Most people suffer from acidity these days but the good news is that it is a completely reversible condition. Here are a few tips to beat it!

Are your eating habits irregular? Do you eat out a lot? Do you love spicy food? And have you been experiencing burning sensations in the throat, gas formation, sour taste in your mouth and fatigue? Chances are that you are suffering from acidity.

What causes acidity?

Acidity is caused when the digestive juices produced in our stomach are not utilised completely. In fact the acid helps digest food we eat. However, when there isn’t enough food for digestion or if there is an over production of this acid, you will experience acidity pangs.

In addition, acidity may also be due to eating a meal filled with either sugar or spices, stress, lack of exercise or long gaps between two meals. In most cases, the main trigger for acidity is the food we eat and our eating habits.

Though acidity is one of the most common problems faced by most of us, preventing acidity from occurring is very simple. Here are a few tricks which will help you beat acidity!

Eat at regular intervals

Always eat in small portions. Instead of one heavy breakfast, break it down into two portions and eat it at two-hour intervals. This way, your stomach is neither too full nor completely empty.

Fruits and veggies

Eat a lot of fruits, vegetables and whole wheat grains as this will increase the amount of fibre you consume. The fibre in your food will absorb the extra acid produced in your stomach and also discard it out of your body. Fruits such as bananas, papayas, cucumbers and watermelons go a long way in relieving acidity. Also, dry fruits like raisins, dried figs and almonds help in easing heartburns and the burning sensation in your stomach. Eat more vegetables like drumsticks, beans, pumpkin, cabbage, carrot and spring onions.

Drink water

Drink warm water first thing in the morning. This is said to flush out the excess acid which gets accumulated in your stomach through the night. In addition, drinking tender coconut water three times a day will also help you fight acidity.

Sip milk

If you are suffering from acidity, sip cold milk frequently as milk is an acidity buster and it helps in stabilizing the gastric acids. But, do not think eating ice cream is as same as drinking cold milk. Actually the cream and sugar in the ice cream will just aggravate the acidity.

Chew on tulsi

When you are suffering from heartburns, pop in a few tulsi leaves and chew on them for a while. This can give you instant relief. Also, mint leaves are said to be equally effective. Boil mint leaves in a bowl of water and sip it frequently. This too helps relieve you from acidity.

Aniseed/sauf

Now you know the reason behind the sauf served in restaurants. It not just helps in digestion but is also great for those suffering from acidity. For best results, soak one teaspoon of sauf in one cup of boiled water overnight. Strain this water, add a teaspoon of honey to it and sip on it through the day.

Chew gum

Chewing sugarless gum is said to help in reducing heartburn. Chewing gum produces more saliva, and the alkaline properties in the saliva neutralise the acid.

BDST: 1549 HRS, MAY-28, 2014