Suffering From Acid Reflux? These Tips Can Help You – News18

Many times we use Acid Reflux and GERD as interchangeable terms thinking they mean the same, but there’s a slight difference between them. After meals or while lying down, we sometimes feel a burning sensation in the middle of our chest- that’s called Acid Reflux.

Whereas, Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease or GERD is a much more serious disease in which our stomach acids flow back towards the food pipe, which can cause serious complications and also damage the stomach over time. GERD can cause chronic injury and inflammation that can narrow the oesophagus. This narrowing of the food pipe would make it difficult to swallow food and cause severe pain.

But Ayurveda has found a solution for acid reflux and GERD. The tones of solution stored in ancient Ayurveda manuscripts of Ashtanga Hridaya, Sushruta Samhita and Charaka Samhita provide solutions to remove the uneasy symptoms in the gastric tract. These herbs pacify the acids in the stomach and promote digestion.

Few dietary recommendations of Ayurveda for Acid Reflux and GERD:

• Proper eating habits
  Eating meals calmly and not lying down immediately after eating is one of the basic habits one should have. Also, there should be fixed meals that you consume i.e. you should not skip meals or eat over your limit because eating over your limit would cause digestive problems. Start walking after meals for 30 to 45 minutes.
• Food that should be in the diet
  Prefer eating more plant-oriented diets. Prefer making food in cow ghee or olive oil. Add fruits and green vegetables to your diet. Use skimmed milk in place of whole milk so that less fat is consumed. Add drinks like coconut water, herbal teas, green tea and pumpkin juice to your diet.
• Some herbal remedies
  Consume amla powder after means. Add Aloe vera juice to your diet and drink it before every meal as it would help in soothing the digestive tract. Start drinking herbal teas to reduce inflammation of the oesophagus.
• Foods that should be avoided
  Avoid fruits that contain citrus acids i.e. oranges, grapes etc. Avoid eating spicy food, chilli, pickle and uncooked food. Remove carbonated drinks, alcohol, whole milk drinks, and sugary drinks from your diet. Avoid eating non-veg or food made of flesh. Avoid oily food and junk food.