Some remedies for acid reflux are somewhat surprising. Many people have never even considered using apple cider vinegar for the sake of heartburn relief. Indeed, the idea that apple cider vinegar could be effective for those purposes is not very intuitive. Taking antacids for the sake of reducing the symptoms of heartburn makes more intuitive sense. If there's too much acid in a person's digestive system, it makes sense to counteract that acid with something that is highly basic. However, this strategy may be somewhat counterproductive for people with severe and ongoing heartburn, and it is possible that they should seek out other remedies for acid reflux.

For one thing, many stomach problems are actually caused by insufficient levels of acid as opposed to an overabundance of acid. The stomach sometimes contracts more as a result of this insufficient stomach acid. As such, consuming something that is more acidic can actually be beneficial. The acid that people will add to their digestive systems as a result of consuming apple cider vinegar will be a weak acid compared to stomach acid, making it a trade that works in the favor of the person experiencing the symptoms of acid reflux.

The acid in apple cider vinegar is acetic acid, which is only slightly acidic. Stomach acid is among the most acidic of all acids available, which is why misplaced stomach acid can be so disruptive biologically. Heartburn relief is often all about changing the internal environment of a person's digestive system. In some cases, making that internal environment more basic, and thus significantly less acidic, is going to help people more. In other cases, making that internal environment only slightly less acidic is enough to do the trick. Controlling acid reflux is all a matter of managing stomach acid, and apple cider vinegar may be able to accomplish that more effectively than many other types of home remedies or standard medicinal remedies.

Swinging too far in the other direction can sometimes simply set a person up for more severe heartburn down the line, and using antacids can sometimes cause that vicious cycle. Technically, apple cider vinegar does the exact same thing that antacids do: it makes the internal environment of a person's digestive system less acidic. However, it only makes slight changes as opposed to dramatic changes, which may be the partial secret to its success.

Heartburn relief needs to be handled carefully, and it often isn't. People tend to want quick and dramatic fixes for their heartburn, which is understandable. However, drinking two or three teaspoons of apple cider vinegar mixed into an eight-ounce glass of water will often provide that quick fix for heartburn relief, even if it is not yet considered a conventional remedy for acid reflux.