Home Remedies for Acidity
Acidity is the presence of excess acid in the stomach, resulting in either heartburn or a sour stomach. Most of the time, acidity is simply an occasional nuisance, but do keep track of how often you develop acidity when you eat. If it is becoming chronic, you should see a doctor. For occasional bouts of acidity, there are easy home remedies that you can administer yourself for quick relief.
The goal of any home remedy for acidity is to reduce the amount of acid being produced in the stomach and to eliminate the spasms that sometimes occur as a result of the high acid levels.
Most home remedies for acidity can be found in your kitchen. If you have a mild sour stomach, slowly drinking about a half cup of cool milk will bring quick relief. You can also try drinking coconut milk two or three times a day to alleviate recurring acidity.
Most of our grandmothers will tell us to stir a half teaspoon of baking soda into a glass of water and drink it quickly. This is actually an excellent way to get rid of acidity, and it usually works within fifteen minutes. It will make you belch a few times, so be prepared! The belching is usually worth the almost instant relief.
Sucking on a clove or a bit of licorice is another way to calm stomach acid and soothe your digestive system. Simply tuck a clove or a bit of peeled licorice root into your cheek and suck periodically after a heavy meal to prevent stomach acidity from developing as well as soothing an already irritated stomach.
Home Remedies for Preventing Acidity
If you are prone to a touch of acidity after meals, there are several home remedies that will help. It can be as simple as taking one or two tablespoons of vinegar (white or apple cider, either works fine) with every meal. This helps digest your food more easily so that your stomach doesn’t work overtime producing too much gastric acid. For a tastier solution, try mixing two teaspoons of apple cider vinegar into about two tablespoons of honey and eating it before every meal. If you prefer the taste of ginger, try adding about a teaspoon of powdered ginger to one tablespoon of honey and eating it just before dining.
Peppermint Home Remedy for Acidity
After your meals, you can sip on some peppermint or licorice tea to soothe your stomach and reduce acid. If stomach acidity is occurring with the added complication of stomach spasms, try chewing on a few fennel seeds after each meal. These versatile seeds reduce the spasms and reduce the acid as well.
You can also stop acidity in its tracks directly after a meal by combining crushed clove and cardamom in each amounts. A teaspoon of this after every meal is a home remedy for acidity that also freshens your breath.
While any of these home remedies for acidity will work well, your best bet is to avoid situations that tend to give you an acidic stomach in the first place. Try to avoid unripe fruits, too much alcohol and spicy, difficult to digest foods. If you add some fiber to your diet as well, you’ll be less prone to needing home remedies for acidity on a regular basis.