A half teaspoon of baking soda stirred into a glass of water is one of the fastest home remedies for heartburn, often neutralizing stomach acid within minutes. But it’s far from the only option. Several remedies backed by real evidence can help, depending on whether you need quick relief right now or a strategy to prevent heartburn from coming back tonight.
Baking Soda for Fast Relief
Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) is a base that directly neutralizes stomach acid on contact. The Mayo Clinic recommends half a teaspoon dissolved in a glass of water, taken every two hours as needed. Don’t exceed five teaspoons in a single day. It works quickly, but the relief is temporary, usually lasting 30 to 60 minutes.
This is a short-term fix, not a daily habit. Baking soda is high in sodium, and frequent use can disrupt your body’s acid-base balance. If you find yourself reaching for it multiple times a week, the heartburn likely needs a different approach.
Chewing Gum After Meals
This one sounds too simple, but chewing gum stimulates saliva production, and saliva is naturally alkaline. A study monitoring acid levels in the esophagus found that chewing gum consistently raised both esophageal and throat pH, meaning less acid sitting where it shouldn’t be. Gum containing bicarbonate worked even better than regular sugarless gum.
The key is chewing for at least 20 to 30 minutes after a meal. That sustained saliva flow helps wash acid back down into the stomach and buffer what’s already there. It won’t stop a severe episode, but as a preventive habit after meals that tend to trigger heartburn, it’s surprisingly effective.
Ginger in Small Amounts
Ginger has a specific effect on the valve between your esophagus and stomach. A study measuring this valve’s behavior after participants consumed one gram of ginger found that it didn’t change the resting pressure of the valve, but it did help it relax more fully during swallowing. It also slowed the speed of esophageal contractions. The practical result: ginger may help trapped gas escape the stomach more easily, which reduces the upward pressure that pushes acid into your esophagus.
Fresh ginger tea is the simplest way to try this. Slice about an inch of fresh ginger root, steep it in hot water for 10 minutes, and sip it before or after meals. Keep the amount modest. Too much ginger can irritate the stomach lining and make things worse.
Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice (DGL)
DGL is a form of licorice root with the compound that raises blood pressure removed, making it safer for regular use. Unlike antacids, DGL doesn’t neutralize acid. Instead, it works by improving gut motility, reducing inflammation, and supporting the protective lining of your esophagus and stomach. A randomized, placebo-controlled trial found that 75 mg taken twice daily after meals for four weeks reduced heartburn severity without altering acid secretion itself.
You’ll find DGL as chewable tablets or capsules at most health food stores. It’s one of the better-studied herbal options for reflux, though it works gradually rather than providing instant relief.
Sleep on Your Left Side
If heartburn hits at night, your sleeping position matters more than you might think. A meta-analysis of multiple studies found that sleeping on your left side significantly reduced the amount of time acid spent in the esophagus compared to sleeping on your right side or on your back. The anatomy explains why: when you lie on your left, your stomach sits below the junction where it meets the esophagus, so gravity keeps acid pooled away from the opening. Lie on your right, and that junction is essentially submerged.
Elevating the head of your bed by six to eight inches helps too. The American College of Gastroenterology suggests this for nighttime symptoms. Use a wedge pillow or put blocks under the bedframe legs. Stacking regular pillows doesn’t work well because it bends you at the waist rather than angling your whole torso, which can actually increase abdominal pressure.
What About Apple Cider Vinegar?
Apple cider vinegar is one of the most commonly recommended home remedies online, but the evidence behind it is essentially nonexistent. Harvard Health Publishing noted that no studies published in medical journals have tested raw apple cider vinegar for heartburn. The popular theory is that a more acidic stomach tightens the valve at the top of the stomach, preventing reflux. In reality, that valve is controlled by a complex network of involuntary muscles, hormones, and neurotransmitters, not just acidity levels.
Drinking vinegar when your esophagus is already irritated by acid could make the burning worse. Until actual clinical data supports it, this one is better left on the salad.
Habits That Prevent Heartburn
Home remedies work best alongside a few behavioral changes that reduce how often heartburn strikes in the first place. Eating smaller meals is one of the most reliable, since a full stomach puts more pressure on the valve that keeps acid contained. Avoid lying down for at least two to three hours after eating. If you eat dinner at 7, don’t go to bed before 9:30.
Tight clothing around the waist, particularly belts and high-waisted pants, can squeeze the stomach enough to push acid upward. Loosening your waistband after a meal is a small change that genuinely helps. The American College of Gastroenterology also strongly recommends weight loss for people who are overweight, calling it one of the most effective lifestyle changes for reducing reflux symptoms long term.
Common trigger foods vary from person to person, but the usual suspects are coffee, alcohol, chocolate, tomato-based foods, citrus, and anything high in fat. Rather than eliminating all of them at once, try removing one at a time for a week and see if your symptoms improve. That gives you a clearer picture of your personal triggers.
When Heartburn May Be Something Else
Heartburn and heart attack can feel remarkably similar. Even experienced doctors sometimes can’t distinguish them without testing. Typical heartburn produces a burning sensation in the chest, usually after eating, and is often relieved by antacids. It may come with a sour taste or a small amount of stomach contents rising into the throat.
Heart attack pain tends to feel more like pressure, tightness, or squeezing in the chest or arms, sometimes spreading to the neck, jaw, or back. It often comes with shortness of breath, cold sweat, lightheadedness, or sudden fatigue. Women are more likely to experience jaw pain, back pain, and nausea as primary symptoms rather than classic chest pressure. If your chest discomfort comes with any of those additional symptoms, or if it doesn’t improve with antacids, treat it as an emergency.