Acidity Treatments

Diets containing no fiber and only refined foods, too much stress and anxiety, excessive alcohol consumption or smoking can lead to acidity or heartburn. Spicy foods, hurried intake or eating too much can also result in the same condition, in which there is excess secretion of acids from the gastric lining of the stomach, leading to uneasiness. While there are many kinds of medicines available at pharmacies for treatment of acidity, there are home remedies that can effectively and naturally aid in the treatment of the problem.

Basil and Aniseed

• Among its various uses, rectification of acidity problems is one of the most important medicinal properties of basil. Whenever you are suffering from heartburn, take a handful of basil leaves and chew them properly. This will help bring back the optimum acid-base balance in your stomach and aid in making you feel better. Aniseed is another useful remedy for acidity. Boil one cup of water and add a teaspoon of aniseed to it. Cover the vessel and leave undisturbed overnight. Strain the concoction in the morning and mix in a teaspoon of honey. Drink this at least thrice every day to reduce acidity.

Milk and Coconut

• One of the easiest methods of reducing acidity is to drink a glass full of cold milk whenever you are suffering from heartburn or gas. Buttermilk mixed either with a teaspoon each of cumin powder and rock salt or a quarter teaspoon of ground black pepper will help bring down the gas in your stomach. You could also try a totally milk diet or consume a lot of milk products to cure acidity. Chewing slivers of fresh coconut or drinking coconut water more than three times a day can effectively cure acidity.

Lime, Lemon and Mint

• Take 150 ml of fresh lime juice, mix it well with one liter of water and four tablespoons of honey. Drink a quarter of this mixture, twice a day--once in the morning and once in the evening, to reduce acidity. Lime and honey are two antibacterial ingredients that help in reducing gas in your body. You can drink plain water mixed with lemon juice a few times daily to restore healthy acidic levels permanently. Fresh juice from ground mint leaves taken after every meal can effectively reduce acidity.

Orange, Cumin and Indian Gooseberry

• Orange juice is another remedy for acidity. Mix ground roasted cumin seeds in freshly squeezed orange juice. Drink it a few times a day to gradually and effectively reduce acidity in your stomach. Mix the pulp of one Indian gooseberry, available in Indian specialty stores with haritaki powder, also available in Indian stores. Take this mixture at least a couple of times every day to reduce acidity. Having a couple of teaspoons of Indian gooseberry powder mixed with water can help provide relief from acidity.

Other Acidity Treatment Tips

• Suck on cloves and cardamom pods or have a lot of banana, cucumber or watermelon to get relief from heartburn. Avoid unripe fruits, as they contain a high quantity of pectin which leads to increased acidic levels in your stomach. Avoid drinking water immediately prior to and after meals and try to time your dinner at least a couple of hours before you go to sleep.