by Mario Carini

Created on: July 08, 2011

The burning discomfort as stomach acid finds its way up the throat and into the mouth isn't a pleasant experience. While an occasional bout of heartburn can be forgiven, more people today experience acid reflux on a daily basis and look for quick methods that aren't always the healthiest.

The first resource when heartburn strikes is to reach for the antacids. While they quell the turmoil in the stomach, they do not get to the source of the problem and often can create more problems. Simply put, heartburn occurs when stomach acids rise through the sphincter that prevents those acids from getting into the esophagus.

Antacids reduce stomach acids. Unfortunately, a reduction of acids allows for the harmful growth of microbes, since stomach acids help to keep those microbes in check. Costly prescriptions may be useful if you're producing more stomach acids than is needed for or the sphincter doesn't close when the stomach is breaking down food.

GERD, stomach and intestinal disorders are on the rise and much of the cause can be blamed on the diet. Rather than reach for the antacids, your first step should be to look at the kind of foods that can cause your condition. Since today's common diet contains of highly acidic foods, as opposed to alkaline, it's hardly surprising that so many people suffer from stomach related disorders. Soda, for example, is highly acidic. It contain a great deal of sugar and the coloring comes from a burned substance that is known to be carcinogenic.

Next to avoiding acid forming foods you can find relief once a bout of heartburn strikes you.

Ginger Tea

Drinking warm ginger tea has a nerve-calming affect. It helps to absorb excess stomach acid. Results can happen almost immediately. There are no known side effects and ginger is safe to consume regularly.

Apple Cider Vinegar

Most people balk at the idea of drinking a glass of undiluted vinegar. It's just not as appetizing as a Twinkie. Yet there are many that are sold by using this method of relieving their heartburn. What many people don't realize is that the problem may not be due to too much stomach acid, but too little.

If you've been taking antacids and prescriptions to alleviate your problem, you likely don't have enough acid to do its work of digestion and the proliferation of microbes may be the cause of the problem.

To use it, dilute 2 tablespoons in a half cup of warm water. If this doesn't appeal to your palette, add some honey. Apple cider may not do you much good if too much

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