Acidity or Hyperacidity is a condition in which Chest burn, sour taste of the mouth or watering of the mouth are main symptoms. This is mainly due to improper digestion of food because of excessive secretion of HCl acid in the stomach.

Acidity Causes:

·        Over eating, irregular eating habits, Day sleep, Staying awake late in the night.

·        Excessive consumption of oily deep fried, junk spicy foods, citrus fruits, tomato, garlic, chocolate.

·        Alcohol, smoking, drugs like NSAID’S,

·        Aerated drinks, having tea or coffee in empty stomach act as a gastric irritant.

·        Anxiety, stress.

Acidity Symptoms:

·        Heartburn – burning sensation or pain in the chest region

·        Sour belching or regurgitation backing up into your mouth

·        Nausea

·        Flatulence or bloating

·        Discomfort in the chest region

Home Remedies:

  1. Ginger juice: Intake of 1 teaspoon of ginger juice along with 1 teaspoon of honey in the early morning relieves acidity.
  2. Black resins( Dry grapes): 15 to 20 counts of resins chew twice a day, morning and evening for the cure of acidity.
  3. Coriander seeds: Tea prepared out of boiling 1 teaspoon of coriander seeds powder in 200 ml of water along with sugar relieves acidity, burning sensation of the body, tiredness, excessive sweating etc.
  4. Saunf : Soak 1  teaspoon of saunf in 200 ml of hot water and leave overnight, drink this water twice daily after food.
  5. Cinnamon: Tea prepared out of boiling half teaspoon of Cinnamon powder in 200 ml of water along with sugar, drink this water twice daily after food  relieves acidity and indigestion.
  6. Mint Leaves: have 1 teaspoon of mint leave juice along with 1 teaspoon of honey twice a day relieves acidity, flatulence & improve digestion.
  7. Cardamom & Jaggery: After each meal chew 1 cardamom and suck a small piece of jaggery gives relief from chest burn, acidity, exhaustion etc.

Herbal Remedies:

  1. Amla and licorice: half teaspoon of amla powder (Indian gossbarry) and half teaspoon of licorice powder soak in 200 ml of water overnight, consume 100 ml early morning empty stomach and remaining 100 ml night after food.
  2. Black resins: 10 counts, Haritaki powder(Terminalia Chebula) half teaspoon along with honey at bed time very efficacious medicine for acidity.
  3. Tender coconut pith juice: 50 ml, early morning in the empty stomach for 3 days relieves acidity.

Diet for Acidity:

Food tips: Keep 3 hrs gap between each meal, allow previous meals to get digest, have a sip of water between meals, take easily digestible food at night and have fresh food.

DO’S:

Cereals: Barely, wheat, rice. Pulses: greengram, masur dal, Vegetables: cucumber, bittergaurd, snakegaurd, pumpkin. Fruits: Poamgranet, sweet grapes, apple, chikku,bananna. Dairy: butter, butter milk processed with ginger juice and salt, milk.

Dn’ts:

Avoid over eating, Junk fried oily food, spicy sour & salty food, cold beverages, processed , fermented food,  excessive intake of water in empty stomach for a long period may hamper the digestion, Avoid alcohol, smoking, tobacco chewing, Avoid refrigerated & over cooked food

Pulses: Black gram, horse gram, peas, ground nut. Vegetables: Brinjal, tomato, potato, sweet potato, Fruits: all citrus sour fruits except amla, Dairy: curds.