Naturopathic physician Michelle Winchell told POPSUGAR that, although it may seem counterintuitive, taking raw apple cider vinegar when you're experiencing reflux or indigestion can lead to almost immediate relief. She explained that most reflux is the result of low stomach acid, not high stomach acid.
"We are a society of 'busy' people, which means that we are chronically stuck in our sympathetic nervous system — you may know this as 'fight, flight or freeze.' When our body is in this state, we don't produce enough stomach acid, pancreatic enzymes, and other digestive juices," Winchell said. "So instead of breaking down and absorbing our food, it ends up sitting and fermenting in our stomachs, which ends up feeling like heartburn."
Winchell also suggested mixing one to two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with water and taking it about 15 minutes before a meal to aid digestion. "[This] can help prime the digestive tract by stimulating our stomach acid and pancreatic enzyme secretion," she explained.
