Is Baking Soda a Safe Natural Heartburn Remedy?

Sodium bicarbonate or baking soda is a natural antacid. I normally mix a 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda in a glass of water but I have noticed the the actual volume of baking soda used isn't really important. It only changes the speed that it takes to work. I always stir it in until the water goes clear before I drink it. Sodium Bicarbonate can neutralize stomach acid and temporarily alleviate heartburn caused by acid reflux.

For me it works 100% of the time. I usually stay up until all the gasses stop.

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There are some drawbacks to this, however. When you add baking soda to water, it releases carbon dioxide and fizzes a little. This fizz can open the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) to enable you to burp and help relieve the pressure from bloating. Unfortunately, though, opening the LES can also allow the contents of your stomach to reflux up into the esophagus which is why I wait until it's stopped fizzing.

While many people have used baking soda to treat their heartburn, it's important to note that there haven't been any clinical trials to support baking soda's effect on heartburn. There is also the suggestion that it may raise your blood pressure. I suspect that it may also increase the amount of plaque on your teeth. My dentist told me that plaque build-up can be reduced by drinking acidic substances, which dissolves it. Things such as cola based drinks, vinegar (Apple Cider Vinegar tastes the best) etc. Baking soda is a base, logic says if acid can reduce it a base could increase it. I have no proof other than I have more plaque than I used to.

Other possible problems are symptoms of sugar diabetes, hypocalcaemia, pancreatitis and many other nasty things. Fortunately all of these are eliminated very quickly once you stop using baking soda to treat heartburn.

If you have chronic acid reflux you should consult your physician because there could be underlying causes of a serious nature. However, if the causes are due to the food or drink you are enjoying, there are numerous safe and effective natural remedies.

Of course you could just not eat or drink the things you like but that doesn't appeal to me. I would rather treat the heartburn with a safe remedy like one of these.

Some people have reported good results with these home remedies:

• chewing gum, from the reports it doesn't seem to matter what flavor or brand of chewing gum you use.
• spoon of vinegar, particularly apple cider vinegar which seems a bit back to front but for some people reflux is cause by a lack of stomach acid
• eating an apple grated or not
• grating a raw potato and eating it
• unsalted, dry roasted almonds
• sherbet
• celery
• acidophilus capsules
• raw cabbage
• cabbage cooked with mashed potato and light olive oil
• 2-3 mouthfuls of hot water
• a teaspoon of yellow mustard with 1/2 glass of water
• life savers
• celery
• whole milk
• slippery elm bark powder
• marshmallow root powder
• tablespoon of sour cream
• banana
• pretzels
• buttermilk
• plain almonds
• aloe vera juice
• distilled white vinegar
• raw carrot
• peppermint as oil or candies
• club soda
• honey
• Japanese rice vinegar
• raisins, keep 10-15 in your mouth - don't chew or swallow them until the burn has stopped.
• raw broccoli
• pinch of salt mixed with a pinch of sugar
• DGL - deglycyrrhized licorice - extracted from the root of the licorice plant
• cottage cheese
• papaya
• 10 cups of water per day - that can have it's own problems
• root beer
• warm coke
• syrup from a can of pineapple or the canned pineapple
• nopalitos (cactus)
• ginger
• digestive enzymes
• increased fibre
• green tea
• herbal teas with chamomile, peppermint, ginger, licorice root or catnip
• skim milk
• fresh lemon
• raw onions
• citrus juices

There may be many more which work but this is a good list to be going on with.

From my research it seems that many of these natural remedies are only safe if you use them only on an occasional basis. If you find that you need to use one or more of these acid reflux cures on a regular basis, more than a couple of times a week for several weeks in a row, go talk with your doctor, physician or other health professional.

You could be suffering GERD, known in some countries as GORD. This is is an acronym for Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease or Gastro-Oesophageal Reflux Disease. Your doctor may prescribe an over-the-counter product or not but getting checked out is really important.

Is Baking Soda a Safe Natural Heartburn Remedy?