Is Apple Cider Vinegar an Acid Reflux Cure?

Apple cider vinegar. Acid reflux is often related to ingesting acidic foods or liquids. Here I'll give you some of the symptoms of acid reflux, how they're caused, what we can do to soothe them, and how apple cider vinegar helps acid reflux.

What are the most common symptoms of acid reflux?

Pain in the chest, just behind the breastbone.

Heartburn; which despite its name, has nothing to do with the heart, but is pain and discomfort occurring anywhere between chest, abdomen, and stomach.

Regurgitation; from acids backing up into your mouth, or throat, may even produce vomit in your mouth.

Dyspepsia; can cause frequent burping, nausea following eating, or sensations of bloating in the stomach.

Coughing or wheezing are often symptoms caused by acid reflux.

Needing extra pillows, propping up at night, in order to sleep.

Severe cases of acid reflux can cause damage to tooth enamel.

Acid reflux symptoms are most likely to occur:

After eating a heavy meal.

When lying down, particularly on your back.

When lifting a heavy object, or bending down.

Acid reflux occurs when stomach acid leaks up into the oesophagus (the gullet)

When food is eaten, it travels down the oesophagus to the stomach. Stomach acids help digest the food, and cells in the stomach produce mucus to protect the stomach walls from acid damage. The oesophagus does not have these helpful cells, therefore is unprotected from these acids.

There is a sphincter between the oesophagus and the stomach, which acts like a valve, allowing food to go downwards to the stomach, but stopping food or acids leaking back up (refluxing) toward the oesophagus.

Overeating, or eating heavy, fatty foods, will cause heartburn and indigestion. Frequent recurrence of this will weaken the sphincter between oesophagus and stomach, allowing the acids to leak back up into the oesophagus. This is acid reflux.

You can help the digestive process, by not eating too much, by eating smaller mouthfuls, and chewing more thoroughly before swallowing, which in turn causes you to swallow more saliva with your food, again helping the process.

As well as this, try not to drink liquid while eating, as this dilutes the stomach acids when they need to do their work. The odd slip while you're eating is okay, but better to drink a glass of water half an hour before you eat, and then an hour after you have finished eating. From then on you can drink as much water as you need.

Contrary to popular belief, it is possible to use too many antacids. These will reduce stomach acids, meaning the stomach is unable to do the job it's supposed to do. This incomplete digestion of proteins can lead to the liver increasing the production of LDL cholesterol, being the most damaging to your body.

So instead of antacids, try natural remedies such as; Ginger, chamomile, garlic, (crushed or chewed well, or you won't reap the benefits) and gentian. As well as these, you can try apple cider vinegar.

Raw organic apple cider vinegar is what you need, not the commercial refined type. The raw organic vinegar has sediment in the bottom, and is cloudy in appearance.

It comes from organic apples and is unpasteurised. During fermentation, it produces nutrients and enzymes beneficial to health.

The sediment in the bottom of raw organic vinegar, is known as the "mother of vinegar" and is made up of living bacteria and nutrients.

Refined cider vinegar loses all these benefits during the processing.

One theory as to why Apple cider vinegar, being acid, will help Acid reflux, strange as it may sound, is the following:

It's believed that the vinegar helps control the pH level of the stomach acids. The acetic acid in the vinegar is weaker than the stomach acids, thereby lowers the stomach acidity, increasing the pH. With this slightly milder acidic level, the stomach can still complete the digestive process, but without threatening the sphincter leading to the oesophagus.

Another theory is that the sphincter is pH sensitive. Stomach contents, without sufficient acidity in the stomach can cause the sphincter, or LES valve, to open causing acid reflux. Insufficient stomach acid can be caused by several problems, but the most common being advanced age. Older bodies produce less stomach acids. Therefore this theory suggests that the vinegar will aid acid content.

There is no actual proof that Apple cider vinegar is an acid reflux cure, nor are there any documented studies one way or the other. But there are many claims from people who have used Apple cider vinegar to help with acid reflux, along with other gastric problems. Most are favourable.

Not only in fact do the majority of people who have tried raw vinegar, declare success, but also a lot of people claim that eating plenty of apples as been just as successful.

The suggested dose for taking raw apple cider vinegar, is to take 2 to 3 teaspoons, two or three times a day before meals. You may add raw honey to sweeten, if you prefer, in fact the honey may help in easing acid reflux. IT IS VITAL that you use raw organic apple cider vinegar, with the" mother" sediment in the bottom, as this is where most of the healing properties are. Shake the bottle and make sure this sediment is well mixed in to the liquid, before pouring.

The raw organic kind, with the mother, can be bought in health stores. Keep a bottle at home, try in place of your usual antacid tablets, which as explained, are not good to use too often. This natural vinegar is also a very healthy choice for salad dressings.

Related hubs:

Acid Reflux Symptoms, and Natural Remedies

Apple Cider Vinegar Health Benefits