How did people treat their heartburn before drugs like omeprazole and esomeprazole? These proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) are so good at healing stomach ulcers and easing heartburn that doctors often recommend them for any digestive disturbance. There are other ways to calm heartburn, however. One reader reports success drinking spicy green tea to soothe stomachache and heartburn.
Spicy Green Tea for Troublesome Reflux:
Q. My doctor diagnosed my stomachache as acid reflux and gastritis. After being on omeprazole for years, I was determined to get off the drug.
My gastritis worsened when I followed a plant-based diet, until it developed into an ulcer. I quit drinking coffee and began consuming spicy green tea with fresh ginger and fresh turmeric.
One month later I have no ulcer, no gastritis, no acid reflux at all. My joints aren’t as achy, either.
Ginger for Digestive Difficulties:
A. Herbalists recognize ginger for its ability to ease digestive distress (Haniadka et al, Food & Function, June 2013). Chinese practitioners of traditional medicine rely on this common spice. A meta-analysis including 33 clinical trials of a traditional Chinese formula (Wendan) containing ginger found that it alleviates both gastroesophageal reflux disease and reflux gastritis (Ling et al, American Journal of Chinese Medicine, online Aug. 4, 2015). We’re not surprised that making your spicy green tea with fresh ginger would help.
Turmeric Can Also Calm Stomach Irritation:
People treat digestive problems with turmeric less frequently. Research suggests, though, that it acts like acid-suppressing drugs such as cimetidine or ranitidine (Kim et al, Biological & Pharmaceutical Bulletin, Dec. 2005). A water-based extract of turmeric soothed experimentally-induced gastritis in rats (Jeon, et al, Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, online Sep. 21, 2015). That suggests it could also help calm your gastritis.
Both turmeric and ginger also have anti-inflammatory activity, which may explain your reduced joint pain. Your spicy green tea sounds like a great idea!
