Natural Cures for Chronic Indigestion and Acid Reflux

Suffering from chronic indigestion can be tiring and frustrating, what with the

constant need for medication, but there are other ways to remedy or control this

condition. There are a few natural remedies that can assist in reducing the

overall effects and help treat the symptoms of indigestion, heartburn and acid

reflux. These contain no aluminum, which is commonly known to cause Alzheimer's

and senility.

Other powerful alternatives include herbal, fruit and vegetable remedies, such

as anise, peppermint, lavender, papaya, pineapples, chicory root, cinnamon, and

dried grapefruit skin. Anise or aniseed has three varieties that are both

healthy overall and will aid digestive illnesses - European, green and sweet.

The other two varieties are of no use - caraway seeds and star anise.

Peppermint can help with all varieties of digestive conditions including gas,

cramps, ulcers and other stomach problems. Lavender, a complete body healer,

helps by reducing stomach acid levels. Papaya's papain (digestive enzyme) is

well known for digesting proteins and can be consumed in quantities of 500mg at

every meal. Pineapples also contain enzymes, including bromelain, another

protein digester, which reduces inflammation resulting from indigestion and

damage to the esophagus. The juice is especially good because of the high

concentrations of the enzyme, but can be bought in tablet form, with doses

ranging from 200mg to 500mg recommended for each meal.

Chicory root, and its close relatives, escarole and endive, can be boiled in quantities of half a cup for up to 10 minutes, cooled and then drunk as a tea. It is one of the oldest

remedies and it is also recommended that it is added raw to your salads.

Cinnamon, a known antiseptic, settles stomach acids and is a delicious addition

to both savory and sweet meals.

Finally, grapefruit skin that has been grated

and dried is a quick alternative to antacids and can be chewed on as a possible

snack alternative whenever indigestion arises. The number of pieces required is

dependent on the person and is based on simple experimentation to see how few

are needed.

All in all the medically recommended alternative is to adjust a person's diet.

Avoiding non-alkaline foods can greatly help in controlling, relieving and

sometimes ridding a person of indigestion, heartburn and acid reflux. The most

critical thing is to ensure that a salad is included on a daily basis as this

will help clean out any trigger ingredients and help avoid repeated episodes of

indigestion.