Heartburn, and what do do about it

I am one of the lucky ones that suffers from heartburn on a daily basis, literally. I know that sounds horrible, but it is something that I share with 20+ other million people and it is not fun! I should say that I used to experience the joy of heartburn daily but still get it frequently but not all day everyday. I know that there are pills you can take daily that will relieve the symptoms but the side effects and what they do to your body is not worth it to me, I'd rather suffer through the heartburn.

The common myth with heartburn is that there is too much acid which is causing the burning sensation. In fact, research has shown that it may actually be due to not enough acid production. There is a sphincter, the lower esophageal sphincter, that connects the espophagus to the stomach that opens and closes. It is this valve that closes and keeps stomach acid from rising into the esophagus. If there is not enough acid in the stomach, the sphincter will not close properly, allowing whatever acid is there to come up into the esophagus. There are a few things you can do naturally to help increase the amount of acid in the stomach and help control heartburn.

Hydrochloric acid supplements can be taken daily. These will increase the amount of stomach acid, help the sphincter function properly and decrease heartburn. They may be labeled 'betaine HCL' and make sure you follow the instructions on the bottle.

Before eating, you can mix a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice with a cup or so of water and drink it. This will help balance the pH and acid levels of the stomach as well. (I much prefer apple cider vinegar and feel it works better, but that is just my opinion). Eden's organic is my favorite brand.

Do not lay down after eating. For me, this rule applies for at least 3 hours after eating or I will always get heartburn. Also, do not exercise immediately after eating, give at least 30-60 minutes for your body to digest some of the food before working out.

Lastly, spicy food, fatty food or overeating in general all exacerbate symptoms. For me, spicy food does not affect me, however too many mixed nuts does every time! You need to figure out your own triggers and to avoid them as much as possible. A food journal is a great way to do this. Log what you eat at what time a day and how you feel throughout the day and take notice of any patterns or triggers.

All of these have helped me and I continue to do them and am in a better place than I was before! The frequency and severity of my heartburn have both decreased, but there are occasional flare-ups that are just as bad as before, but I'll take less frequent and less severe any day!