Apple cider vinegar for heartburn?

futurekilousky
futurekilousky Posts: 200
edited October 2 in Food and Nutrition
Hey so I have had horrible heartburn for years. A couple years back I got an endoscopy and I have scarring on my esophagus. Lately, my heartburn has been excruciating. I have taken antacids, prilosec an what not but recently heard these could do harm over a long period of time. I just started drinking diluted apple
Cider vinegar(as i type), hope it works. Any success with this or any other non medicinal heartburn soothers?

Replies

  • ChantalGG
    ChantalGG Posts: 2,404 Member
    I dont understand how a vinegar which is an acid is going to stop acid. What else are you eating that could be causing the heartburn. If i have pepsi, citrus fruit, fried food, and too much spicy foods it comes to me.
  • Colemanlo1
    Colemanlo1 Posts: 30 Member
    The vinegar neutralizes the acid that causes the heartburn and is a good remedy but I could never get past the taste. Pickle juice is also a good remedy and doesn't taste as bad to me! :)
  • JBRENTLINGER
    JBRENTLINGER Posts: 160
    I have used Apple Cider Vinegar and it works, but I use lemon juice and it gets rid of it quickly.
  • futurekilousky
    futurekilousky Posts: 200
    I dont understand how a vinegar which is an acid is going to stop acid. What else are you eating that could be causing the heartburn. If i have pepsi, citrus fruit, fried food, and too much spicy foods it comes to me.

    Organic ACV actually neutralizes acid as opposed to contributing to it. Ph balance and what
    Not I believe.

    I stay away from most of the foods you mentioned, my finace thinks I might be lactose intolerant so I also try to stay away from dairy ... I'm not sure.
  • tattooedtwiin
    tattooedtwiin Posts: 246
    I know this sounds gross, but my dialysis patient uses baking soda....
  • JeffGDDG
    JeffGDDG Posts: 252 Member
    One I've heard of about great success is DGL (Deglycyrrhizinated licorice) and a good multi-digestive enzyme.
  • Southernsister
    Southernsister Posts: 198 Member
    It needs to be from the Health food store and still have the(mother) in it. This is the best and GREAT for alot of things. The book is cheap and amazing .http://www.bragg.com/
  • Aegelis
    Aegelis Posts: 237 Member
    Echoing ChantalGG, as a Biochemist I've never heard of fighting acid with acid. If there was some other chemical property to the vinegar then I'd understand, but if acid is the problem, then neutrals and bases would be the offsets from a mechanistic standpoint. "Include more high-alkaline foods in your diet to balance your intake of any acid-forming foods such as meat, fish, dairy, nuts, and grains. A high-alkaline foods diet is important for those using High pH Therapy." - quote and charts found here http://www.essense-of-life.com/moreinfo/foodcharts.htm
  • ellekay22
    ellekay22 Posts: 147 Member
    I tried it. It didn't work for me - what works is cutting back on grains with gluten (wheat, oatmeal, etc.). I also love my Tums.

    My understanding is that vinegar gives the gut more acid so it can stop producing so much. Lots of times people eat foods that the body has difficulty breaking down, so the stomach says "Send more acid!" our body produces more, but the food still doesn't breakdown. Adding the vinegar can help breakdown the food. Or I could be completely wrong....
  • futurekilousky
    futurekilousky Posts: 200
    I know this sounds gross, but my dialysis patient uses baking soda....

    Interesting! Just mixed into water?
  • futurekilousky
    futurekilousky Posts: 200
    It needs to be from the Health food store and still have the(mother) in it. This is the best and GREAT for alot of things. The book is cheap and amazing .http://www.bragg.com/

    Yeah I got the braggs =] I'll look into the
    Book , thanks
  • futurekilousky
    futurekilousky Posts: 200
    Echoing ChantalGG, as a Biochemist I've never heard of fighting acid with acid. If there was some other chemical property to the vinegar then I'd understand, but if acid is the problem, then neutrals and bases would be the offsets from a chemistry standpoint. "Include more high-alkaline foods in your diet to balance your intake of any acid-forming foods such as meat, fish, dairy, nuts, and grains. A high-alkaline foods diet is important for those using High pH Therapy." - quote and charts found here http://www.essense-of-life.com/moreinfo/foodcharts.htm

    Interesting, thanks for the info!
    From all the reading and research I've seen, there are antifungal and antibiotic properties in organic apple cider vinegar? Not sure
  • Southernsister
    Southernsister Posts: 198 Member
    After reading a few more of your post I recommend you getting a Papaya Enzyme..not costly and helps to break down your foods. Taste great and you will see the difference. About the milk.. yes much dairy sours on your stomach for sure if you are not digesting properly. I love the Silk Almond milk...get Vanilla if you can and unsweet. Very low in calories.
    Im not a Pro,but have worked in Healthfood...here if you need me.
    Brenda
  • grassette
    grassette Posts: 976 Member
    I've got the same problem as you have, and when I tried the apple cider vinegar, it made things a lot worse. Yes, I used the natural, organic, health food store kind, and I had terrible reflux all day. I will never use apple cider vinegar again for that purpose. My husband who is an engineer, chortled at the idea that an acid could neutralize acid. And with the experience behind me, I know that he is right. Save the apple cider vinegar for salads, and neutralize it with olive oil.
  • LoriIAM
    LoriIAM Posts: 73 Member
    I have used Apple Cider Vinegar and it works, but I use lemon juice and it gets rid of it quickly.

    This sounds great. I'm going to try it.
  • Aegelis
    Aegelis Posts: 237 Member
    Interesting, thanks for the info!
    From all the reading and research I've seen, there are antifungal and antibiotic properties in organic apple cider vinegar? Not sure

    Yes, vinegar is a good natural anti-fungal and antibiotic because of its acidity from the mouth to the stomach, but what happens is when it hits the stomach, you may get some 'splashing up' the esophagus which causes heartburn and acid reflux. The stomach is specially lined to handle that kind of acid, but the esophagus...not so much.

    Thanks for the testimony grassette, that looks like theory proof to me.

    Southernsister is right about Papaya, it's a good enzyme for food digestion and soy milk is a good solution for lactose intolerance like my daughter.

    Sources:
    http://mamatron.hubpages.com/hub/Apple-Cider-Vinegar-A-Powerful-Antibiotic--detoxifier--antiseptic--cleansing-and-healing-tonic
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gastric_acid
    http://www.medicinenet.com/esophageal_ph_monitoring/article.htm
  • nehtaeh
    nehtaeh Posts: 2,849 Member
    Have you tried bananas? They are supposed to be good for a lot of things, this included.
  • asyouseefit
    asyouseefit Posts: 1,265 Member
    I used baking soda during pregnancy with good results!
  • jennajava
    jennajava Posts: 2,176 Member
    NO NO NO!!! Vinegar is an acid! Will make it worse!!!
  • emilydmac
    emilydmac Posts: 382 Member
    I know this sounds gross, but my dialysis patient uses baking soda....

    I use that- and it isn't too bad, works like a CHARM!
  • spookiewon
    spookiewon Posts: 59 Member
    Hey so I have had horrible heartburn for years. A couple years back I got an endoscopy and I have scarring on my esophagus. Lately, my heartburn has been excruciating. I have taken antacids, prilosec an what not but recently heard these could do harm over a long period of time. I just started drinking diluted apple
    Cider vinegar(as i type), hope it works. Any success with this or any other non medicinal heartburn soothers?

    You really need to talk to your doctor about this, because too much esophageal irritation from acid can cause cancer, and PPIs are among the least likely of drugs to cause side effects or long-term problems. You mention Prilosec. Is that the only proton pump inhibitor you've tried, and did your doctor try you on a bid (twice a day) rather than the usual qd (once a day) dosing? Other PPIs include Prevacid, Protonix, Aciphex and Nexium. I wouldn't try an acid like vinegar, apple-cider or otherwise, to relieve acid reflux. This will likely do mare harm than good. You might have some small luck with something more alkaline--like baking soda, but your most likely success will come with a PPI, which prevents acid from being produced in the first place. GERD is a serious problem and a doctor should work with you to resolve it.
  • maab_connor
    maab_connor Posts: 3,927 Member
    i swear by it. but i don't use it as a preventative, b/c the pills don't work for me. i get an attack, i down a tablespoon, the attack is gone.


    and to those who say an acid can't help, there is science to back this up. acid reflux (not heartburn) is most often the problem of NOT ENOUGH acid in your stomach, and the burning happens when your body tries to make too much acid too fast. drinking an acid (vinegar or pickle juice) stops your body from making new acid and calms the churning and properly acidifies the PH in your stomach. it's kind of like in the movie "Lorenzo's Oil".
  • smcassaro
    smcassaro Posts: 123 Member
    I have the same problem & was researching solutions last week. Here is a blerb from Dr.Weil's (I LOVE him) website:

    I have no experience using orange peel extract (d-limonene) for heartburn so I checked with Tieraona Low Dog, M.D., director of the Fellowship at the Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, and an authority on botanical medicine. She told me that she does recommend d-limonene for treatment of heartburn and has found it very effective. Dr. Low Dog said that d-limonene stimulates esophageal peristalsis, helping move acid and liquids back into the stomach. She recommends buying it as orange peel extract in 1,000 mg doses (standardized to d-limonene 97-99%) and taking it once a day every other day for a total of 10 doses over 20 days. After that, take it as needed. Note that some orange peel extracts are standardized to synephrine, a stimulant drug that is generally taken for weight loss. Synephrine-containing products can cause unwanted side effects and are not what you want for heartburn treatment. Dr. Low Dog said that she doesn't know of any disadvantages to using the orange peel extract for heartburn, but because safety in pregnancy isn't known, she doesn't recommend it for women who are expecting.

    I want to try this, but couldn't find it at Wal-Mart- I guess I will be heading to Hi-Health.
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