Natural Home Remedies for Acidity: Fast Relief Tips

An acidic condition signifies a level of acidity more than is needed in the stomach or an imbalance in the digestive system’s pH. Hydrochloric acid is secreted in large quantities by the stomach for digestion. When secretions are excessive or somehow return to the esophagus, discomfort arises, accompanied by various symptoms related to acidity. Ordinarily, mucus protects the stomach lining from the negative effects of acid; if there is a disruption or failure of this mechanism, the acid can irritate the linings of the stomach or esophagus, causing heartburn, indigestion, and regurgitation.

Yes, you may feel perfectly well and then suddenly a strange fire inside raises ominous discomfort. The discomfort then starts seeping into your body.
It jumps on you when you’re not expecting it to, and no, it isn’t always because of what you ate-it is just your body asking for a little help in getting reacquainted. Thankfully, medicine isn’t something we have to rely on every time. You can always start with gentle, natural methods at home.

From hectic schedules and occasional stressful discomforts to irregular eating practices, everything around us or within us can alter the digestive balance. But guess what? Sometimes relief does come without a pill. Nature has already stocked very potent remedies in your kitchen.

Why Does Acidity Happen?  

Increased secretion of acid by hydrochloric or other acids becomes more than the requirement in the stomach and refluxes with acidic fluids in the esophagus, thus producing the burning sensation in the chest. A few of these are as follows:

• Spicy or Oily Foods: Extra spicy curry or very greasy snacks can cause acidity.
• Stress: Work pressure or day-to-day stress–all increase the acid level in the stomach.
• Eating Habits: Not having food or heavy meals late at night can upset the stomach, thus causing acidity.
• Lifestyle Habits: More than caffeine and alcohol intake, tight clothing also adds to the cause.

Fortunately, medicines and tablets are not the ultimate preventives when it comes to relieving the symptoms of acidity. These minor home remedies, the Ayurvedic ways, do wonders in the long run in controlling acidity. Let’s discuss a few simple, effective yet oh-so-comforting solutions.

Acidity has many forms, not necessarily intermittent or constant, mild to severe. Some of these various symptoms include:

Common Symptoms

• Burning sensation: A fiery feeling from the chest, throbbing toward the throat.
• Indigestion: Uncomfortable or painful sensation in the upper abdominal region, associated with distension.
• Regurgitation: The sensation of backward flow of acid or food from the stomach into the throat or mouth.
• Nausea: The feeling of sickness in the stomach, often accompanied by a sensation to vomit.
• Sour taste in the mouth: The acidic or bitter-tasting liquid that has to rise from the stomach to the mouth.
• Difficulty swallowing: A feeling of food stuck in the throat or chest.

Normally, in India, acidity is treated mostly by home remedies that incorporate in-house natural ingredients. These remedies are perceived to lessen the symptoms of acidity. According to Ayurveda, all-natural home remedies are advised along with lifestyle changes to offer instant relief from acidity and heartburn symptoms.

Home Remedies

1. Amla-Indian-gooseberry

It is widely held in Ayurveda for its digestive-cooling properties, thus a global panacea for acidity and improving digestion. Use fresh or dried amla powder alternately in these cases. Mix a tiny amount of dried amla powder with water to make a paste, or put it in a glass of water and take it regularly for improvement and reducing acidity. Fresh or dried slices of fruit boiled in water can be sweetened with honey or jaggery as per taste. Warm amla tea should be taken after meals to counter acidity and assist in digestion. One of the options is to add n amla murabba, which is a long-standing Indian sweet made from the cooked fruit of amla in a sugar syrup. This helps in alkalizing the stomach acidity levels and promotes digestive health.

2. Triphala

This is a very famous ancient remedy in Ayurveda, and it is a three-fruit formula consisting of amla, haritak, and bibhitaki. The effects of purification and detoxification, as well as good digestion, acid relief, and maintaining stomach pH levels, are said to be the effects of this remedy. Take 1-2 teaspoons of Triphala powder and mix it in warm water for a Triphala Decoction. This decoction is to be drunk on an empty stomach first thing in the morning to support digestion and the equilibrium of acidity levels in the stomach.

Triphala churna can also be taken for this purpose by mixing it with honey or warm water and consuming it before meals, as it helps in digestion as well as preventing acidity. Triphala ghee is a medicated ghee in which Triphala powder is infused into clarified butter. A small amount of Triphala ghee consumed before meals will help stimulate digestion, curb stomach lining inflammation, and reduce acidity.

3. Buttermilk

It gives direct warmth inside the stomach and relief from acidity with just plain buttermilk containing probiotics that enhance digestion and balance acidity in the stomach. Sipping buttermilk in between or after meals is never a bad idea. Spice it up with roasted cumin powder, black salt, and powdered ginger or mint leaves for more acidity-relieving properties. Fantastic, tasty combination that helps digestion and relieves acidity.

Crush some fresh curry leaves and mix them into the buttermilk and drink to get their digestive properties to relieve acidity. The digestion and balance of action in rock salt buttermilk render it an excellent digestive agent in the stomach acid production control neck. An overnight soaking of fenugreek seeds in water and discarding the water, and mixing the seeds with buttermilk increases their potential to exhibit anti-inflammatory action that is effective in reducing acidity and heartburn.

4. Kitchen Herbs

Most Ayurvedic herbs and spices are those that are used in traditional folk remedies for acidity among Indians. They believe these herbs help digestion and calm the stomach, such as a few licorice roots (mulethi), coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and ajwain (carom seeds).

• Dhania Seeds: Acidity and heartburn caused by cooling and anti-inflammatory properties are of the effects that coriander seeds produce. They accelerate the process of digestion and thus relieve acidity. Boil the seeds in water, and boil them before you drink. This makes them useful for relieving fast acidity and also aids digestion.
• Mulethi powder: Traditionally, licorice powder has been used as an Ayurvedic remedy for acidity and heartburn. It soothes the stomach lining and is anti-inflammatory, thus providing quick relief from acidity problems. Mix licorice powder in a small amount with water and consume before meals to counter acidity.
• Fennel Seeds (Saunf): Have a few fennel seeds after meals; helpful for digesting food well and preventing acidity. Fennel seed components help in relaxing digestive muscles and relieving any inflammation present in the stomach.
• Jeera (Cumin): Drinking jeera water, which is made by boiling jeera seeds in water and then straining, is very beneficial for digestion and reduces the symptoms of acidity.
• Ajwain (Carom Seeds): The well-known effects of ajwain seeds on digestion allow ajwain to be very effective against acidity. Chewing on some tiny amounts of ajwain seeds post-meals is also beneficial for digestion and calming acidity.

5. Bananas

A remedy for acidity is the very low acidic nature of the bananas that neutralizes even excess acidity in the stomach. Ripe bananas give instant relief from heartburn and acid. Ripe bananas blended with yogurt or milk would prepare a smoothie, and then honey to sweeten it up for some instant cooling. Oatmeal with bananas or bananas with almond butter make a wholesome and stomach-friendly food or snack. Over time, they would keep acidity at bay and also keep the digestive tract free-flowing!

6. Ayurvedic Preparations

These four Ayurvedic preparations-acidity, avipattikar churna, kamdudha ras, and sitopaladi churna-are from ancient Indian folk medicine.

• Avipattikar Churna: Avipattikarchurna is an ancient Ayurvedic medicine used to balance the pitta dosha; it is used to pacify the fiery digestion, such that relief from acidity is obtained. This is mainly prepared from materials like Amla, Haritaki, Vibhitaki, Amalaki, and other cooling herbs. The medicine is taken in a dosage of 1-0.5. tsp or up to a maximum of 1.5 g of powdered Avipattikar diluted in warm water or honey in paste or liquid form, preferably before meals.
• Kamdudha Ras: Kamdudha Ras is a well-known classical preparation in Ayurveda, mainly comprising Mukta Pishti (Pearls calcium) and Praval Pishti (Coral calcium). It produces the therapeutic cooling and Pitta-balancing effects and thus also has usefulness in acidity, gastritis, and heartburn. Infusion should be given with Kamdudha Ras within 125-250 mg; the mixture should be taken with honey or water after meals once or twice daily.
• Trikatu Churna: Trikatu churna is an Ayurvedic preparation from the three heating spices, and is most commonly used for digestion, stimulating appetite, and removing symptoms of acidity. black pepper, long pepper, and ginger. To apply it in treating acidity, Trikatu Churna, unlike any herbal treatment, takes about 1/4-1/2 tsp of this black pepper-long pepper-ginger preparation; mixes it with warm water, honey, or ghee to make it a paste or liquid, 30 min to 15 before meals to encourage digestion and lessen acidity.

7. Tulsi

Ayurveda holds it in high esteem due to the different treatments associated with it, mostly its claim to health benefits against acidity and better digestion. This means that there is a list of how people have innovatively used Tulsi for acid relief. Eating a handful of fresh Tulsi leaves each morning on an empty stomach balances half the acidity of the body and propels digestion. Tulsi tea can be made by boiling fresh leaves in water and sweetening with honey or lemon juice. After meals, it works well as a comforting digestant.

Another way would be to soak fresh Tulsi leaves overnight in water to make fragrant Tulsi water and take it throughout the day. There are also nutraceutical commercial extracts or capsules of Tulsi as per various products, with their recommended dose or on prescription by a health professional. Mixing Tulsi powder with honey produces a soothing paste that can be taken on a regular basis to cure stomach pains along with acidity.

8. Yoga and Pranayama

There are some yoga asanas and pranayamas or breathing exercises that help enhance digestive action, reduce stress, and subsequently ameliorate symptoms of acidity. Some of the most specific exercises for persons suffering from acidity are: Cobra Pose or Bhujangasana, Wind-Relieving Pose (Pavanamuktasana), and Skull-Shining Breath (Kapalbhati Pranayama). Ayurveda regards aggravation of the Pitta dosha as one of the principal reasons why there is acidity in the body and heartburn, whereby heat and acidity are associated within the body. Such would be a Pitta-pacifying diet because it consists of cooling and alkaline properties from fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and milk products, which would help balance Vata and pacify acidity and heartburn.

Acidity Preventive Measures

• Water will dilute the stomach acid and lessen the severity of acid reflux-related symptoms if taken in due proportion.
• Gum chewing has another advantage in that it provides stimulation to salivation, which in turn serves to neutralize the stomach acid.
• Large meals create a lot of acid in the stomach, hence tormenting a person with acid reflux symptoms.
• Slow Eating would curb hunger from eating too much and keep down acid reflux symptoms.
• Spicy food can irritate the stomach and worsen the symptoms of acid reflux.
• Fried foods have the same irritating effect as spicy foods since they always worsen acid reflux symptoms.
• Citrus fruits worsen the acidity of stomach contents and aggravate acid reflux symptoms.
• Refrain from drinking alcohol since it stimulates acid secretion in the stomach, and the symptoms of acidity worsen.
• More fiber: Fiber keeps the bowel regular and thus alleviates symptoms of reflux.
• Caffeine should be avoided. Caffeinated foods and beverages induce stomach acid secretion, contributing to the aggravation of acid reflux symptoms.

Dos and Don’ts

The do’s and don’ts in the tangible things that round out the set of universally recognized foods to set fire to an acidic stomach: spicy food, fried food, and sourish or acidic foods like citrus fruits, tomatoes, chocolate, and iced drinks. On the other hand, what else can you think of as possibly non-food items in acid reflux?

• Stress, anxiety, and certain medications probably would be the first things that come to my mind.
• Do not ingest food or beverages that would aggravate the symptoms. Foods and drinks rather commonly associated with acid reflux are spicy, coffee, sour, or acid-tasting foods like citrus and tomatoes.
• Eating smaller portions at intervals throughout the day may reduce the amount of acid produced in the stomach.
• Never lie down immediately after eating. It increases pressure on the stomach as the food within pushes against the acid and gives rise to heartburn.
• Keep your head elevated a little while sleeping. This will prevent the acid from coming back up from your stomach, thus preventing heartburn.
• Avoid wearing tight clothes. Tight clothes create pressure over the abdomen and thereby induce it reflux for acid.
• Exercise regularly, as it stimulates digestion and hence reduces the chances of getting heartburn regularly.
• Don’t smoke, as it weakens the muscle that makes the stomach acid run into the esophagus and upsets the lining of the esophagus.
• Avoid Alcohol: It is by far the worst when it comes to heartburn. It raises acid output by the stomach and may cause greater irritation of the esophageal wall.
• Try Natural Remedies: Natural remedies such as ginger, chamomile tea, and apple cider vinegar are likely to relieve heartburn.
• However, when the pain continues, you can then assume it to be GERD, and it’s time to see your doctor for medications that suppress the production of acid levels in the stomach.

Conclusion:

Do not let acidity ruin your day or food. The remedy for acidity ranges from fennel seeds to tulsi and relieves that burning sensation to make you feel terrific again. You can either take Ayurvedic medicine or have some chilled milk stored for an easy and effective way of controlling acidity. Try these remedies. Be attuned to the complications of your body and recommend saying goodbye to the fiery grip of heartburn!

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