Plain water is the simplest and safest drink for heartburn relief, but several other beverages can help calm the burning sensation or prevent it from starting. What you drink matters, but so does how much you drink at once. Smaller volumes, lower acidity, and minimal fat content are the key principles.
Water and Alkaline Water
Regular water dilutes stomach acid and helps wash it back down from the esophagus. It’s the most straightforward option and carries no risk of making things worse. Sipping water throughout the day, rather than gulping large amounts at meals, keeps your stomach from overfilling.
Alkaline water with a pH of 8.8 may offer an extra advantage. Pepsin, a digestive enzyme that plays a central role in reflux damage, needs an acidic environment (below pH 4.6) to become active. Water at pH 8.8 permanently deactivates pepsin and has roughly eight times the acid-buffering capacity of regular bottled water. You can find naturally alkaline water or brands that are pH-adjusted at most grocery stores.
Ginger Tea
Ginger has a well-documented effect on gastric motility. It speeds up stomach emptying and strengthens the contractions that move food forward through the digestive tract. When your stomach empties faster, there’s less opportunity for its contents to push back up into the esophagus.
The easiest way to use ginger is as a tea. Steep a few thin slices of fresh ginger root in hot water for 10 to 15 minutes. Avoid commercial ginger ales, which are typically carbonated, loaded with sugar, and contain very little actual ginger. If fresh ginger tastes too intense, a small amount of honey can soften the flavor without adding much risk of reflux.
Low-Fat and Plant-Based Milks
Milk can coat the esophagus and temporarily buffer stomach acid, but the fat content makes a significant difference. Skim milk and 1% milk are considered safe choices for people with reflux. Whole milk and 2% milk are not recommended because dietary fat relaxes the valve between the stomach and esophagus, allowing acid to escape upward. The same logic applies to yogurt-based drinks: stick to nonfat or low-fat versions.
Plant-based milks like almond, oat, or soy milk tend to be naturally low in fat and slightly alkaline, making them reasonable alternatives. Just check labels for added sugars and avoid chocolate-flavored varieties, which can trigger symptoms on their own.
Non-Citrus Juices
Citrus juices are among the most acidic beverages you can drink. Orange juice has a pH between 3.3 and 4.2, grapefruit juice sits around 3.0 to 3.75, and lemon juice drops as low as 2.0. For comparison, stomach acid has a pH around 1.5 to 3.5, so citrus juice isn’t far behind.
If you want juice, look for options with a higher (less acidic) pH. Carrot juice ranges from 5.9 to 6.4, making it one of the gentlest fruit and vegetable juices available. Watermelon juice falls between 5.2 and 5.6. Pear juice is more variable, dropping as low as 3.5 in some varieties, so it’s not always a safe bet. Melon and cucumber-based juices are other low-acid options worth trying.
Aloe Vera Juice
Aloe vera juice has shown some promise as a reflux remedy. A pilot clinical trial tested aloe vera syrup against standard treatments over four weeks and found it reduced the frequency of all major reflux symptoms, including heartburn, acid regurgitation, belching, and nausea. No participants dropped out due to side effects.
If you try aloe vera juice, look for products specifically labeled for internal use and free of aloin, a compound in the plant’s outer leaf that acts as a strong laxative. Decolorized or purified aloe vera juice is the safer option.
Licorice Root Tea
A modified form of licorice called DGL (deglycyrrhizinated licorice) may help by boosting mucus production in the stomach and esophagus. That extra mucus creates a protective barrier against acid, potentially allowing irritated tissue to heal. DGL has had the compound glycyrrhizin removed, which is important because regular licorice in large amounts can raise blood pressure and lower potassium levels.
DGL is available as chewable tablets and as a tea. It’s not regulated by the FDA, so quality and potency vary between brands. Still, many people with chronic heartburn find it a useful addition to their routine.
What to Avoid
Carbonated beverages are one of the more common heartburn triggers. Research measuring the valve pressure between the stomach and esophagus found that all carbonated drinks, regardless of brand or flavor, reduced that valve’s resting pressure by 20 to 50% for a sustained period of about 20 minutes. A weaker valve means acid flows back up more easily. That said, the American College of Gastroenterology notes that population-level evidence linking carbonation to reflux disease is limited, so individual tolerance varies.
Coffee and caffeinated drinks are frequently cited as triggers, though the clinical evidence is similarly mixed. The more relevant factor for many people is what they add to their coffee: cream, whole milk, or flavored syrups can contribute more to reflux than the caffeine itself. If coffee bothers you, try it black with a low-fat milk alternative before giving it up entirely.
Alcohol relaxes the lower esophageal sphincter and increases acid production. Among alcoholic drinks, red wine and beer tend to cause the most complaints, while small amounts of clear spirits mixed with non-citrus, non-carbonated mixers are generally better tolerated.
How Much You Drink Matters
Volume plays a surprisingly large role in reflux. A study comparing 600 mL liquid meals (about 20 ounces) to 300 mL portions (about 10 ounces) found that the larger volume produced 70% more reflux episodes and more than double the total acid exposure time in the esophagus. The larger meals also caused greater stretching of the upper stomach, which directly triggers the valve to relax.
The practical takeaway: drink smaller amounts more frequently rather than large glasses all at once. If you’re having a beverage with a meal, keep it to around 8 to 10 ounces and sip slowly. Save the rest for between meals, when your stomach has more room. Drinking large volumes right before bed is particularly problematic because lying down removes gravity’s help in keeping acid where it belongs.
Apple Cider Vinegar: A Popular Myth
Apple cider vinegar is one of the most widely recommended home remedies for heartburn online, but there is no published clinical evidence supporting its use. Harvard Health Publishing reviewed the available research and found zero studies in medical journals addressing ACV for heartburn. Since vinegar is highly acidic (pH around 2.5 to 3.0), drinking it when your esophagus is already irritated could potentially make things worse, and repeated use carries a risk of tooth enamel erosion.