is a list of natural remedies that you can use when you have acid reflux or heartburn.  No need to use antacids, which have unwanted side effects and contain aluminum, which has been associated with senility and Alzheimer’s disease.

Anise, peppermint, and lavender

Here’s a tea that you can make to help you with acid reflux or heartburn.   It will help you reduce the amount of acid you have in your stomach.  Mix together equal amounts of aniseed, peppermint and lavender.   Make an infusion of this tea:

*  boiling 2 ½ cup distilled water
*  pour this water over a teaspoon of the herbal mixture
*  let this tea sit for 3- 5 minutes
*  strain the tea and add a little bit of honey if you like.
*  place this tea in a thermos

Drink up to 8 oz in the morning and 8 oz in the evening to get relief of acid reflux.

Aniseed or anise – is a powerful herb that helps in digestive conditions and has many other benefits for your body.  Use only the ash-colored anise called green anise, European anise or sweet anise.  There are two other types of anise, star anise and caraway, which should not be used here.

Peppermint – is another powerful herb for stomach conditions or heartburn.  It helps in digestion, stomach distension, cramps, ulcers, and gas.

Lavender – known for it scent has enormous healing activity for your body.  Is also an excellent stomach aid.  It is useful in reducing acid in the stomach.

Betain, Pepsin, and Papaya digestive enzymes

As you get older, your stomach weakens in its ability to produce hydrochloric acid to digest protein.  It is undigested protein that leads to acid reflux or heartburn.  Use digestive enzymes that contain Betain, pepsin, or HCl with each meal to make sure you digest all of your protein.

Papaya digestive enzymes, which contain papain, are also excellent for protein digestion and you can use them with each meal.  Use 500mg or more of papaya enzymes per meal.

Pineapples

Pineapples are a store house of enzymes and contain bromelain, an enzymes that reduces protein.  Pineapples support digestion, reduce inflammation, and supports wound healing.  The fresh juice has a high level of enzymes that will help you stop your acid reflux.

You can also buy bromelain as tablet and take 200 – 500mg per meal. 

Chicory Root

Chicory comes from a family of bitter herbs that contain endive and escarole.  Boil 1 ½ cup of chicory root for 5 - 10 minutes.  After it colds to room temperature, drink this tea to correct acid reflux or heartburn. 

Adding these herbs to your salad will also have benefits in preventing acid reflux.  Eating those foods that are alkaline is the best way to avoid acid reflux and heartburn.

Using the remedies listed here will give relief from your acid reflux.  But more importantly add a salad to your diet everyday and you will have less acid reflux in your life.






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To counter the surge in the prevalence of acid reflux, lots of over the counter medications have been churned out of our pharmaceutical companies. A lot of theories abound, medically and naturally, about the root cause of this disease.

The first explanation for the cause of this condition is that because of the incompetence of the Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES) acidic contents of the stomach are allowed up into the esophagus, which results in a burning sensation. The LES is a valve that is found at the lower end of the esophagus and separates it from the stomach and its contents but when this valve becomes dysfunctional, it allows the acidic content of the stomach to be regurgitated into the esophagus.

A separate school of thought believes that acidic reflux disease is caused by our eating habits. As it's often said, living in the civilized world entails eating more junk food and packaged and processed food than the stomach can digest. So, when we put so much into the stomach, most of the food ends up undigested. These undigested food materials turn into acidic waste in the stomach. This waste causes stomach spasms or twitching that causes an increase in stomach gas that pops open the LES valve between the esophagus and stomach sending acidic contents up the esophagus.

Yet, acidic reflux disease can be traced to aging in adults. It is believed in some quarters that as we age, the activity of the stomach reduces, so also its ability to produce hydrochloric acid. The reduction in the stomach activity and acid content of the stomach creates a breeding ground for infections which in themselves cause stomach pain and acid production leading to further symptoms of acid reflux.

Whatever the cause of acid reflux disease, what is constant about it, is the fact that it is a chronic disease. Most medicines, which inhibit production of acid in the stomach, only help to relieve the burning effect and other symptoms and not actually cure the condition. As a matter of fact, these drugs help in relieving the symptoms quite effectively, but the other side of the coin is that these drugs also cause several side effects in the body by cutting down the acid production in your stomach. Some of their side effects are that they reduce the ability of the stomach to digest food efficiently, they make you more vulnerable to diseases and microbes transmitted through food, increases the risk of food poisoning and a host of others.

While there are many medications and natural methods to rid yourself of that burning sensation that accompanies each acid reflux bout, the first line of action should be a thorough assessment of the your food and lifestyle. Some food materials are known to aggravate acid reflux, some of the foods include; citrus, caffeine, chocolate, fatty fried foods, garlic, and onions. Cutting down or avoiding these foods as much as possible is a good first attempt at preventing future acid reflux bouts.

Additional lifestyle assessment and modification that can help reduce acid reflux episodes include:

- Losing weight if you are overweight
- Cutting down alcohol to the barest minimum
- Eating just enough food to keep hunger away
- Don't go to bed until at least three hours after eating
- Raise your bed head six to eight inches

These very simple lifestyle improvements can keep you off those acid blockers and other acid reflux medications that cause almost the same amount of damage as the good they do to your body.