Tuesday 3 October 2017

Mustard for Heartburn: Natural Home Remedies

Posted By. Godsfavour


              

For sure you know the burning feeling in your stomach or throat area. It sometimes happens after we eat a particular kind of food or when we eat too much. It likes to wake us up in the middle of the night and it is called heartburn.


The studies have shown that even more than 60 million Americans deal with the discomfort of heartburn at least once a month. Moreover, around 15 million people suffer from it every day. Heartburn is also a very common condition among pregnant women.


Despite its name, it has nothing to do with our heart, but with acid indigestion or reflux. When it happens just from time to time, you can easily deal with it, but when you suffer from it every day, it might become a real nightmare. Fortunately, there are some simple ways to fight the problem of heartburn.

What is Heartburn

To deal with the problem of heartburn successfully first you need to understand it. Heartburn is actually not a condition, but just a symptom of so called acid reflux. It happens when the ring of muscles in your throat area, where the food you eat passes on its way to your stomach, known as lower esophagus sphincter (LES) relaxes when it should not.
When the LES does not work as it should, the acid from your stomach goes up towards the esophagus and you end up with a burning feeling in your chest, throat or stomach area. If you suffer from this sensation just occasionally, it’s known as heartburn. However, if it happens to you at least twice a week, it means that you deal with the medical condition known as Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD).



GERD is a more serious case of acid reflux, which suggests that acidic pH levels in your stomach become unbalanced. As a result, GERG causes more severe and more troublesome symptoms than simple heartburn and usually requires more advanced treatment.
Now, when you already know what heartburn is, you should also learn that the burning feeling is not the only symptom of this issue.

What Are the Symptoms of Heartburn

The burning sensation in your chest area is not the only symptom of heartburn. Apart from that after food consumption you may experience some kind of  pressure in the chest together with a burning feeling.


Very often because of the excessive amount of acid our throat is irritated and we often feel the need to harrumph. Also, you can feel the accumulated amount of bile in your throat, which often has bitter or sour taste.
What’s more, you might also struggle with the feeling of bloating or discomfort in your stomach and you burp frequently. It is also common that the burning feeling accrues or is accompanied by pain when you bend or lie.
The most important thing about heartburn and dealing with it is knowing what causes the condition so keep reading.

What Are The Causes of Heartburn

Very often the main causes of heartburn refer to our unhealthy lifestyle and food habits. Read about the main factors that may lead to heartburn and see if you make any of these mistakes.
First of all, think not only about what you eat, but also how you eat. If you eat fast or gulp the food without chewing, you may end up with heartburn. Similarly, when you have too short gaps between the meals, you can suffer from heartburn more often.
Bad diet is another common reason for heartburn. Some types of food boost the production of stomach acid, which later causes discomfort in the chest area.
Spicy food, chocolates, tomatoes or ketchup, citrus fruits, onions, and garlic are the products which shouldn’t be on your shopping list or at least you should reduce their consumption to minimum.
Watch out what you drink too. Carbonated drinks often cause heartburn because the gas puts extra pressure on the esophageal sphincter. Too much coffee and energy drinks are also a common cause of heartburn as caffeine relaxes the lower esophageal sphincter.
Remember that when it comes to diets, it’s recommended to keep the balance. If for one meal you eat to heavy and for another one too light, it’s probable that you will have problems with heartburn.
If you are a fan of big and fatty meals, for sure you struggle with heartburn. It’s even worse if you eat a lot in the evening or at night as your stomach may have difficulties with digesting the food and the acid.
It is a scientific fact that people who are overweight or obese are also at higher risk of heartburn. When you have too much of the abdominal fat, there is an extra pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter.

Regular exercises are of course healthy to your body, but there are some exercises that may boost heartburn. These are all the activities which put pressure on your abdomen, such as crunches, leg lifts, headstands or jogging. So choose your exercises wisely and never work out with a full stomach.


If you take any medications regularly, consult your doctor to check if they might cause heartburn. Aspirin, some painkillers, antidepressants, hormones or drugs for Parkinson’s disease might cause heartburn.


Another explanation for your heartburn is smoking. Moreover, it is known to be one of the major causes of heartburn. Cigarettes limit the production of saliva, which protects your esophagus naturally. They also boost the production of acid in your stomach and slow digestion.


It is hard to quit smoking, but there are many techniques, which might work if you are really determined to accomplish your goal. The first thing to do is to set a quit date and stick to it.
Prepare a list of reasons why you want to give up smoking and read it in every moment of weakness. Don’t forget that heartburn is one of those reasons.
Whenever you feel the urgent need of smoking, drink some water, chew gum, go for a walk or do whatever you want that will help you forget about cigarettes.
It is also good to collect the money you would normally spend on cigarettes to realize that it is a very expensive addiction and that by giving it up you will be able to save some cash.
If you are a woman and suddenly started experience heartburn, check if you are not expecting a baby. Pregnant women often suffer from this condition as hormonal changes may lead to heartburn. Also, the bigger the baby gets, the higher pressure on the abdomen. Fortunately, after you give birth, heartburn will probably stop.
Heartburn is also a symptom of some medical conditions and hiatal hernia is one of them. It occurs when upper part of your abdomen pushes through your diaphragm and into your chest.


There are two types of hiatal hernia. The most common one is so called sliding hiatal hernia and it occurs when your stomach and esophagus move in and out of your chest through the hiatus. It usually does not need any specific treatment.
The less known kind of hiatal hernia is known as fixed one. It happens when one part of your stomach pushes through your diaphragm and does not come back. It sometimes requires medical treatment.


A weakened valve is a cause of heartburn too. The role of a muscular valve it to keep the stomach closed, but when it is weakened the acid from your stomach may move back easily and lead to heartburn.
It might sound surprising, but even the clothes you wear may be the source of your heartburn. If you often wear tight belts or skinny trouser, you put extra pressure on your abdomen.
Last, but not least, be aware that too much stress and lack of sleep are also among the causes of heartburn. Researchers are still studying why stress worsens the problem of heartburn. Probably it makes our stomach more sensitive to acids.
When you feel stressed, you often have sleeping difficulties and that makes your lower esophageal sphincter relax and work improperly. When that happens, the acids from your stomach go up and you feel heartburn.

Mustard for Heartburn – Why and How

There are many natural and medical solutions to heartburn on the market available. However, the easiest  and the most common solution you should start with is mustard.

Why is Mustard Good for Heartburn

Mustard is a seed, which belongs to a group of alkaline food. If the food is alkaline, it means that it has the ability to neutralize the pH levels in your stomach.
The magical ingredient of mustard seeds is vinegar, which is nothing but weak acid. Its role is to balance the amount of acid from the consumed food and in this way it prevents heartburn.
What is more, mustard seeds will make your digestive organs strong as they boost the flow of gastric juices, which help you digest food properly. They also have positive influence on your metabolism and good appetite.
You should also realize that mustard seeds are very nutritious as they are rich in calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, and omega 3 fatty acids. All these nutrients take part in the digestive process.
Vinegar, which is the key component of mustard seeds, stimulate the production of saliva. That helps you digest the food you consume faster so that the acids don’t come back the your esophagus tube.

How to Use Mustard for Heartburn

You can use mustard seeds alone or you can mix them with some extra ingredients. Another option is to powder the seeds and then use it on a daily basis. First, have a look at some of the best recipes with the use of raw mustard seeds.

1.     Raw Mustard Seeds with Water

The easiest and one of the most effective ways is to consume the seeds in their natural, raw shape. Just swallow two teaspoons of yellow mustard with a glass of water. Remember not to chew the seeds. You should feel immediate relief from heartburn.

2.     Raw Mustard Seeds with Buttermilk


If it is difficult for you to consume mustard with water only, try to mix it with buttermilk. Just stir two or three teaspoons of mustard with one glass of buttermilk. If it is too thick to drink, dilute it with some warm water. You can make it more tasty by adding to the mixture one teaspoon of chopped cilantro or asafetida and salt it a little bit.

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