6 Ways To Treat Indigestion Without Medication

Indigestion is the worst, and for those of you who’ve never experienced it, consider yourself lucky. The recurring condition is characterized by a feeling of abdominal pain or burning in the stomach shortly after eating. For instant relief from the painful sensation, there are a number of home remedies known to be quite helpful.

Indigestion is a broad term to cover underlying abdominal pain and is usually a sign of an underlying condition. For most people, indigestion is caused by eating too much food or eating food that is too fatty. In less common cases, it is caused by a disease or a stomach ulcer, or simply a problem with the way an individual digests food. Because it is often a sign of a more serious condition, it’s wise to always mention indigestion to your doctors.

Aloe

Aloe is most commonly associated with healing burns and minor cuts, but the African plant is also quite effective at reducing indigestion. The plant contains the laxative compounds barbaloin, aloin, and aloe-emodin, which also have an anti-inflammatory effect on the inner lining of the GI tract. Although at the moment there is not much scientific evidence backing aloe’s medicinal effect on heart burn, NYU Langone Medical Center did name the supplement as a recommended natural treatment for forms of esophageal burn.

Chewing Gum

Chewing gum is available at nearly every street corner shop and often for less than a dollar, but still this everyday commodity may be one of the best non-medicinal treatments for heartburn. In a 2001 study, researchers from Wake Forest University in North Carolina found that chewing gum increased esophageal and pharyngeal pH, which in turn reduced the effects of heartburn. This is because, as reported by a New York Timesblog, chewing gum pushes back fluids and floods the esophagus with alkaline saliva. This in turns neutralizes the acids that cause the burning associated with indigestion.

Sleep On Your Side

The acid reflux which causes indigestion is worsened at night when an individual is lying down for long periods of time. A study published in The Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology found that sleeping on your left side is the best way to avoid heartburn at night. Sleeping on your right side, however, seems to have the opposite effect and increases heartburn. According to heartburn.com, this may be because sleeping on your right increase the time it takes for acid to clear from your esophagus. Sleeping on one’s back is also correlated with increased symptoms because it disrupts the flow of acids from the esophagus.

Licorice

Unfortunately, I’m referring to the actual licorice root, not the delectable candy, but there is actual scientific evidence backing licorice’s effects on indigestion. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, a treatment made from a combination of licorice, peppermint, and chamomile has been found highly effective in relieving some of the worst symptoms of indigestion. This is because licorice can aid in healing the lining of the stomach. The root has also been shown to inhibit the growth of potentially harmful stomach bacteria and decrease inflammation. However, as of yet it has not been used in any clinical trials for indigestion-related conditions.

Mustard

A teaspoon of mustard may keep the heartburn away. Indigestion is caused by an unbalanced level of acid in the stomach, and a small amount of mustard may help to restore this imbalance. Mustard is a very alkaline food, which if you remember from ninth grade chemistry, is the opposite of acidic. Consuming as little as a teaspoon of the yellow condiment can neutralize stomach acids and at times bring near instant relief.

Baking Soda

The sodium bicarbonate in baking soda makes it very helpful in heartburn relief, according to Livestrong. Just a small teaspoon of the powder will react with the hydrochloric acid in your stomach and turn it into harmless sodium chloride, carbon dioxide, and water. Baking soda is fine for occasional relief, but in rare cases its use can actually do more harm than good. The New York Times reports the indigestion treatment can cause rips or tears in a person’s stomach lining. However, according to the publication, there was only ever one death recorded to be connected with taking baking soda in water, and this occurred in 1939.

This article originally appeared in Medical Daily.