Plain water is the simplest drink that helps acid reflux, but it’s not the only option. Several beverages can calm symptoms by neutralizing stomach acid, soothing irritated tissue, or helping your stomach empty faster. The key is choosing drinks that are low in acid, free of carbonation, and unlikely to relax the valve between your stomach and esophagus.
Water and Alkaline Water
Regular water dilutes stomach acid and helps wash it back down if it’s crept into your esophagus. It’s the safest, most accessible choice during a flare-up. But alkaline water, which has a pH of 8.8 or higher, may do more than plain water can.
The enzyme pepsin is one of the main irritants in acid reflux. It activates at a low pH (below 4.6) and damages the lining of your esophagus. Alkaline water at pH 8.8 permanently deactivates pepsin, meaning the enzyme can’t switch back on once it’s been neutralized. Lab testing also showed that alkaline water has roughly eight times the buffering capacity of regular bottled water, meaning it takes significantly more acid to bring its pH down to levels where pepsin becomes active again. That extra buffering power is what sets it apart from a regular glass of water.
One practical tip: avoid drinking large amounts of any fluid during meals. Too much liquid at once stretches your stomach, which can push acid upward. Sipping water between meals is generally a better approach.
Ginger Tea
Ginger has a direct effect on how quickly food leaves your stomach. When your stomach empties faster, it produces less acid because digestion is already moving along. That faster transit reduces the window of time for acid to splash back into your esophagus.
You can make ginger tea by steeping a few thin slices of fresh ginger root in hot water for 10 to 15 minutes. It’s generally safe at the amounts you’d use in a cup of tea. Some people find it helpful after meals, when reflux symptoms tend to peak. Avoid ginger ale, though. The carbonation can increase pressure in your stomach and make reflux worse, and most commercial ginger ales contain very little actual ginger.
Chamomile Tea
Chamomile contains anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds that may help calm the irritation reflux leaves behind. If your symptoms tend to flare at night, chamomile is a particularly good choice because it also has mild calming effects that can help with sleep. Drinking it after meals or before bedtime is the most common approach.
There’s a caveat: no clinical trials have directly tested whether chamomile tea reduces acid reflux symptoms. The evidence is based on chamomile’s known anti-inflammatory properties and its long history of use for digestive complaints. It’s unlikely to make reflux worse, and many people find it soothing, but it’s not a proven treatment the way some medications are.
Aloe Vera Juice
Aloe vera has more clinical evidence behind it than most natural reflux remedies. In a randomized controlled trial of 79 people with GERD, participants who took aloe vera syrup daily for four weeks experienced reduced frequency of heartburn, acid regurgitation, food regurgitation, belching, nausea, and other common symptoms. No one in the aloe vera group had side effects serious enough to stop treatment.
If you try aloe vera juice, look for products specifically labeled for internal use and free of aloin, a compound in the outer leaf that acts as a strong laxative. Pure inner-leaf aloe vera juice has a mild, slightly bitter taste that’s easy to mix with water.
Low-Acid Vegetable Juices
Citrus juices like orange and grapefruit have a pH around 3 to 4, which is acidic enough to trigger symptoms in most people with reflux. Carrot and cucumber juices are a much safer bet, with pH levels between 5.9 and 6.2. That’s close to neutral and far above the threshold where pepsin becomes active.
Celery juice and spinach-based green juices fall into a similar range. These won’t neutralize acid the way alkaline water does, but they also won’t provoke symptoms. If you enjoy juice in the morning, swapping citrus for a carrot or cucumber blend is one of the easier dietary changes you can make.
Licorice Root Tea
Licorice root has been used for centuries to treat stomach pain, ulcers, and reflux. It works by helping protect and soothe irritated tissue in the digestive tract. The important distinction is between regular licorice and deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL), which has a specific compound removed that can raise blood pressure and cause fluid retention with long-term use. DGL is the safer form for ongoing use.
DGL is most commonly available as chewable lozenges rather than tea, typically taken before meals. Some specialty tea brands do sell licorice root blends, but if you plan to use licorice regularly, DGL lozenges give you a more consistent and safer dose.
Drinks to Avoid
Knowing what to drink matters just as much as knowing what to skip. Coffee, both regular and decaf, relaxes the lower esophageal sphincter, the muscle that keeps stomach acid from rising. This is true even for low-acid coffee brands. Alcohol has the same effect and also irritates the esophageal lining directly.
Carbonated drinks of any kind increase the volume of gas in your stomach, raising pressure and forcing acid upward. Citrus juices, tomato juice, and most commercial fruit juices are too acidic. Peppermint tea, despite its reputation as a digestive aid, also relaxes the esophageal sphincter and tends to worsen reflux for most people.
Whole milk and chocolate milk can feel soothing initially, but fat slows stomach emptying and increases acid production over time. If you want milk, skim or plant-based options like oat or almond milk are less likely to backfire.