How to Reduce Stomach Acidity Naturally

by Kottakkal Support October 06, 2023

Stomach acidity is usually noticed when there is excess stomach acid, and it flows upward from the stomach into the throat. The stomach acid irritates the lining of the throat and causes a burning sensation and sour taste. According to Ayurveda, when this condition occurs it is known as Amlapitta or sour pitta.

It is normal for the stomach to produce acid, as it’s essential for the digestive process. However, when too much acidity forms in the stomach it is usually due to improper eating habits which have aggravated the pitta dosha.

When amlapitta becomes chronic, there is continual inflammation which causes damage to the tissues in the throat. The constant irritation can cause bleeding, narrowing and difficulty swallowing.

But like all concepts in Ayurveda, there is more to chronic problems than the physical. There is a direct link between the gut and the brain—specifically emotions. There is a relationship between how we feel and how our stomach feels. Disorders like stomach acidity are affected by stress and there is a psychosomatic connection between brain and gut. If the person’s stress can be managed, so can the symptoms of amlapitta.

Common Symptoms of Amlapitta

• Burning sensation in the chest or throat, especially after eating or laying down
• Chest pain with feeling of heaviness
• Difficulty swallowing
• Regurgitation of food which is sour or bitter
• Sensation of a lump in the back of the throat
• Nausea and/or vomiting
• Headache

What Triggers Amlapitta? 

Some of the common triggers for Amlapitta are obesity, a diet rich in fat, caffeine, alcohol, smoking, spicy foods, stomach infections, overuse of medications like ibuprofen or aspirin and moderate to severe mental stress.

Unhealthy Eating Habits Cause Amlapitta

• Eating improper foods for the person’s constitution or imbalance   
• Too much sour, salty or spicy foods
• Too many foods that aggravate pitta, like tomatoes, yogurt, saltwater fish
• Consuming pitta aggravating foods during hot weather
• Eating old or contaminated foods

Cooling Foods Help Reduce Acidity

Foods that taste bitter, sweet or astringent will pacify pitta dosha, while tastes that are spicy, sour or salty will aggravate pitta dosha. Ayurveda recommends foods like leafy greens that are bitter, milk and ghee that are sweet, and apples and grapes that are astringent. It is important to widely reduce all foods that taste salty, sour or spicy, as they will further aggravate Amlapitta.

Supplements That Support Amlapitta

Ayurveda recommends a mild process of cleansing the digestive system using the classical herbal formula Avipathi Churnam. This formula will help remove the excess acid and ama from the stomach.

Avipathi Churnam - It is a classical Ayurvedic formula that encourages healthy pitta digestion. It helps balance an aggravated pitta dosha by helping to reduce excess stomach acid as well as increasing appetite and digestive strength. Avipathi Churnam is indicated for sour or bitter burping, burning sensations within the stomach, chest or throat, or excessive sweating. It helps improve agni and acts as a mild laxative which helps to eliminate the toxins associated with aggravated pitta dosha.

Additional Products for Amlapitta

Acidact Tablet helps balance pitta dosha and balances healthy stomach acid, lowers gas, bloating, and excess heat from the stomach.

Hinguvachadi Churnam the main herb hing helps balance pitta and kapha dosha, supports digestive fire, calms gas, bloating, and abdominal pain.

Hingwadi Gulika The main herb hing supports and balances both vata and pitta dosha, helps improve appetite and digestion, and calms gas and bloating.

Parushakadi Leham contains the herb Parushaka which balances pitta dosha, helps lower stomach acid and burning sensation, and balance agni or digestive fire.

Vilwadi Leham is an Ayurvedic herbal remedy used to support the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders and acid peptic disease. It strengthens digestion and balances all three of the Doshas, especially Pitta Dosha. This leham also improves the absorption of nutrients from food.

Other Foods That Help Amlapitta  

• Yava – barley
• Godhuma – wheat
• Ksheera - milk
• Mudga – green gram
• Purana rakta shali – old red rice
• Taptasheeta jala – boiled, and cooled water
• Sharkara – jaggery
• Madhu – honey
• Karavellakam – bitter gourd
• Rambha pushpam – flower of plantain
• Vriddha kushmanda – old ash gourd
• Patola – pointed gourd
• Dadima – pomegranate
• Kapha-pitta hara anna – food and drink that alleviates kapha and pitta

Other Foods That Aggravate Amlapitta

• Tila – sesame
• Masha – black gram
• Kulattha – horse gram
• Avidugdham – goat milk
• Dhanyamlam – fermented liquids
• Guru annam – foods too heavy to digest
• Lavana ahara – salty foods
• Amla Ahara – sour foods
• Katu ahara – spicy foods
• Dadhi – curds or yogurt
• Madhya – alcohol

For more information about AGNI: THE AYURVEDIC CONCEPT, you may purchase this book by Ayurvedic experts from Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala.

AYURVEDIC CONSULTATION

Kottakkal is committed to offering the highest quality Ayurvedic Healthcare. We offer two ways to have an Ayurvedic consultation. 1. Free 15-minute Consultation with our Ayurvedic practitioner, Julie Wardwell for when you need a product recommendation for a basic health problem. 2. In-depth Consultation with our Ayurvedic doctor, Vaidya Vishwanath Guddadar for when your condition is chronic with multiple symptoms.

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. Kottakkal Ayurveda products and information are not intended for use in the diagnosis, treatment, cure, or prevention of any disease. If you have serious, acute, or chronic health problems, please consult a trained health professional. If you are seeking the advice of a trained Ayurvedic professional, call (800) 215-9934 or email us at contact@kottakkal.shop. We will provide you with information to consult with Ayurvedic professionals. Always check with your doctor before taking herbs when pregnant or nursing.

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