Natural Heartburn Remedy: Change of Diet and Lifestyle

Heartburn is a common ailment for many people and could sometimes be accompanied by chest pain, especially while lying down at night, a sour taste in the mouth, coughing, wheezing, hoarseness, sore throat or regurgitation of food or liquid. Heartburn is caused when the acidic content of the stomach flows back to the food pipe and therefore irritates the delicate lining of the esophagus and causes pain. Heartburn can be cured by medication, but it is always better to opt for some natural remedies for heartburn like change of diet, quitting smoking or reducing stress.

Diet

The most natural heartburn remedy is to keep control over your diet. If you run a food diary, it might help you in identifying your problematic foods. Foods and drinks which are commonly the cause of heartburn include citrus fruits, chocolate, peppermint, vinegar, fatty and spicy foods and alcohol.

It would be very good for you to figure out which foods are resisted by your digestive system so that you can avoid them. This is an ideal natural heartburn remedy. You should take smaller portion sizes of food and learn to take more time to eat your food by chewing it thoroughly and properly. Avoid going straight to bed after eating, at least one hour time should lapse between your meal and lying down.

Heartburn is a common ailment in India, as the food is spicy most of the time. For example a natural heartburn remedy would be to supplement your basic square meal with a cup of curd. Curd therefore balances the effect of all the chilies in the curry. Another common natural heartburn remedy found in India is the chewing of a bunch of Tulsi (a herb commonly found in India) leaves and this immediately relieves the discomforting burning and nausea caused by heartburn. Homeopathic heartburn remedy is a commonly used medicine in India to fight heartburn.

Reduce Stress

Stress is a common factor for frequent heartburn, and in today's lifestyle, work-related stress is a common factor contributing to heartburn. A natural heartburn remedy would be to try and reduce the stress by mindfulness meditation, for example or relaxation response. Many people use smoking to reduce stress, but nicotine is harmful for the stomach and does not help to relieve stress, it aggravates it.

The aloe vera juice is indeed a common natural heartburn remedy which helps in soothing the esophagus to a great extent. If an adult takes about ¼ cup of aloe vera juice a short while before a meal, it has a soothing effect on the stomach. It can act as a powerful laxative. The aloe vera juice should not be taken directly from the plant as a natural heartburn remedy, as the gel may be contaminated. Make sure to use only gel or juice preparations which are made for internal use.

Herbs

The two herbs slippery elm and marshmallow are popular natural heartburn remedies. While the slippery elm is mainly used for curing soar throats, the herb marshmallow coats and soothes the lining of the esophagus.

A natural heartburn remedy can change your life completely and make you free of pain and discomfort. Use simple elements like drinking plenty of water, drinking a glass of milk or eating cottage cheese. Use natural elements to build up your diet with the help of fruits, salt, sugar and water, and you can get relief from heartburn.

Source:http://ayurveda-foryou.com/ayurveda_herb/tulsi.html