How to Prevent and Reverse Acid Reflux
Disease Naturally
Natural prescription and over- the- counter anti-acids:
you’ve tried them all, like thousands of other Americans,
but without them, you just can’t seem to get rid of that
annoying heartburn, acid indigestion, burning sensation in
your abdomen and esophagus. Chronic heartburn, or shall we
say chronic acid indigestion, can be prevented, treated and
even reversed naturally.
The journey starts in your kitchen, as many different
foods help put it out as well as contribute to its onset.
There are also at least 20 different herbs available on the
market today that are natural anti-acids and they are cheap
too. Learn how to treat the root cause of acid indigestion,
and you are back in the driver’s seat- in charge of your own
healthcare. You can learn how to prevent it as well as
reverse it.
What better way to treat acid indigestion than to dig
into a bowl of vanilla ice cream or sip on a glass of cola.
Yes, you heard correctly. These food items are natural
anti-acids, as
well as many other sweet sugary foods. (If you are concerned
about calories, opt for one of
the reduced calorie ice creams now available on the market.)
Sugar is a natural anti-acid. You experience this effect
when you add it to tart strawberries or blackberries when
making a pie. There is a therapeutic use for this processed,
nutrient stripped white substance after all. Other naturally
sweet anti-acid foods include: milk, pudding, ricotta
cheese, red delicious apples, pears, purple sweet grapes,
dates, figs, honeydew, coconut, and peppermint. Anti-acid
vegetables and other food products include white potatoes,
sweet potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, lettuce,
kale, collards, most leafy greens (salad material),
cucumbers, asparagus, avocado, plain tofu, and white rice.
But wait! Before you begin eating that salad, pay careful
attention to the type of salad dressing you are drizzling on
top of it. Is it sour, or more on the sweet side? If
it is a raspberry vinaigrette or simple oil and vinegar
dressing, chances are that it is sour and only adding to
your existing problem. Which
brings me to the number one
cause of cronic heartburn: too much acidity in the gut.
Acid reflux or chronic acid indigestion is caused from too
much acid, period. Some people’s systems naturally tend to
make more of it than others to begin with.
But any food that is acidic and if
consumed frequent enough, will cause it to develop in
sensitive people. What foods are acidic? Basically
any substance that is sour is the greatest offender. That
even includes sour natural supplements such as vitamin C.
Fermented foods also fall into this category because they
are considered sour. For example, to make yogurt, you have
to let it sour and ferment.
Foods that fall into these two categories are:
grapefruit, lemons, limes, tangerines, kiwis, rhubarb,
strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, cranberries, granny
smith apples, yogurt, sour cream, buttermilk, pickles,
vinegar, cheese, coffee, alcohol, sourdough bread, tomatoes,
ketchup, mustard, barbecue sauce, tartar sauce, and even
sweet fruits that might be more tart than sweet such as:
unripe green bananas, oranges, pineapple, green grapes, and
peaches. Unless the fruit you buy is overly ripe and sweet,
you may be better off buying it canned, swimming in light
syrup, or sweetened with table sugar.
The second main cause of acid reflux is spicy foods. Say
goodbye temporarily to your chilies, strong salsa, spicy
Mexican food, and Indian cuisine. Curry,
horseradish, garam
masala, chili powder, cloves,
cinnamon, ginger, and even too much black pepper or garlic,
can cause acidity to increase. The hotter the
spice/seasoning, and the more
frequently consumed, the more it will aggravate or provoke
chronic acid indigestion.
The good news is that, along with avoiding sour,
fermented, and spicy foods, you can temporarily take
anti-acid herbs for a certain length of time for double
action. Some of these are: dandelion,
tumeric, peppermint, cumin, marshmallow, licorice,
slippery elm, shatavari, red
raspberry leaf, aloe, and red clover. Stronger herbal
anti-acids include: neem,
goldenseal, and gentian.
So next time when eating out, if you
decide to order a plate of spaghetti with a spicy tomato
sauce, or a pizza with spicy wings, add a salad, a coke, or
a dish of vanilla ice cream to neutralize the acidity.
Then pop 1-2 capsules of gentian, cumin, dandelion,
goldenseal, licorice, or neem.
This is not the type of eating I recommend on a regular
basis for this condition, but if you must cheat, here’s how
to do it. Bon appetite!
