Heartburn is very uncommon and unpleasant. It’s triggered when stomach acid backs up into the esophagus. It can make you feel as though someone has lit a small bonfire in your chest, and it’s burning its way up to your neck. We all know that there are tons of medications for a heartburn, but there are also natural remedies for heartburn.

One commonly used natural heartburn remedy is calcium. It’s also the active ingredient in many over the counter antacids. Besides eliminating garlic breath, chewing gum after a meal might have other advantages, research suggests. Chewing gum stimulates the salivary flow rate.

A spoonful of sodium bicarbonate, or teaspoon-full to be exact, can help put an end to the gnawing, burning, sensation of heartburn caused by acid reflux. Baking soda, as sodium bicarbonate is more commonly known, can help your reflux and in turn help your heartburn because it is a base substance. It has a pH higher than 7.0, and therefore neutralizes stomach acid. Neutralizing the stomach acid means that if/when your LES decides to be lazy and acid comes up your throat, you don’t get “burned.” mix a teaspoon of baking soda into a glass of water hat is no more than 8 ounces. Give it a good stir and drink all of the mixture. You can repeat this as needed but should not exceed seven ½ teaspoon doses in a 24 hour period. Also, avoid using this as a remedy for more than a week straight, as it is high in salt and can have side effects such as swelling or nausea.

You may have heard that drinking a glass of milk can relieve heartburn. While it’s true that milk can temporarily buffer stomach acid, nutrients in milk, particularly fat, will stimulate the stomach to produce more acid. Even though milk might not be a great heartburn remedy, however, it’s a rich source of bone-building calcium. Try fat-free skim milk and don’t overdo it. Drink no more than 8 ounces of skim milk at a time as a snack in between meals. Overfilling the stomach may increase heartburn.

Aloe Vera juice is also good. The juice of the aloe plant naturally helps reduce inflammation, which may ease symptoms of acid reflux. Drink about 1/2 cup of aloe Vera juice before meals. If you want to avoid its laxative effect, look for a brand that has removed the laxative component.

And lastly try this trick- lie down with chin up. Heartburn tends to get worst at night. And the good thing is that at night you lie down. It is believed that gravity does the work here. Gravity works against you, and it’s easier for the digested contents of your stomach to back up into your esophagus, along with acid. Remember that you should not lie down within 3-4 hours after eating. Lying down with a full stomach makes stomach contents press harder against your lower esophageal sphincter.