HEARTBURN REMEDIES

Some reflux medications have been linked to side effects, but these natural picks ease the burn and heal the body

See your doctor for heartburn and odds are you’ll be handed an Rx for proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). And while the drugs do block the production of stomach acid, studies show PPIs are prescribed without a clear reason up to 70 percent of the time. One concern with that: “Stomach acid is critical to digestion and the absorption of nutrients, so taking the meds for more than six weeks, which many heartburn sufferers do, can lead to nutrient malabsorption and intestinal imbalances that trigger bloat, brain fog, blue moods and fatigue,” notes Mark Hyman, M.D., director of the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine. The good news: Some natural cures work like PPIs without side effects. Picking one that targets your symptoms can help you feel your best!

HEARTBURN + INSOMNIA?

Melatonin is a well-known sleep aid, but it’s especially helpful for women whose heartburn keeps them up, says Tara Nayak, N.D. “Melatonin has a similar chemical structure to PPIs, so it inhibits the secretion of gastric acid, but in a gentler way.” Plus, it improves the tone of the lower esophageal sphincter, a valve that keeps acid from splashing from the stomach into the esophagus. In a study in BMC Gastroenterology, taking 3 mg nightly eliminated subjects’ heartburn symptoms within eight weeks.

HEARTBURN + BELCHING?

It may sound too simple to be so effective, but belly breathing reduces acid levels reaching the esophagus by 48 percent, easing burping and burning by up to 78 percent — even in people for whom PPIs didn’t work, reveal studies in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology. Dr. Hyman says deep breathing tames stress (a heartburn trigger) and strengthens the diaphragm. “The diaphragm supports the lower esophageal sphincter to keep acid from accessing the esophagus.” To do: Five times a day, take five deep breaths, inhaling through your nose for five seconds, then exhaling through your mouth for five seconds.

HEARTBURN + SORE THROAT?

When acid washes into the throat, it causes irritation, inflammation and sore throats for 1 in 3 heartburn sufferers. The remedy health expert Ann Louise Gittleman, Ph.D., suggests: Siberian pine nut oil. “It helps heal tissue damage that gastric acid can do to the throat. And I’ve never seen anything work so quickly to soothe heartburn pain.” Credit the oil’s pinolenic acid, a fatty acid with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Gittleman advises taking 1 tsp. 30 minutes before meals for three weeks. “After that, you can switch to 1 tsp. daily for another three weeks.”

“When I get heartburn, I take ginger root that I have in my kitchen. It works better than anything I can buy in a pharmacy.” Teri Hatcher, 53