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12 Amazing Home Remedies To Reduce Acidity

reduce acidityAcidity can literally be a pain to deal with but before we move on to home remedies to reduce acidity, it’s important to know its origin, symptoms and causes. Hydrochloric Acid (HCL) is produced in the stomach to digest food and it plays an important role in digestion but sometimes, HCL is produced when there is no food inside the stomach and it leads to the eruption of the lining of the stomach, giving rise to acidity. 

Sometimes, the acid finds its way to the esophagus and you experience inflammation and a burning sensation in the food pipe. This needs to be treated as soon as possible as it may lead to ulcers. Meal timings, physical activity, proper sleep, no stress, less consumption of tea or coffee, moderate intake of alcohol and modification in cooking are some of the key points which help keep acid under permissible limits.

Simple and Effective Home Remedies to Reduce Acidity 

Let’s look at some simple but amazing home remedies to reduce acidity which can be easily included in your daily routine: 

  1. Basil Leaves: are easily available. One can chew a few leaves of basil or can have basil tea as its calming and soothing properties help reduce acidity. 
  2. Fennel Seeds: can be chewed after meals to increase the rate of digestion and they help in reducing acidity. Fennel tea can be taken 1-2 times a day or it can be infused with water and taken on an empty stomach to curb acidity from morning itself.
  3. Buttermilk and Curd: are always considered important for digestion and lactic acid present in them normalizes the acidity in the stomach. You can also add roasted cumin powder, a pinch of black pepper and a few leaves of mint & coriander to ease digestion.
  4. Ginger: Grated Ginger can be boiled with water and that water can be taken the whole day or before and after meals to increase the rate of digestion. Ginger tea with honey can be taken without milk to reduce acidity.
  5. Banana: gives instant relief from acidity. It can be taken during morning or mid morning and can also be combined with curd.
  6. Ajwain: Ajwain water can be taken on an empty stomach (1 tsp of ajwain can be soaked in a glass of water overnight) or ½ tsp of ajwain with a pinch of black salt can be taken after meals to ease digestion.
  7. Cumin Seeds: 1 tsp of cumin seeds can be soaked overnight in a glass of water or can be boiled in water and its water can be taken after meals to increase the rate of digestion.
  8. Cold Milk: gives instant relief from acidity and one can have a cup of cold milk to neutralize gastric acids in the stomach. For those who are lactose intolerant, other options should be taken into consideration.
  9. Cardamom: Chewing 1 cardamom pod after meals prevents acidity, flatulence and aids in digestion.
  10. Coconut Water: turns the pH of the stomach alkaline and thereby prevents acidity and the lining of the stomach from getting ruptured.
  11. Aloe Vera: Always go for fresh aloe vera! Mix the pulp with some water and have it 2-3 times a day. Otherwise, you have to go for organic aloe vera juice.
  12. Lemon Juice: Have some lemon juice in lukewarm water on an empty stomach the first thing in the morning. It helps a lot in reducing acidity.

These are a few home remedies which you can use to reduce acidity. Last but not the least, positive lifestyle modifications also go a long way. Before you switch to any of these foods, consult your doctor, coach, nutritionist or dietitian. 

We hope this article helps you. Do leave your thoughts in the comments below. For more on acidity, digestion, nutrition and other lifestyle issues, check out Healthy Reads or tune in to LIVE sessions by experts on GOQii Play. 

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Acidity – its symptoms and Prevention

Home-Remedies-To-Treat-Heartburn

Acidity is one of the most common problems that most individuals face. This is largely due to wrong eating habits and sometimes even stress. Bad eating, stress in a way is all connected. One leads to another and that, in turn, leads to unhealthy living and problems such as acidity.

But, to find a solution to the problem it is first important to understand what is Acidity?

Acidity is a term used for a set of symptoms caused by excess production of acid by the gastric glands of the stomach. The stomach normally secretes hydrochloric acid which is required for the breakdown and digestion of food that we eat. Acidity causes symptoms like dyspepsia, heartburn gastric inflammation, and ulcers in the stomach.

Now, there are some factors which cause acidity such as eating habits, fad diets, stress, smoking and alcohol consumption, lack of physical activity, irregularity in eating pattern, consumption of oily and spicy foods. Apart from these certain medicines are too responsible for the cause of acidity.

Some of the symptoms which can be felt as a result of acidity can be:

  1. Burning session in the stomach
  2. Burning session in the throat
  3. Restlessness
  4. Belching
  5. Nausea
  6. Sour taste
  7. Indigestion
  8. Constipation

As correctly said, “Prevention is better than cure”

So let us look at some of the parameters to prevent acidity.

  1. Don’t consume spicy food or fried foods too often.
  2. Eat more fruits and vegetables. One should be taking at least 2 servings of fruits and 3-4 servings of vegetables. Green leafy vegetables would be a really good choice to go for.
  3. Eat small, regular meals. Try to reduce the gap between meals to not more than 3 hours.
  4. Consume your last meal at least a few hours before sleeping.
  5. Chew tulsi leaves, cloves, saunf (Aniseed), etc.
  6. Avoid medications like NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) and steroids
  7. Reduce stress. Deep breathing, going for a walk and being in nature are some of the activities which can help in reducing stress.

However, if you are already suffering from acidity, I am discussing below some of the home remedies of acidity which really work. So before you start with antacids for the treatment, do try these home remedies and you may get rid of the problem.

  1. Basil leaves: Eat basil leaves thoroughly at first sign of acidity. Can also boil 4-5 leaves in a cup of water for 15 minutes.
  2. Cinnamon: Add half spoon of cinnamon powder in a cup of water, boil for few minutes and drink this 2-3 times a day.
  3. Buttermilk:
  • Grind half to one teaspoon of methi seeds with little water to make a paste. Mix it in a glass of buttermilk and have it.
  • Add a tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a cup of buttermilk and keep it for 5 minutes before drinking.
  • Mix a pinch of black pepper in a glass of buttermilk.
  • Mix a tablespoon of coriander leaf juice in a glass of buttermilk.
  1. Apple Cider vinegar:
  • Mix 1-2 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in half a cup of water and drink.
  • Mix 2 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with 1 teaspoon of organic honey and drink before eating a spicy meal.
  1. Cloves: Chew 2-3 cloves thoroughly.
  2. Jaggery: Jaggery is high in potassium. After each meal, take a small piece.
  3. Ginger:
  • Can take 2-3 teaspoon of ginger juice in a day for combating acidity.
  • Can boil ginger in water and drink the water twice a day.
  1. Cumin seeds:
  • Crush roasted cumin seeds and stir in a glass of water. Drink after each meal.
  • Boil seeds in water, strain and drink.
  • Mix 1 teaspoon of coriander seed powder, a teaspoon of cumin seed powder and a teaspoon of fennel seed powder and some sugar in half cup of water and drink empty stomach.
  1. Aniseed: Soak a teaspoon of aniseed in a cup of boiled water overnight. In the morning, strain the water add a teaspoon of organic honey and sip it at least 3 times during the day.
  2. Cold milk: After a meal, drink a glass of cold milk, not iced milk.
  3. Lemon and ginger juice 15 minutes post meal, zaps acidity quickly.

If eating right and proper preventive measures are adhered to, Acidity can be averted.

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