If you are wondering if there is any natural remedy to combat acid reflux, also known as gastroesophageal reflux (GER), the answer is: Yes! . If you are suffering from this ailment and want to combat it naturally, aloe vera is your best solution with its many beneficial properties for our body, such as the ones we are going to tell you about in this blog entry.
What is gastroesophageal reflux?
There is a muscle that acts as a valve between our esophagus and our stomach. Sometimes, this valve does not close properly and can cause the contents of our stomach to go back up into the esophagus and cause a burning or heartburn sensation.
Our body has the ability to communicate with us and it is important to know how to detect what it wants to tell us. At times, this communication is through pain or sensations, thus it is important to pay attention to it and take some time to prevent the problem from getting worse.
Being overweight, pregnant, wearing tight clothes or even your diet can cause this type of reflux. Avoid drinking coffee, copious meals, carbonated drinks, foods with excess fat or very spicy foods. If this gastric discomfort appears at night, avoid going to bed with a full stomach and try to sleep with your head elevated to avoid reflux.
How can Aloe Vera help with gastroesophageal reflux?
Our esophagus is not prepared for acidic juices that are coming up from the stomach. Aloe vera, having gastroprotective properties, can help us protect our esophagus from this reflux. If on the contrary it has already caused us damage, the healing capacity of aloe vera will also come in handy to combat those small ulcers that may have resulted.
In addition, another benefit of this plant that could help us in this regard is its alkalizing power, which counteracts the excesses of acidic foods that we eat on a daily basis.7 It is important to keep in mind that if any food spends a long time in our stomach, this will increase the chances of reflux occurring. Aloe vera contains digestive enzymes that can help us digest food faster.
How to take Aloe Vera?
In addition to the best known benefits of aloe vera are for the skin and therefore for topical use, we have seen that it also has numerous benefits for our internal body.
To take aloe vera orally you will have to take into account that the aloe plant releases a toxin called aloin that if ingested is toxic to our body, so it is essential to know how to eliminate aloin before ingesting the plant. In order to take Aloe safely, this substance, which is usually yellowish in color, must be removed. To do this, cut the aloe leaf and leave it in a glass of water for 24 hours, changing the water 2 or 3 times. Make sure that when you remove the leaf from the water, this water is completely transparent. If not, you will have to change it again and wait a little longer.
Once this process is finished, you must cut the leaf and extract the gel it contains to be able to ingest it in the way you prefer, although the most common way is to add it to salads, smoothies, or juices.
There are juices available, specifically prepared for oral use. At Verdeaurora we offer one made from our Aloe Vera crops in Fuerteventura, achieving a 99.7% pure Aloe vera juice that is 100% organic. If you don’t care for the taste of aloe vera, you can dilute it in a glass of water and hardly notice the taste. It is recommended to take about 20 ml. of aloe juice on an empty stomach or 20 minutes before eating. You should begin to feel relief as soon as you start taking it, but it will take a few weeks for it to take full effect. Aloe vera can help you feel better, but if the ailment continues, do not hesitate to consult your doctor.
Aloe vera juice is perfect to add to our routine and in addition to helping with reflux problems, it has other benefits that you can consult here.