I suffered from chronic heartburn for years. In 1996, it irritated me so much I went to see a doctor about it. He diagnosed me with Esophageal Reflux Disease (acid reflux) and prescribed Zantac. I took it until the prescription expired. Guess what? The heartburn returned as soon as the last tablet wore off.

I was popping Tums and generic tums-like tablets like candy, everyday, to keep the bile at bay.

The Vinegar Trick

In 2005, a close friend of mine suggested that when the heartburn came on, that I take a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. He had been told that I needed more acid, not less.

Not much later, the familiar burning sensation returned. I thought about what he had said and started rooting around the kitchen cabinets looking for any kind of vinegar. There was only a bottle of coconut vinegar (my wife cooks with that instead of the regular stuff).

I downed a tablespoon of the vinegar. Ick! It burned. Five minutes later the heartburn was gone, completely! I told myself it wouldn't last. I didn't get a heartburn attack again for months, and I did the exact same thing. When I moved here to the Philippines in 2006, I had heartburn the first month I was here (April). I did the coconut vinegar trick again. Now, here it is almost 11 months later and I haven't been stricken with heartburn yet.

My advice to anyone who suffers from heartburn: Try the vinegar trick before heading to the doctor or the drug store to get over-the-counter antacid products. It may work for you too!

[Update in 2009: I wrote this short article nearly two years ago. Since that time, I haven't suffered from acid reflux disease or any kind of heartburn for that matter. You see, I'm not always full of shiitake (or any other colorful metaphors) when I write about my experiences.]

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