Are There Any Effective Heartburn Remedies?

 Juicy Fruit is a surprisingly effective heartburn remedy. Lightly-flavored non-mint gums work best to relieve heartburn symptoms.


If you have to deal with heartburn regularly, no doubt you have wondered if it was possible to get relief from heartburn via home remedies. There are hundreds of heartburn remedies all reported to provide relief anecdotally, but how does the evidence stack up?

We found one site in particular, Heartburn Remedies, which hands-down offers the best exploration of the validity and possible mechanisms behind some popular heartburn remedies. The two remedies that they recommend are chewing gum and vinegar.

The evidence behind the use of chewing gum seems to be extremely convincing. There are a few proposed mechanisms through which it can contribute. Firstly, chewing gum produces saliva, which is then swallowed, which can then aid digestion in the stomach by helping to break down food. Indeed, researchers have found that those who chew their food appropriately are significantly less likely to experience heartburn than those who do not chew their food much as all.

However, saliva not only aids digestion but has other significant contributors to remedying heartburn. After a time of chewing gum, the saliva released appears to increase in pH, moving from a neutral liquid to a base. This base then coats the esophagus as it is swallowed, giving the esophagus a basic pH. This is an amazing protective mechanism.

If you are not familiar with the pH scale, allow us to explain. Neutral solutions have a pH of 7, and are in the middle of the pH chart. Acidic solutions have a pH less than 7, on a scale of 0-7. The lower the number, the more acidic the solution. Stomach acid has a pH in between 2 and 3, which is quite acidic. Acids are produced when a solution has a lot H+ (hydrogen ions), whereas bases are produced when a solution has a lot of OH- (hydroxide ions).

When acids and bases meet, they cancel each other out in a process called neutralization. H+ combines with OH- to form H20, also known as water. Since H+ and OH- have opposite charges, they cancel out as well, leaving us with a harmless solution of water.

Back to the example – when the OH- in our basic saliva comes in contact with the H+ ions in our stomach acid in the esophagus, they neutralize one another. This of course depends on relative content; you will need a lot of saliva to neutralize just a small amount of stomach acid. Fortunately, chewing gum produces large amounts of saliva and acid reflux is often caused by a very small amount of acid (often diluted by being mixed with the stomach’s contents). As a result, there is a lot of strong evidence that chewing gum is an effective heartburn remedy.

The only side-note is that peppermint and spearmint gums should not be used. Mint can stimulate the production of HCl (stomach acid) in a lot of individuals and should be avoided if you experience heartburn regularly.

The other heartburn remedy promoted by the site in question is vinegar. The idea is that taking a small amount of vinegar compels the salivary glands to produce massive amounts of saliva, even more than you might experience from chewing gum. The protective effects work in quite the same way and there is merit to this approach as well.

All in all, there are some effective home heartburn remedies, and you do not have to open up your wallet to get access to them – both of these items are already in most homes or can be obtained for 1$ or less.


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Iodine Supplements and Heartburn

As early as 1982, researchers have been able to demonstrate a solid link between acid reflux and hypothyroidism (1). It is theorized that hypothyroidism may effect the motility of the esophagus and reduce lower-esophageal sphincter pressure (1).

It is fairly safe to say that hypothyroidism and heartburn are related. However, is there anything we can do about this? Of course – and you are about to find out what!

Iodine Supplementation – A Possible Heartburn Remedy?

One of the biggest contributing factors to hypothyroidism (and as such, thyroid-related acid reflux) is inadequate iodine intake.

In response to a few studies demonstrating that high iodine intake leads to possible cancer and hypothyroidism, Iodine has received a particularly bad reputation lately.

However, you should know that this study did confirm that high iodine intakes may cause cancer or lead to hypothyroidism, the “excessive” group excreted a median of 651 micrograms per liter of urine (2). While, this may not seem like a lot, consider this:

The average human excretes 1.5 liters of urine a day.The recommended daily allowance for iodine intake is 150 micrograms.

So, in order to be excreting (sans what their body was actually using) over 1,000 micrograms a day, the average person in the excessive group in this study was easily consuming an average 5 times the recommended daily allowance for iodine for a length of time.

As a result, the average person in a modernized nation is going to rarely be consuming those levels of iodine. This is much more typical of an eastern diet which includes a lot of seaweed and kelp. These plants contain extremely high levels of natural iodine not approached by any other food on the planet!

Now that we have got that out of the way, another study of a similar population confirmed that unusually low levels of iodine intake are associated with thyroid disease (3). We knew this all along, but it is good to see some positive research since the “high iodine” study.

The Dark Side of Sea Salt

Iodine intake has always been quite naturally low in the western diet. In order to combat this issue, most salts in the USA have been iodized. Since salt is used ubiquitously in cooking, it was thought that this would significantly reduce iodine deficiencies (and indeed it did).

The problem is now sea salt has begun replacing normal salt on many tables. For some reason sea salt is thought as some sort of health food because its natural, but the truth is it lacks iodine which is far more essential of a nutrient than any mystery minerals which might be found in sea salt.

Unless the package specifically says iodized, your sea salt has no significant levels of iodine. You can buy iodized sea salt online, but I have not seen it in the typical grocery store.

With this in mind, consider adding iodized salt to your acid reflux diet. If you cannot add salt to your diet to due to restrictions (such as edema or high blood pressure), consider an iodine supplement. A very small supplement of just 100-150 micrograms (micro, not milli) should be fine. Be careful, because many iodine supplements are 600+ micrograms, which is unsafe unless done under a doctor’s supervision (as a doctor can collect and monitor bloodwork and urinalyses).

Important: Do not take an iodine supplement if you are taking medication already for hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid). If you already eat a iodine-rich diet (i.e. eastern diet rich in seaweed or kelp) do not use an iodine supplement.

Other Ways to Help Hypothyroidism

In addition to adding iodine to the diet, another great way to help get your thyroid back on track is to lose weight. I know a lot of people say that the reason they are fat is hypothyroidism, but the truth is that in most people the situation is reversed.

A small minority of the population has thyroid problems due to genetics, cancer, radiation exposure, or other illness. A vast majority of the population is experiencing poor thyroid function due to obesity. Obesity negatively impacts every body system, and the thyroid is no difference from this.

When you consider this, it is not surprising that diagnoses of thyroid disorders have exploded over the last 15 years and obesity has exploded over the last 20 years. This is not a coincidence.

The good news is that both heartburn and thyroid disorders often become milder (and frequently reverse) when you lose weight. This allows you to tackle acid reflux from two fronts through weight loss.

Medication

Of course, many will elect to go on medication for hypothyroidism if diagnosed. This is entirely up to you and your doctor. Many people report great improvements to their quality of life after starting this medication.

If you are experiencing symptoms of hypothyroidism such as brittle nails, dry skin, cold hands and feet, mental fatigue, and possibly even acid reflux, you will want to see your doctor and get some bloodwork done.

Given that low iodine intake is related to hypothyroidism and hypothyroidism is related to acid reflux, I do not think it is too far of a stretch to consider iodized salt and iodine supplements to be good heartburn home remedies. If you prefer the flavor of sea salt, consider getting iodized sea salt, which is readily available online.

As always, talk to your doctor if you have any health concerns or are experiencing heartburn symptoms two times a week or more. If you need to lose weight, just remember that weight loss is tied to both reduced acid reflux and improved thyroid function!

References

1. Eastwood GL, Braverman LE, White EM, Vander Salm TJ. Reversal of lower esophageal sphincter hypotension and esophageal aperistalsis after treatment for hypothyroidism. J Clin Gastroenterol. 1982 Aug;4(4):307-10.

2. Teng, W., et al. Effect of iodine intake on thyroid diseases in China. N Engl J Med. 2006 Jun 29;354(26):2783-93.

3. Yu, X., et al. A five-year follow-up study of goiter and thyroid nodules in three regions with different iodine intakes in China. J Endocrinol Invest. 2008 Mar;31(3):243-50.

Heartburn and Statins – Do Statins Cause Acid Reflux?

There has been a lot of talk suggesting that statins (the popular class of cholesterol-lowering drugs) can be a cause of heartburn. It is listed on numerous websites as having the side effect of heartburn and this connection is also mentioned in several popular books on acid reflux. However, is there any evidence of this? Let’s find out!

Statins – What Are They?

The term statins simply refers to the class of medications that have become very popular around the world for their ability to reduce LDL cholesterol and inflammation in the body. The most popular statins include the brands Lipitor, Zycor, and Crestor (among others). Given the ubiquity of obesity, statins are among the most prescribed medications in the United States.

Statins and Heartburn – The Research

Despite the fact that statins are linked with heartburn anecdotally as well as listed on multiple third-party websites, the official NIH (National Institute of Health) page as well as the official site for Lipitor make no mention of acid reflux being a recognized side effect of statins. Now, this does not mean they aren’t recognized – it just is not documented.

I will say that of the listed side effects, other digestive issues such as upset stomach, constipation, or diarrhea are recognized as side effects of most statins (note that there are slight differences among each type of statin – but this is beyond the scope of this article). Additionally, unusual muscle function (cramping, involuntary contractions, fatigue) are also reported.

With that in mind, given that heartburn can be caused by irregular motility of the digestive tract, and that the usage of statins seems to cause irregular muscle activity, it would stand to reason that stains may indeed have acid reflux as a side effect.

Statins and Acid Reflux – What to Do

However, just because statins may have lead to heartburn does not mean that you should disregard your doctor’s advice if he (or she) prescribes them. Now, understand that I have very negative feelings about the chronic usage of prescription medication, but the facts are the facts: statins save lives.

Statins do not just make you more comfortable; there are dozens of very large studies which have reported that statins reduce not only cholesterol but also all-cause mortality (1, 2). There are many other studies that report the same thing: people who take statins just live longer.

The results surrounding statins are so good that some doctors have been even issuing them to those with low-risk for developing cardiac disease to help prevent cardiac disease from developing. It has become so wide spread that a recent Cochrane Review stated that while statins were beneficial, they did not recommend issuing them for low-risk patients (2).

The point is this – yes, statins may have side effects, but if you are a moderate or high-risk individual, they can save your life and help you live a lot longer. In regards to the development of acid reflux – you can talk to your doctor if you develop side effects, but personally I’d rather be alive with acid reflux than die prematurely without it. Interestingly though, a recent study reported that the use of statins was actually reported to reduce the risk of developing esophageal adenocarinoma (esophageal cancer) in those with Barrett’s Esophagus (a condition present in some with esophageal damage, particularly due to GERD) (3). Perhaps due to the anti-inflammatory properties of statins they can even reduce the damage done by acid reflux and be protective rather than destructive.

There are two important takeaways that you should get from this article. The first is that although statins may or may not cause heartburn, they do save lives and have been repeatedly shown to reduce all-cause mortality. The other thing to remember is that those who need cholesterol-lowering drugs and those who have acid reflux have a few common factors: obesity, smoking, and a poor diet.

Perhaps if you are on statin medications and are developing acid reflux, this may serve as a bit of a wake-up call. If you need to lose weight, quit smoking, or start following a smart acid reflux diet, those are things should be at the top of your priority list so that you can live a healthier and more satisfying life.

As always, everyone responds to medication differently. The decision to start or stop a medication should always be done under a doctor’s supervision. Statins do have some dangerous side effects, particularly related to liver and kidney dysfunction. Talk to your doctor about your medication if you have any concerns or side effects.

References

1. Baigent C., et al. Efficacy and safety of more intensive lowering of LDL cholesterol: a meta-analysis of data from 170,000 participants in 26 randomised trials. Lancet. 2010 Nov 13;376(9753):1670-81.

2. Taylor F., et al. Statins for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2011 Jan 19;(1):CD004816.

3. Nguyen DM, Richardson P, El-Serag HB. Medications (NSAIDs, statins, proton pump inhibitors) and the risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma in patients with Barrett’s esophagus. Gastroenterology. 2010 Jun;138(7):2260-6.