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Heartburn - Are Antacids Or Baking Soda The Solution?

By: Natalie Beech

Can baking soda from your kitchen cupboard in a glass of water soothe your heartburn or acid reflux? Well, yes it can. But there are some important points you must know about using baking soda or any antacid as a heartburn remedy.

What Is Heartburn and How Can Baking Soda Help?

Some people suffer heartburn after eating too quickly or eating particular foods. It results from a little stomach acid squirting up into your esophagus, which is the tube that leads from your mouth to your stomach. This ‘acid reflux’ irritates the walls of the esophagus resulting in a burning sensation. It actually has nothing to do with the heart but because the burning is felt in the chest area, it was referred to as ‘heartburn’. Symptoms of heartburn can mask the more serious symptoms of heart disease so it is important to find the causes of the acid reflux and eliminate them.

In mild heartburn, drinking a little water can help reduce the burning sensation by diluting the acid. Saliva produced in the mouth is naturally alkaline and so can neutralize the acid. Chewing gum is a good way to increase the saliva, which is naturally alkaline, before swallowing (the saliva, not the gum!).

However, baking soda for heartburn is such an effective remedy because it too is alkaline and will help to neutralize the acid. Just one teaspoon in a glass of water, sipped slowly, should bring adequate relief. The benefits of baking soda over antacids, is that you can buy it from any food store, it is cheap and it does not require a prescription. And if you bake cookies, then you have a ready supply already!

Why Not To Over-Use Baking Soda and Antacids

However, if you take too much baking soda, or any antacid medication, then the stomach acid itself can be neutralized. The result is that the stomach cells produces more acid to compensate. You then end up taking more baking soda or antacid to neutralize the excess acid. Eventually you can exhaust the stomach cells and the level of stomach acid can decline. Great for your heartburn perhaps, but not so good for your digestion. The level of stomach acid can fall so much that it impairs digestion and food cannot be broken down properly. The result of this can be allergies and inflammation in other areas of the body.

Those suffering from high blood pressure should avoid excess sodium, which is present in baking soda and many antacids. Some antacids also contain calcium and magnesium which can cause mineral imbalances over a long period of time and aluminum salts which have been associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Note also that some medicines and also some medical conditions can weaken the esophageal sphincter and cause acid reflux. These include: calcium channel blockers for hypertension, asthma medication, anxiety medication, antihistamines, or prescription pain killers. So consult your doctor if you think your medication might have this side effect, or if you suffer from frequent heartburn.

Antacid medication and baking soda are not long term solutions to your heartburn. Your priority now should be to discover the causes and solutions to your acid reflux. These might surprise you. The cure for your heartburn and the solutions to your long term health could be the exact opposite of what you might expect.

Article Source: http://www.simplepetcare.com/pet-articles

Natalie Beech can tell you more about the solutions to your long term health. Find out more at: The Heartburn Relief Website
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