Apple Cider Vinegar for Heartburn: Instant Relief

What do you do when a furious bout of indigestion causes that burning sensation in your chest and esophagus? A lot of people reach for an over the counter antacid or a prescription, but there is a much safer and effective natural remedy.

Today I’m going to show you how you can use apple cider vinegar for heartburn.

Not only is it a safe food source, it has the ability to bring relief within a matter of minutes. In most cases, including my own, it puts the “fire” out immediately after you take it.

This is great news considering an estimated 60 million plus Americans are experiencing heartburn at least once a month and at least 15 million suffer with daily heartburn.

Most of us are aware of what triggers heartburn, certain foods such as fried or fatty foods, coffee, carbonated beverages and alcohol to name a few. Even some prescription medications such as anti-inflammatories, alpha blockers, and nitrates can cause heartburn.

But what is actually going on in the body when heartburn strikes and what long term effects can come as a result of it?

When Heartburn Wages War

The seemingly logical thing to assume with heartburn is that the “burning” sensation comes from an over production of stomach acid. But counterintuitively, it happens when the the stomach produces too little stomach acid.

When the stomach doesn’t produce enough gastric juices as a result of poor diet and stress, many people turn to antacids and acid blockers like Tums, Pepcid AC, Prilosec, etc.

While popping these pills reduces the sensation of heartburn in the moment, the reason is that they make the stomach contents more alkaline which only puts a “band aid” on the heartburn, without solving the issue and helping the body produce more stomach acid.

The problem with this (especially with continued use) is that acid blockers/reducers not only lower stomach acid even more, but also allow for stomach contents to leak into the esophagus which wreaks havoc on the lining of the esophagus over time.

A Natural Heartburn Remedy That Actually Works

Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) is a highly effective remedy for heartburn that helps the stomach produce more acid. When the stomach produces enough acid, the valve at the top is signaled to close tightly, preventing contents from leaking into the esophagus, and the valve at the bottom of the stomach is signaled to open, allowing food to go down as it should.

For a safe, cost effective remedy that actually works and brings relief in a matter of minutes this is as simple as it gets.

Apple Cider Vinegar for Heartburn Relief

• 2 tsp. raw unpastuerized apple cider vinegar with the ‘mother’ like Bragg
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup purified water

At the first sign of heartburn, mix this together and drink it. This usually does the trick within a few minutes, but if you need to you can repeat it every 5-10 minutes until relief occurs.

The small amount of water makes this easy to get down quickly. I have grown to like the flavor of apple cider vinegar, made using the process of fermentation, it tastes very different than regular distilled vinegar, but if you can’t tolerate it just add a teaspoon of raw honey.

Have a shot of this next time you need heartburn relief and if you suffer from it regularly try drinking this before each meal, or between meals to prevent it. Or if you find certain meals/times in particular are causing you problems, take it before those meals for prevention.

Hope this helps! Have you used ACV for heartburn? Share your thoughts in the comments below!