Heartburn treatment with tap water
Heartburn, or a burning sensation in the stomach, is one of the early sign of dehydration.(i) Drinking water is, therefore, often suggested colloquially as a cure for heartburn. Whereas, taking antacids to relieve the pain of heartburn does not correct the body’s water deficit.(ii)
One study in the medical literature found that drinking 1-2 glasses of tap water was a simple and effective treatment for heartburn. The efficacy of this method may be due to dilution of the gastric juice, which reduces the pH, and osmolality, but also because it breaks the vicious circle in which acid causes irritation, which stimulates the release of more acid. Drinking tap water may also be suitable for the relief of heartburn in pregnancy, where drugs may not be recommended, but that further studies are required to confirm this.(iii)
Last updated: February 2007
i Kleiner SM. Water: An essential but overlooked nutrient. J Am Diet Assoc. 1999:99:201-7
ii Batmanghelidj F.Your Body's Many Cries for Water. 2nd Ed. 1995 www.watercure.com
iii Engel D. Heartburn treated with tapwater. Medical Hypotheses 1983;10:407-10
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