Several common beverages can help relieve heartburn by neutralizing stomach acid, diluting it, or soothing the irritated lining of your esophagus. The best options are nonfat milk, ginger tea, certain herbal teas, and plain water. What you avoid drinking matters just as much as what you choose.
Nonfat Milk for Quick Relief
Nonfat milk is one of the fastest-acting drinks for heartburn. It works as a temporary buffer between your stomach lining and the acid sitting on top of it, providing immediate relief. The key word here is “nonfat.” Full-fat milk can actually make things worse because fat slows digestion and relaxes the muscular valve between your esophagus and stomach, letting acid creep back up. Stick to skim or nonfat, and drink a small glass rather than chugging a full one.
Ginger Tea
Ginger tea is a go-to recommendation for digestive discomfort, and for good reason. Ginger is naturally alkaline and has anti-inflammatory properties that can ease irritation throughout your digestive tract. Sipping it at the first sign of heartburn is the best approach.
That said, ginger is not universally gentle. In some people, especially at higher amounts, it can cause abdominal discomfort or even trigger the very heartburn you’re trying to fix. Start with a mild cup made from a few thin slices of fresh ginger steeped in hot water. If it helps, great. If it seems to make things worse, it’s not the right remedy for you.
Other Herbal Teas and Warm Drinks
Herbal teas in general are considered “watery foods” that can dilute and weaken stomach acid. Chamomile and licorice root tea are popular choices among people with frequent heartburn. Avoid peppermint tea, though. Peppermint relaxes the valve at the top of your stomach, which is the opposite of what you want.
A small amount of lemon juice mixed with warm water and honey is another option that may sound counterintuitive. Despite lemon being acidic on its own, this combination has an alkalizing effect once metabolized, helping to neutralize stomach acid. Keep the lemon juice minimal, about a teaspoon, and use warm (not hot) water.
Broth-based soups work on the same principle as herbal tea. They’re warm, watery, and dilute the acid in your stomach. Clear chicken or vegetable broth between meals can be surprisingly soothing during a bad reflux day.
Plain Water and Alkaline Water
Regular water helps simply by washing acid back down into your stomach and diluting what’s there. For occasional heartburn, a few sips of room-temperature water can take the edge off.
Alkaline water, with a pH of 8.8, takes this a step further. A lab study published in the Annals of Otology, Rhinology & Laryngology found that water at this pH permanently deactivated pepsin, a stomach enzyme that damages the esophageal lining during reflux. The alkaline water also had eight times the buffering capacity of regular bottled water, meaning it took significantly more acid to overpower it. This doesn’t mean alkaline water is a cure for chronic reflux, but it may offer more relief than tap water when heartburn strikes.
Drinks That Make Heartburn Worse
Knowing what to avoid is half the battle. Three categories of drinks reliably trigger or worsen heartburn, and each one does it through a different mechanism.
- Alcohol relaxes the lower esophageal sphincter (the valve that keeps acid in your stomach) and stimulates extra acid production at the same time. That combination makes reflux episodes more frequent and more intense. Wine and spirits are common offenders, but beer is no exception.
- Carbonated drinks introduce carbon dioxide into your digestive system, causing bloating and increasing pressure inside your stomach. That added pressure pushes stomach contents upward through the sphincter. This applies to sparkling water too, not just soda.
- Coffee and caffeinated drinks are naturally acidic, and caffeine can weaken the esophageal sphincter. If your esophagus is already irritated from reflux, coffee will increase discomfort. Switching to decaf may help somewhat, but the acidity of the coffee itself is still a factor.
Citrus juices like orange and grapefruit juice are also highly acidic and tend to aggravate an already-irritated esophagus. Tomato juice falls into the same category.
What About Apple Cider Vinegar?
Apple cider vinegar is one of the most widely recommended home remedies for heartburn online, but there is no published research in medical journals supporting its use. Harvard Health Publishing reviewed the evidence and found nothing to confirm that diluted apple cider vinegar helps with acid reflux. It’s acidic by nature, with a pH around 2 to 3, so drinking it when your esophagus is already inflamed could easily make things worse.
How You Drink Matters Too
The timing and volume of what you drink can be as important as the drink itself. Large volumes of any liquid with a meal expand your stomach, increasing the pressure that pushes acid upward. If drinking during meals tends to leave you feeling bloated or worsens your reflux, try drinking between meals instead. Small, frequent sips throughout the day keep you hydrated without overloading your stomach at any one time.
Temperature plays a minor role as well. Very hot drinks can irritate an already-inflamed esophagus. Warm or room-temperature beverages are generally the gentlest option. And when heartburn hits at night, try to stop drinking at least two to three hours before lying down, giving your stomach time to empty so there’s less acid available to travel up your esophagus.