Acid reflux, also known as heartburn, occurs when stomach acid backs up into your esophagus – the tube connecting your mouth to stomach – resulting in symptoms known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). While occasional episodes are normal, frequent ones or painful ones could indicate gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). There are various ways you can alleviate acid reflux such as drinking non-acidic beverages like water and low fat milk along with herbal teas such as ginger or chamomile tea can all help. Lifestyle changes like losing weight or cutting back certain food/drinks can also reduce symptoms.
Studies have demonstrated the efficacy of acid-reducing supplements as alternatives to proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), medications commonly used for treating GERD and digestive conditions. A 20-year test tube study demonstrated how alkaline water with an 8.8 pH – which is most commercial brands’ type – permanently neutralized stomach acid and alleviated symptoms in test subjects. A 2017 trial involving 184 participants pitting alkaline water against PPIs demonstrated its greater effectiveness at controlling acid reflux than medication alone.
Consuming moderate quantities of seltzer water every day should not cause side effects in healthy individuals, though excessive consumption could result in side effects like bloating and excess gas, tooth erosion, suppressed appetite and overhydration. Furthermore, carbonated waters containing sugar may increase your daily added sugar consumption which the Dietary Guidelines for Americans advise keeping at 10% or less to prevent chronic health conditions such as obesity and diabetes.
Carbonation in seltzer water comes from carbon dioxide, creating bubbles when shaken or stirred, which may increase bloating and cause abdominal pain in some people with digestive disorders such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome or IBS, or cause diarrhea for those living with an inflammatory bowel condition such as ulcerative colitis. These bubbles may increase bloating or lead to abdominal discomfort for individuals.
Fruit can help decrease acid reflux symptoms, as can eating more fiber-rich food and limiting fatty or greasy items which put pressure on your abdomen and trigger it. Also, eating your last meal three hours before bedtime allows time for digestion of nutrients by the stomach to move down its digestive system; additionally you can prop up your head while sleeping by using extra pillows or bed frame extenders to prop it up while sleeping.