Apple Cider Vinegar Is a Weird Remedy for Heartburn

Do you have a favorite remedy for heartburn? Some people rely on drugstore antacids such as Tums or Maalox. Others take medication such as cimetidine (Tagamet) or omeprazole (Prilosec). But plenty of readers prefer a home remedy for heartburn symptoms. Have you ever tried apple cider vinegar for that discomfort? Enthusiasts swear by it.

Apple Cider Vinegar as a Remedy for Heartburn

Q. I’ve long been a proponent of using apple cider vinegar with the mother for its health benefits. For simple heartburn, though, I find chewable vinegar tablets work almost immediately and are more convenient.

A. Thanks for sharing this simple approach. It seems counterintuitive to take vinegar to treat heartburn, but many readers agree with you that it can be effective.

Many people prefer to avoid medications if natural remedies work. We often don’t understand the possible mechanisms.

As one review put it politely,

“A substantial gap persists between anecdotal and empirical understandings of the majority of non-pharmacologic remedies for esophageal symptoms” (Current Gastroenterology Reports, July 10, 2019).

Like other forms of vinegar, chewable vinegar tablets expose tooth enamel to acidity. This should be rinsed off with plain water to avoid enamel damage.

Another Proponent of Apple Cider Vinegar for Heartburn

Q. I took prescription meds for GERD [gastroesophageal reflux disease] for ten years. Finally, I tried apple cider vinegar after my evening meal. Although it seemed counterintuitive, it worked! I’m pleased to have found this remedy for heartburn.

I also sleep with the head of my bed raised. I use the things they sell to raise all bed legs for under-bed storage, but only put them under the headboard feet.

I’m happy to be med free so I don’t need to worry about side effects. I didn’t go cold turkey with the meds but weaned off them gradually. We have stomach acid for a reason–to digest our food. If we don’t digest it properly, we can’t absorb the nutrients in it.

A. Thanks for sharing your story. Doctors frequently recommend sleeping with the head of the bed raised to minimize nighttime reflux. Apple cider vinegar is a popular remedy for heartburn. Although it has not been studied in a clinical trial, doctors are beginning to take notice of its use (Current Gastroenterology Reports, July 10, 2019).  Naturopaths have adopted the use of apple cider vinegar and deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) to treat reflux (Integrative Medicine, Aug. 2018).

A Warning

Not everyone benefits from this treatment. Occasionally, people report that vinegar makes their heartburn worse. However, people with heartburn may often be able to relieve their symptoms without using drugs. To learn how, you may wish to consult our Guide to Digestive Disorders.