Ginger for Acid Reflux: Does It Help? And Home Remedies to Try

Co-authored by Roy Nattiv, MD and Eric McClure

Last Updated: December 30, 2021 References

Ginger is a popular herbal remedy for a variety of treatments due to the fact that it’s anti-inflammatory and it has a proven track record when it comes to soothing nausea. Unfortunately, acid reflux isn’t normally caused by inflammation, and you may not necessarily be nauseous! There are still a few reasons you may benefit from ginger though, and ginger isn’t particularly dangerous, so it may be worth exploring—just don’t expect it to totally solve your symptoms. Also, if you get acid reflux regularly, see a doctor. Chronic acid reflux (GERD) does require treatment, although it is very treatable.

Question 1 of 6:

Can drinking ginger tea help with acid reflux?

1
It’s not totally clear it helps acid reflux, but it might! Ginger is definitely an all-star when it comes to treating nausea.^{[1]
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PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
Go to source} However, acid reflux is caused by stomach acids flowing up through the esophagus, which doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with nausea.^{[2]
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Mayo Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
Go to source} With that said, there does seem to be some minor evidence that ginger may help you treat or prevent acid reflux.^{[3]
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PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
Go to source}
- If your acid reflux triggers nausea, the ginger will definitely help with that. It may not treat the underlying acid reflux, though.
2
It may potentially trigger heartburn even if it helps with acid reflux. For some people, ginger may help soothe your heartburn.^{[4]
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Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School's Educational Site for the Public
Go to source} However, the spicy, earthy taste of ginger is also capable of triggering heartburn for a lot of people.^{[5]
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University of Rochester Medical Center
Leading academic medical center in the U.S. focused on clinical care and research
Go to source} If you try taking ginger to treat or prevent acid reflux, just keep in mind that it may make any heartburn worse or better depending on how your body responds.
- Acid reflux occurs when the acids in your stomach come back up into your esophagus.^{[6]
  X
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  Roy Nattiv, MD
  Board Certified Gastroenterologist
  Expert Interview. 14 October 2020.} Heartburn is a general turn for a burning sensation behind your breastbone.^{[7]
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  Mayo Clinic
  Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
  Go to source} You can have heartburn with no acid reflux, and acid reflux with no heartburn. However, acid reflux often triggers heartburn for many people.^{[8]
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  Cleveland Clinic
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- While ginger has the capacity to trigger heartburn, there isn’t any evidence it can trigger acid reflux. If your main goal here is to put a stop to acid reflux and you don’t mind potentially getting some heartburn, you don’t need to worry.

Question 2 of 6:

How can I take ginger for my stomach?

1
Ginger tea is hands down the most popular way to take it. Making ginger tea is super easy, and the hot drink may soothe your stomach and throat on its own. Simply scrub a chunk of ginger, cut it into a 1 in (2.5 cm) cube, and boil it in water. Strain the water over a glass and drink that. You can do this with dried or fresh root ginger.^{[9]
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University of Rochester Medical Center
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Go to source}
2
Chewing on raw ginger or taking a ginger candy might help. There are ginger chews, candies and supplements you can use as well. These are popular solutions for nausea.^{[10]
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Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School's Educational Site for the Public
Go to source} They may help with your acid reflux, although there isn’t as much research on these options when it comes specifically to acid reflux.
- You probably won’t get any benefit from eating something with ginger in it, since overeating is a common cause of acid reflux.^{[11]
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  Harvard Medical School
  Harvard Medical School's Educational Site for the Public
  Go to source} There are a few instances of people actually getting heartburn or acid reflux after eating ginger.^{[12]
  X
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  PubMed Central
  Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
  Go to source}

Question 3 of 6:

When should I drink ginger tea for acid reflux?

You can try drinking it before you eat or after the acid reflux occurs. There’s no concrete observable proof that it’s best to eat or drink ginger at any specific time. It will certainly help with digestive issues, though.^{[13]
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PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
Go to source} As a result, you could try drinking ginger tea before you eat a meal to make it easier for your stomach to process food, or you could try drinking the tea after the reflux occurs to help your stomach settle.^{[14]
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Johns Hopkins Medicine
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- If this makes you feel better, great! If it ends up giving you heartburn or it isn’t doing anything for your acid reflux and your stomach is full, feel free to put it down. Forcing yourself to finish the cup won’t help anything.

Question 4 of 6:

Does ginger cause acidity in your stomach?

No, it actually reduces the acid levels. Depending on the type of ginger and how fresh it is, ginger is either pH neutral or slightly alkaline.^{[15]
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PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
Go to source} While the impact isn’t always going to be massive, at worst the ginger is going to dilute the high acid contents of your stomach. At best it may offset the acids entirely!^{[16]
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Johns Hopkins Medicine
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Question 5 of 6:

Are there any risks to drinking ginger tea?

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If you don’t consume more than 4 grams a day, it’s safe. Ginger is generally considered low-risk when it comes to health complications, and so long as you don’t overdo it. Consuming more than 4 grams (roughly 1 teaspoon) of ginger a day can interfere with your blood flow and platelet count. So long as you aren’t drinking huge glasses multiple times a day, you don’t have anything to worry about.^{[17]
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PubMed Central
Journal archive from the U.S. National Institutes of Health
Go to source}
- Consuming that much ginger would probably be pretty difficult anyway; ginger has a pretty potent flavor profile, and you’d likely be turned off by the ginger tea before you get to 4 grams.
2
Talk to your doctor first if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, or on blood thinners. Due to the fact that ginger can thin your blood out, you may need to avoid it entirely if you’re on blood thinners. It may be risky if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding as well. Talk to your doctor if you’re considering drinking ginger tea for acid reflux.^{[18]
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University of Rochester Medical Center
Leading academic medical center in the U.S. focused on clinical care and research
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Question 6 of 6:

What can stop acid reflux immediately?

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Take an antacid to treat acid reflux quickly.^{[19]
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Roy Nattiv, MD
Board Certified Gastroenterologist
Expert Interview. 14 October 2020.} If you want to soothe symptoms fast, take an antacid (Mylanta, Rolaids, and Tums are all popular options). The antacid will help to stabilize the acids in your stomach, which should bring you some relief. Read the label to see how many antacids you can take and don’t overdo it, since taking too many antacids can cause diarrhea or kidney issues.^{[20]
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Mayo Clinic
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Go to source}
- There are other medications out there that will help acid reflux, like H2 blockers and omeprazole, but an antacid is your best bet if you want relief fast.
2
Stop eating if you haven’t already and stay upright. Acid reflux often develops when you overeat, so take a break if your meal isn’t over yet. Either stand up or sit up straight to let gravity help you out here; if you lie down or lean back, the acids in your stomach are more likely to work their way back up your esophagus.^{[21]
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Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School's Educational Site for the Public
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- Avoid foods that trigger acid reflux, such as acidic or spicy foods, any tomato based foods, caffeine, and chocolates.^{[22]
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  Expert Source
  
  Roy Nattiv, MD
  Board Certified Gastroenterologist
  Expert Interview. 14 October 2020.}
- If you’re wearing tighter pants, unbuckle your belt if you can. Taking pressure off of your stomach may give your stomach room to breathe and relax.
3
See a doctor if you get acid reflux frequently. An occasional bout of acid reflux isn’t a big deal, but if you get acid reflux regularly, see a doctor. Chronic acid reflux is a sign of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), and you may benefit from medication. GERD is normally pretty easily controlled with lifestyle changes and treatment, but you do need to treat it.^{[23]
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Mayo Clinic
Educational website from one of the world's leading hospitals
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- If left untreated, GERD can cause permanent damage to your esophagus and increase your risk for cancer.^{[24]
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Expert Q&A

Question

How to you treat laryngopharyngeal reflux?

Roy Nattiv, MD
Board Certified Gastroenterologist
Dr. Roy Nattiv is a Board-Certified Pediatric Gastroenterologist in Los Angeles, California. With over 20 years of experience he specializes in a broad range of pediatric gastrointestinal and nutritional illnesses such as constipation, diarrhea, reflux, food allergies, poor weight gain, SIBO, IBD, and IBS. He completed his pediatric residency at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, and his fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). While at UCSF, he was a California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) fellowship trainee and was awarded the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (NASPGHAN) Fellow to Faculty Award in Pediatric IBD Research. Dr. Nattiv received his undergrad degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and his medical degree (MD) from the Sackler School of Medicine in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Roy Nattiv, MD

Board Certified Gastroenterologist

Expert Answer

Laryngopharyngeal reflux is also known as silent reflux. It is when you're having acid reflux, but the acid goes into your airways, and into your voice box, and down your airway. You can treat silent reflux by taking an over-the-counter antacid, like Prilosec, or Tums. Try to avoid foods that trigger reflux, such as acidic or spicy foods, tomato-based foods, caffeine, and chocolates. Make sure that you're sleeping with an extra pillow that can prevent silent reflux at night.
Question

What foods make acid reflux worse?

Roy Nattiv, MD
Board Certified Gastroenterologist
Dr. Roy Nattiv is a Board-Certified Pediatric Gastroenterologist in Los Angeles, California. With over 20 years of experience he specializes in a broad range of pediatric gastrointestinal and nutritional illnesses such as constipation, diarrhea, reflux, food allergies, poor weight gain, SIBO, IBD, and IBS. He completed his pediatric residency at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York, and his fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). While at UCSF, he was a California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) fellowship trainee and was awarded the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition (NASPGHAN) Fellow to Faculty Award in Pediatric IBD Research. Dr. Nattiv received his undergrad degree from the University of California, Berkeley, and his medical degree (MD) from the Sackler School of Medicine in Tel Aviv, Israel.

Roy Nattiv, MD

Board Certified Gastroenterologist

Expert Answer

Try to avoid alcohol, acidic foods, like citrus, oranges, lemons, lemonade, grapefruit; spicy foods, such as fire Hot Cheetos, Takis, salsa, sriracha Tapatio, all those, wasabi; tomato-based foods pizza, pizza sauce, spaghetti sauce, marinara sauce; greasy or fried foods may exacerbate symptoms; and carbonated beverages may exacerbate symptoms; and caffeine, coffee, and sodas.