Apple cider vinegar for acid reflux?!
Question: Apple cider vinegar for acid reflux.?
How long does it take to work.? I quit smoking a while back and it made my acid reflux worse. I'm nine months pregnant now and it's still hurting, so I took the vinegar.Health Question & Answer
Answers:
There's a big misconception about acid reflux (GERD) out there... even most physicians have not caught up to the research that shows that reflux is most commonly caused by NOT ENOUGH stomach acid. (As opposed to TOO MUCH, which is what most current treatments are based upon.)
Acid (pH) is the trigger for the valve at the top of the stomach to close. If you're not producing enough stomach acid, the valve doesnt get the message and you get reflux.
Apple cider, in the stomach, is a mild acid. It literally supplements the acid in the stomach and stimulates more acid production... that's how it fixes the reflux. Depending on how long it takes for your body to "learn" to make more stomach acid, it could be a matter of months to fix the reflux problem. Some people need a stronger trigger to get this effect... if after a month or so you see no improvement at all with the apple cider, talk to your Naturopath about a Betaine HCl challenge.
To give you some extra comfort, try popping 1000 mg Vitamin C right before you eat. Same mechanism - it's a mild acid supplement to help trigger that valve to close. (also works as a substitute for OTC meds like Tums and Rolaids, which decrease stomach acid.)
Note: Not everyone who has reflux has insufficient stomach acid. (Sometimes is really is because of too much acid.) If the vinegar or Vit C makes your heartburn worse, you could be among those who will not respond to this kind of treatment.Health Question & Answer
Acid (pH) is the trigger for the valve at the top of the stomach to close. If you're not producing enough stomach acid, the valve doesnt get the message and you get reflux.
Apple cider, in the stomach, is a mild acid. It literally supplements the acid in the stomach and stimulates more acid production... that's how it fixes the reflux. Depending on how long it takes for your body to "learn" to make more stomach acid, it could be a matter of months to fix the reflux problem. Some people need a stronger trigger to get this effect... if after a month or so you see no improvement at all with the apple cider, talk to your Naturopath about a Betaine HCl challenge.
To give you some extra comfort, try popping 1000 mg Vitamin C right before you eat. Same mechanism - it's a mild acid supplement to help trigger that valve to close. (also works as a substitute for OTC meds like Tums and Rolaids, which decrease stomach acid.)
Note: Not everyone who has reflux has insufficient stomach acid. (Sometimes is really is because of too much acid.) If the vinegar or Vit C makes your heartburn worse, you could be among those who will not respond to this kind of treatment.Health Question & Answer
It really depends on how bad it is and how quickly your body responds. Some people notice an impact within a few days... some people notice it within a few weeks. Most all people that will get a benefit from it will notice most if not all of the benefits within a month, but you should notice at least something within a week or two at the most. Good luck!Health Question & Answer
If your going to use apple cider vinegar use a good brand. Many out there are just plain vinegar with some coloring in it..and in some cases a little artificial apple flavor. For best results you would want to use something like Braggs brand. As it has the "mother" in it.Health Question & Answer
Gee, I would never have expected vinegar to help it. I wish I'd known when I was pregnant! Even with meds, it was still bad. Congratulations!Health Question & Answer