Several foods, habits, and over-the-counter treatments can reduce acid reflux, and the best approach usually combines more than one. Reflux happens when stomach acid flows back into the esophagus, causing that familiar burning sensation in the chest or throat. The good news is that most people can manage it effectively without a prescription.
Foods That Calm Reflux
What you eat has a direct effect on how much acid your stomach produces and how likely it is to splash upward. Three categories of food consistently help.
High-fiber foods absorb stomach acid and help move food through your digestive system faster. Oatmeal, brown rice, and couscous are reliable staples. Root vegetables like sweet potatoes and carrots work well too.
Alkaline foods sit on the opposite end of the pH scale from stomach acid, which helps offset irritation. Bananas, melons, cauliflower, fennel, and nuts all fall into this category. These are especially useful as snacks between meals, when acid tends to build up with nothing to work on.
Watery foods dilute stomach acid and reduce its concentration. Cucumber, celery, lettuce, watermelon, broth-based soups, and herbal tea all help. Watermelon does double duty here since it’s both watery and alkaline.
Foods and Drinks That Make It Worse
Avoiding triggers matters just as much as eating the right things. Common culprits include coffee, alcohol, tomato-based sauces, citrus fruits, chocolate, fried or fatty foods, and spicy dishes. Carbonated drinks can also push acid upward by increasing pressure in your stomach. You don’t necessarily need to eliminate all of these permanently, but cutting them out for a few weeks can help you identify which ones are your personal triggers.
Timing Your Meals
When you eat is nearly as important as what you eat. The Mayo Clinic recommends stopping all food and drinks (other than water) at least three hours before lying down. This gives your stomach enough time to empty most of its contents, so there’s less acid available to flow backward when you’re horizontal. Eating smaller meals throughout the day instead of two or three large ones also keeps acid production lower at any given time.
How You Sleep Matters
Two simple changes at bedtime can dramatically reduce nighttime reflux. First, elevate the head of your bed by 3 to 6 inches using bed risers or a wedge pillow. Some people go up to 8 inches. This uses gravity to keep acid in your stomach. Stacking regular pillows doesn’t work as well because it bends your body at the waist rather than creating a gradual slope.
Second, sleep on your left side. The American Gastroenterological Association specifically recommends this position because of how your stomach connects to your esophagus. When you’re on your left side, gravity and anatomy work together to keep the junction between the two organs above the level of stomach acid. Sleeping on your right side does the opposite, making reflux more likely.
Over-the-Counter Medications
Three types of medication are available without a prescription, and they work differently.
- Antacids neutralize stomach acid that’s already there. They work within minutes but wear off quickly, making them best for occasional, mild symptoms.
- H2 blockers reduce the amount of acid your stomach produces by blocking signals that trigger production. They last about eight hours per dose and are useful for predictable reflux, like symptoms that come after dinner every night.
- Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) shut down the acid-producing pumps in your stomach lining more completely. They take up to four days to reach full effect but then suppress acid for 15 to 21 hours per dose. PPIs are the strongest over-the-counter option and work best for frequent reflux, though they’re generally intended for short courses of two weeks at a time.
Alginate-Based Treatments
Alginates are a lesser-known option worth trying. Derived from seaweed, they work differently from both antacids and acid reducers. When an alginate mixes with your stomach acid, it forms a gel-like raft that floats on top of the acid, creating a physical barrier between your stomach contents and your esophagus. One study found that alginates are more effective than standard antacids for treating reflux. They’re available over the counter in liquid or chewable form, often combined with an antacid for dual action.
Ginger for Reflux Symptoms
Ginger has a long reputation as a stomach soother, and there is some clinical evidence behind it. One study found that roughly 1,650 mg of ginger per day significantly improved upper digestive symptoms including reflux-like discomfort, nausea, and bloating. That’s about a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger brewed into tea or roughly three-quarters of a teaspoon of ground ginger spread across the day. The evidence is promising but not yet definitive, since studies have used different ginger preparations and dosages. Still, ginger tea or adding fresh ginger to meals is a low-risk option that many people find helpful.
Alkaline Water
Regular water helps dilute stomach acid, but alkaline water with a pH of 8.8 may offer an extra benefit. A lab study published in the Annals of Otology, Rhinology, and Laryngology found that water at this pH permanently deactivates pepsin, a digestive enzyme that damages esophageal tissue when it travels upward with acid. Regular water (pH around 7) doesn’t do this because pepsin remains stable and can reactivate. Alkaline water also buffered hydrochloric acid more effectively than conventional water. This doesn’t mean alkaline water replaces other treatments, but sipping it between meals could offer an additional layer of protection.
Breathing Exercises
This one sounds surprising, but the muscle that separates your chest from your abdomen (the diaphragm) wraps around the lower esophageal sphincter, the valve that’s supposed to keep acid in your stomach. Strengthening the diaphragm through targeted breathing exercises can help that valve close more tightly. Clinical trials have tested programs of diaphragmatic breathing done twice a day for 15 minutes, five days a week, over eight weeks. The technique is simple: breathe deeply so your belly expands rather than your chest, hold briefly, and exhale slowly. It’s free, has no side effects, and can complement any other treatment you’re using.
Putting It Together
Most people get the best results from combining several of these approaches. A practical starting point: eat smaller meals built around fiber, alkaline, and watery foods. Stop eating three hours before bed. Elevate the head of your bed and sleep on your left side. Use antacids for breakthrough symptoms and consider an H2 blocker or PPI if reflux happens more than twice a week. Add ginger tea or alkaline water if you want additional, low-risk support. These changes often produce noticeable improvement within the first week or two.