Apple Cider Vinegar Acid Reflux

Sufferers of acid reflux, or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), know that they can use over-the-counter or doctor-prescribed antacids against this condition. On the other hand, there is one more possible remedy if you would prefer a more natural solution.

 

The Apple Cider Vinegar Acid Reflux cure can help when one’s lower esophageal sphincter (LES) is malfunctioning and allowing the stomach contents and other bodily fluids to rise back up the esophagus. The hydrochloric acid in stomach contents, which puts the “acid” in “acid reflux,” can burn the esophagus.

 

Apple cider vinegar (ACV), which is highly acidic because it contains acetic acid, may seem like an odd choice for fighting hydrochloric acid. The logic behind this is that some people who experience heartburn, which is the main symptom of GERD, may have a shortage of digestive acid. The acidity in vinegar from apple cider makes the LES lock up to protect the esophagus from acid reflux and rebalances the acid level, which is important for the body in the process of digestion.

 

An alternative explanation is that apple cider vinegar is actually very alkaline-forming because of its mineral content. ACV contains the following minerals: calcium, magnesium, malic acid, pectin, phosphorus, potassium, natural silicon, and tartaric acid. Thus, you can make use of an apple cider vinegar acid reflux cure because it can dilute stomach acid and reduce pain.

 

Using an apple cider vinegar acid reflux remedy is relatively simple. The best kind to use is raw organic apple cider vinegar. A recommended dosage from the Great Physician’s Rx for Heartburn and Acid Reflux, by Jordan Rubin with Joseph Brasco, is 2 teaspoons of ACV and 2 teaspoons of honey diluted in 8 to 12 ounces of warm water. The dilution is very important unless you want to be puckering your lips from the overwhelming tartness of the ACV.

 

From the Country Almanac of Home Remedies: Time-Tested & Almost-Forgotten Wisdom for Treating Hundreds of Common Ailments, Aches & Pains Quickly and Naturally (by Brigitte Mars and Chrystle Fiedler), another dosage of the apple cider vinegar acid reflux cure is 1 tablespoon or 15 milliliters of ACV diluted in 1 cup or 235 milliliters of warm water. You can sip this drink slowly to soothe heartburn and GERD.

 

The almanac also mentions that 2 teaspoons each of apple cider vinegar (10 milliliters) and raw honey (13 grams) dissolved in a glass of warm water can ease indigestion. However, the pH-balancing effect of this remedy is just tangentially related to the apple cider vinegar acid reflux cure.