Condition
Acid reflux (GERD)
Stomach acid flowing back into the oesophagus, causing heartburn and regurgitation.
See a clinician
Some causes of acid reflux (gerd) need medical care, not self-treatment. Seek help for any of these:
- Difficulty or pain swallowing, unintentional weight loss, or vomiting blood / black stools
- New reflux after age 60, or chest pain (always exclude a heart cause first)
What may help
Remedies studied for acid reflux (gerd), ranked by strength of evidence.
- B Alginate chemical
Effective for relieving reflux symptoms — it forms a floating gel raft over stomach contents.
- C DGL (deglycyrrhizinated licorice) herb
May modestly reduce heartburn and reflux symptoms; evidence is limited and mostly for one branded extract.
- — Melatonin supplement
A few small studies suggest reflux symptom benefit, but the evidence is preliminary.
Lifestyle changes and acid-suppressing medication are mainstays. Alginates (the “raft” antacids) have solid evidence for symptom relief; DGL licorice and melatonin are weaker.