Did you know that heartburn relief and milk is no longer a valid solution? The reason is that while milk can be very soothing, it actually contains some nutrients which can later start generation of stomach acid later on so it is really only a very temporary solution and not a very good one at that!

Milk has fat, calcium and its pH is around the six mark which makes it a slightly acidic drink. It will increase the amount of hydrochloric acid which we need for digesting. You may later have the classic symptoms of indigestion, sour taste in the mouth, burning sensation and a slight pain in the chest which is often mistaken for a heart attack. The heartburn problem, despite its name, has got nothing to do with the heart.

But its problems can be almost as insidious as a heart condition in that it can destroy the lining of the gullet and can cause damage to the stomach. It can also alarmingly, lead to esophageal cancer.

So, if milk is not the answer, what can we take? There is now a new type of histamine-2 blocker which can reduce the amount of stomach acid and give considerable relief. The chemical content is ranitidine. There may be an increased risk of puneumonia and also as it contains phenylalanine, it is not suitable at all for people who may have pnenylketonuria.

So, due to the long term effects of drugs like these, it is perhaps better to seek out a holistic solution. But there are lots of things we can do to ease this condition naturally. Let us have a look at these:-

• aloe vera juice can help to soothe the whole intestinal tract which may have been irritated by too much stomach acid.

• use chewing gum to help produce more saliva but avoid the peppermint flavour

• chamomile tea has been found to give a lot of relief

• some people swear by papaya chewable tablets.

• Liquorice sweets or tablets have been found to be helpful.

As we have seen, there are lots of effective alternatives to the heartburn relief and milk solution which is no longer recommended. But there are other holistic solutions which can really help you to get rid of this problem once and for all.