Triggers of Heartburn

Dr. Stengler: I normally do a combination of things with people who have heartburn. Quite often, we restrict certain foods, especially the acidic foods like tomatoes, tomato juice, citrus, and orange juice. Spicy foods, for some people, can trigger their heartburn. Being overweight is a risk factor, so we may have to put you on a weight-loss program to help you with your reflux. Taking your time with meals, not eating quickly, and taking more time to chew your food so you can digest better for some people that's very effective.But I have to say, for some people that won't really make a big difference, because what's happening with their reflux is that their lower esophageal sphincter is not closing properly above the stomach, and so the acid is coming back up it's not being trapped down in the stomach. So it's really a reflux problem, their valve not closing properly. But fortunately, there are things in natural medicine that can help that.