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 Often people visiting my clinic complain about symptoms
like heartburn, hyperacidity, gastritis, flatus, constipation,
lack of appetite, ulcers in the mouth and stomach, and a
burning sensation and pain in the stomach. Although all
these sound like different diseases, Ayurveda describes
them to be caused by increased pitta (heat or fire) in the
stomach. The common heartburn which we often ignore can
cause diseases like joint pains, arthritis, stones in the
gall bladder, urinary tract infections and certain diseases
of the uterus. Hyperacidity or heartburn is generally the
first stage of disease manifestation and can be easily controlled
by making changes in food and life style.
Causes
According to Ayurveda, an improper diet and lifestyle is
the main cause of disease. In our modern life, there are
a lot of factors in our diet and lifestyle that increase
pitta. All foods and activities that are heating increase
pitta. This includes hot, spicy, fried, oily and greasy
foods. Exposure to heat and sun, intake of too much of chemicals
in foods or medicines, drinking too much tea, coffee or
alcohol and smoking also aggravate pitta. Excessive thinking,
anger and mental stress are other additional factors that
increase pitta.
Remedies
- A very simple way to avoid heartburn or an increase
of pitta in the stomach is to avoid overeating. Always
leave a part of the stomach empty for the movement of
food during digestion. Try to regulate your eating hours.
- Drinking about two litres of (8-10 glasses) of water
in the morning immediately after waking up is a very good
way to reduce or balance pitta in the stomach. Storing
the water in a copper pot overnight yields even better
results.
- Eat fresh and natural foods. Avoid preserved, canned
and fast foods.
- Maintain at least four hours of interval between two
meals. If you really love eating instead of taking three
big meals you should take four or five smaller meals.
- Never suppress natural urges such as passing urine,
stool or flatus, sneezing, belching, yawning, and even
crying. Suppression of such urges blocks the pitta in
the stomach.
- A very good recipe for balancing pitta is a banana mashed
in 200 ml of milk (without cream). One teaspoonful of
raw sugar can be added as a sweetener. This can be taken
at breakfast or at any other time during the day. Avoid
putting ice in this drink.
- Eating boiled squash helps to relieve and prevent heartburn
and should be included in your diet as often as possible.
- Take five almonds and soak them in water for at least
four hours. Remove the skin, make a paste and mix it with
200 ml of milk. One teaspoonful of raw sugar can be added
as a sweetener. This recipe can be prepared and taken
twice a day.
- Cabbage is another useful home remedy for hyperacidity
or heartburn. Cut 100 gms of cabbage into small pieces
and boil in 250 ml of water till the water reduces to
100 ml. Let cool. Have half of this in the morning and
the other half in the evening.
- The juice of raw vegetables (except those sour/acidic
in taste) helps to reduce pitta in the stomach. A dose
of about 250 ml of mixed vegetable juice (cabbage, carrot,
beetroot and cucumber) may be taken twice a day.
- The powder of Amla or Indian Gooseberry (Embilica officinalis)
is a very good medicine for reducing an excess of pitta
in the stomach. The dose is 3-5 grams (half to one teaspoonful)
twice a day with water.
- Coconut reduces pitta effectively. Drinking its water
is very helpful. A paste of the pulp of raw white coconut
may be eaten to reduce hyperacidity. The dose is three
tablespoonful (30 grams) two or three times a day. A glassful
(250 ml) of the milk squeezed out of raw coconut pulp
taken twice a day also helps to reduce hyperacidity.
Try some of these remedies and put out the fire that is
burning you out!
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