Healing foods for Heartburn
Heartburn strikes most often an hour after eating, especially after the largest meal of the day or after eating sugary, high-fat foods. That’s because a large amount of food or fatty, sugary foods can decrease pressure on the sphincter that holds highly corrosive acid in the stomach. This allows the acid to creep up and irritate the esophagus, a process known as reflux, which feels like a fire in your chest.
If you are like most people with hearburn, you have probably consumed your share of over the counter antacids, which stops the burn temporarily. But repetitive use of antacids can actually worsen esophagus problems. So can stress.
Herbalists offer herbal solutions and also suggest that you avoid fatty or sugary foods, cut back on coffee, and drink a lot of water. To further calm your digestive system, bring it into balance, and greatly reduce repetitive bounts with hearburn, consider some herbal strategies.
Soothe with chamomile. A mild sedative, chamomile has an anti-inflammatory effect on the mucous membranes.
Speed digestion with turmeric. Bitter herbs stimulate the flow of digestive juices, moving food along and preventing acid buildup. So spice up your food with the bitter herb turmeric, which is the base of most Indian curries.
Eat licorice before meals. A natural antacid, licorice root can prevent hearburnt if you take it before a meal.
Sip meadowsweet for relief. Used on a regular basis, this leafy plant acts like a natural antacid to prevent hearburn and acid stomach.
Use dandelion for digetive balance. By eating steamed dandelion greens or dandelion green salad before your lagest meal of the day you will speed up digestion and lower acidity. Flavour the leaves with lemon juice and olive oil.
