Managing Heartburn Through Food & Herbs

Whether pregnant or not, heartburn can be uncomfortable... but there are ways to address it through foods and herbs.

Heartburn is an almost inevitable part of pregnancy. As your baby grows, your organs, including your stomach, get pushed up and compressed. Pregnancy hormones also relax the lower esophageal sphincter (the valve that keeps stomach acid where it belongs), making it easier for acid to rise into your throat.

I had heartburn almost 24/7 in the second half of pregnancy. Drinking water, and even just existing, triggered it. So, trust me when it comes to pregnancy heartburn, I know ball.

There are also a lot of people who aren’t pregnant who experience heartburn. Around 20% of people deal with it at least once a week. This post is meant to help anyone experiencing heartburn - pregnant or not.

Heartburn During Pregnancy

If you’re pregnant, the most effective “cure” is… delivering your baby and not being pregnant anymore. There’s just a physiological component here that we can’t fully override. But there are ways to make it more manageable.

First, pay attention to trigger foods. For many women, this includes:

• Spicy foods

• Citrus and other acidic foods

• Tomatoes and tomato sauces

• Fried and fatty foods

• Sparkling water and soda

Second, shift how you eat. Instead of eating three large meals a day, try eating around six smaller meals. Being full puts more pressure on everything that’s already being compressed.

Third, stay upright after eating. I know this is easier said than done when you’re exhausted, but even an hour or two upright after meals can help. If you do need to lie down, try to stay at an angle.

I lived on Tums during pregnancy. They can take the edge off and do provide some calcium, but they aren’t a perfect solution, and they honestly didn’t really work for me.

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The thing to understand about Tums and other antacid medications is that they work by neutralizing stomach acid. And while that sounds helpful, we actually need stomach acid to properly digest food. In pregnancy, heartburn isn’t really about having too much acid; it’s about pressure and the sphincter relaxing, so neutralizing acid doesn’t really solve the problem.

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There are a few other supplements I recommend for heartburn, but unfortunately, many haven’t been studied in pregnancy. So proceed with caution and discuss with your doctor.

• DGL licorice (deglycyrrhizinated licorice): This can help increase mucus in the esophagus, which may reduce irritation. Licorice is not recommended in pregnancy, but with DGL licorice, the glycyrrhizin has been removed. So, use at your own risk (I did).

• Slippery elm: A common recommendation to help soothe the digestive tract. There isn’t great pregnancy-specific data, but the American Pregnancy Association lists slippery elm as likely safe when used orally and in small amounts (like what’s found in tea).

Here are some foods to add to your diet that can be a bit more soothing:

• Yogurt

• Oatmeal and other whole grains

• Bananas

• Watermelon and other melons

• Ginger

• Papaya

• Sweet potatoes

• Beets

• Nuts

These are generally less acidic and easier on the digestive system.

Heartburn Outside of Pregnancy

If you’re not pregnant and dealing with frequent heartburn, it’s worth looking at the bigger picture.

But a lot of the same basics apply, pregnant or not:

• Avoid your personal trigger foods

• Don’t overfill your stomach

• Stay upright after eating

I also think it’s important to consider how often you rely on quick fixes like Tums. Stomach acid plays a really important role in digestion and nutrient absorption. Constantly suppressing it, whether with antacids or medications, can create its own set of issues.

Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), particularly, can be extremely hard to come off because they create a rebound effect, where symptoms come back even stronger. There are also quite a few concerns around long-term use.

Also, not all heartburn is caused by too much stomach acid. For some people, it can actually be from having too little. So, taking an antacid is just fueling the fire (literally).

Making lifestyle changes is likely to bring you the biggest relief. Consider:

• Sleeping on a slight incline

• Eating earlier and staying upright for 1-2 hours

• Losing weight (if needed)

• Avoiding smoking

• Paying attention to which foods trigger symptoms for you

You might also experiment with swapping coffee and other caffeinated drinks, which can relax the esophageal sphincter, for something soothing like chamomile tea.

If you’re not pregnant, options like DGL licorice, slippery elm, aloe vera juice, and marshmallow root can also be helpful.

Frequent heartburn is usually a signal that something in your digestion, diet, or routine needs a closer look.

Did you experience heartburn in pregnancy? Is there anything you swear by for relief? Share in the comments.

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