Home remedies for heartburn

The searing pain of heartburn can happen after you gobble down a meal too quickly, or eat spicy, fatty or acidic foods. It's a common complaint that's easy to combat, and if you play your cards right, you can avoid it altogether.

When the contents of your stomach flow back into your esophagus they cause a burning pain behind the breastbone and in the esophagus. A trapdoor of muscular tissue called the lower esophageal sphincter usually keeps stomach acid where it belongs. With heartburn, it allows acid to leak upward, a problem known as reflux. At the first sign of heartburn, choose one of these effective home remedies.

• Try a little baking soda. It can be very effective at neutralizing the excess acid in your stomach (but do not use it if you have high blood pressure). Stir five millilitres (one teaspoon) into a glass of room temperature water and drink. It may not taste great, but you should feel better within minutes.
• Douse the flames with some juniper berry tea. A mixture of five millilitres (one teaspoon) of crushed berries in 250 millilitres (one cup) of water provides noticeable improvement.
• Drink ginger tea to provide relief. Boil seven millilitres (1 1/2 teaspoon) of fresh ginger or two millilitres (1/2 teaspoon) of powdered ginger in 250 millilitres (one cup) of water for about 10 minutes before drinking.
• Look for herbal relief. Mix two millilitres (1/2 teaspoon) of goldenseal extract with 45 millilitres (three tablespoons) water, and drink the mixture at the first sign of burning to soothe the membranes that line the upper gastrointestinal tract.
• Chew a licorice tablet before meals. Licorice protects your esophagus by encouraging the production of mucin, which provides a protective barrier against stomach acids.
• Season foods with juniper berries or lovage, where appropriate. They not only make food more digestible, they also soothe heartburn.
• Eat a piece of dry white bread or toast to neutralize stomach acids.
• Sleep with your upper body slightly elevated at night to keep acid from entering your esophagus.

• Eat knowledgeably and avoid foods, drinks and combinations that you know from experience give you heartburn. These may include such things as fatty or acidic foods, chocolate and wine.
• Avoid alcohol, nicotine and caffeine — they allow the sphincter muscle of your stomach to slacken and thus facilitate heartburn.
• Eat slowly and always opt for smaller, more frequent portions.
• Go easy on sweets.
• Eat early in the evening to give your stomach about three hours for digestion. If you go to bed shortly after eating, the stomach acid can flow back into your esophagus.
• Consult a doctor if you're a frequent victim of heartburn.