The onset of Heartburn is directly related to certain types of food you eat.
In the normal process when food moves from the food pipe to stomach, the esophagus relaxes, opens the route to the stomach and quickly closes to avoid foods to get back in the reverse direction. When this movement gets distorted heartburn may occur.
Some food relaxes the lower esophagus sphincter (LES). The relaxed LES allows the food to get from the stomach along with stomach acids back into the food pipe. This is called acid reflux and it causes pain in the chest area which is reffered as heartburn.
There are many ways toget rid of heartburn, but for the context of this article, you can use skimmed or low fat milk for heartburn relief.
Table of Contents
What is Heartburn
Heartburn us a very common condition in which you may suffer from painful burning sensation in your chest due to indigestion and acid reflux in the esophagus.
When the lower esophageal sphincter muscle is relaxed the stomach contents can backflow upwards. The condition is called Acid Reflux and causes heartburn in the chest area.
Poor diet and lifestyle are the main causes of Acid Reflux and heartburn. You can stop heartburn by changing your lifestyle and diet. This is where the milk comes to rescue. Untreated heartburn can lead to more severe condition called gastroesophageal Reflux disease (GERD).
Is Milk Good for Heartburn?
Is milk good or bad for heartburn? You will get almost equal supporters on both sides of the argument. Milk is a very controversial remedy for heartburn. But, you need to get rid of that nasty heartburn now and the milk is always easily accessible in your refrigerator for quick relief.
Your grandma may swear by it but some of the modern doctors may ask you to stay away from milk if you have heartburn. So why is this controversy on milk for heartburn?
The reason is its fat content. Fat lowers the pressure on LES which opens up and causes the stomach acids to move up resulting in heartburn. Although it may give immediate relief, it may cause acid reflux later. So it is a vicious cycle. It gives you immediate relief and then causes acid redux and the cycle continues.
So the grandma was right. Milk helps heartburn. The doctors are also right because the fat will ultimately do its job of causing acid reflux.
But there is more to it...
Certain proteins in milk are helpful in getting relief from heartburn and if fat is removed then milk is a great remedy for heartburn.
So drink cold skimmed or low milk to get rid of your heartburn and acid reflux.
How to Use Milk for Heartburn?
Don't ignore this old grandma's remedy for heartburn. It really works, though you need to be cautious about what kind of milk you use.
Following milk ideas will help to get relief heartburn instantly.
1. Skimmed Milk
When we talk of milk, we think of cow’s milk and they come in different varieties. Some have more fat than the other. Skimmed milk is one of the best home remedies for treating heartburn and Acid Reflux. Most of the fat is already skimmed for making products like butter and cheese.
The skimmed milk retains all its nutrients except fat. That is exactly what we want for getting relief from heartburn.
Drink a glass of cold skimmed milk by sipping slowly when you get heartburn after food. This will immediately subside the heartburn.
2. Goat's Milk
If you live in an area where goat's milk is easily accessible, then you have a really good remedy to get rid of heartburn.
Goat milk is chemically very similar to human milk and is very healthy. It reduces inflammation, supports metabolism and eases digestion process. All these capabilities reduce acid reflux, bloating gases and other related problems.
The composition of fat I'm goat's milk is different from cow milk. The fat in goat milk is easy to digest and reduces acid reflux.
It may take time to develop a taste for goat's milk, but whether you like the taste or not it will solve your heartburn problem.
3. Almond Milk
Almond milk gives relief from Acid Reflux and heartburn. It is also very nutritious.
Readily available almond milk in the market contains preservatives. Therefore, it is not very effective for your heartburn problems. Best is homemade almond milk.
- Soak handful of almonds in water overnight
- Rinse and remove the outer brown layer. It can easily be peeled off.
- Put the white meat if almond with one cup of water in a blender
- Blend well to make creamy milk.
This remedy can only work when you already have almond milk available when you have heartburn. You simply can't wait for 12 hours before you could make almond milk.
However, if you know the menu for the next day and expect heartburn then you certainly can be prepared.
Freshly prepared almond milk stays in the refrigerator for 4 days.
Precautions and Tips
Milk is a nutritious food product containing fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals. It offers multiple health benefits but it may be wise to avoid it in certain specific conditions.
- Avoid milk if you have lactose intolerance
- Always use skimmed or low fat milk for heartburn. High fat milk may cause acid reflux and increase heartburn.
- Cold milk is better for heartburn compared to hot milk
- Stay upright after drinking milk to get best results. Do not lie down.
- Eat foods that are good for acid reflux
- Lose weight if you frequently encounter acid reflux
- Avoid tight fitting clothes.
If you identify and avoid eating those food items that cause acid reflux in you then you will not get heartburn.