Mustard for heartburn relief is quite popular as a home remedy for the occasional burning sensation caused by acid reflux. However, it should be noted that there seems to be no evidence that suggests that mustard has any positive effect on acid reflux which causes heartburn. One thing should be considered though – mustard has several ingredients that may well be helpful in reducing heartburn.
If you check mustard products ingredients, these are a variation of water, salt, vinegar and mustard seed plus additional ingredients like flavorings.
It is said that vinegar is a powerful heartburn cure and vinegar’s active ingredient, acetic acid, strongly stimulates the production of saliva. Taking some mustard for heartburn relief will result in a surprising amount of saliva in your mouth. The vinegar content of mustard may well be the one responsible for this reaction though.
How to Use Mustard for Heartburn Relief
Although mustard may just be a form of diluted vinegar with regards to being a heartburn remedy and better results may be derived from directly taking a teaspoon of vinegar, it has one advantage over vinegar. Mustard does taste better and can even be used in a variety of recipes. Mustard can be included in dishes or used as sandwich toppings, vinegar is just not as flexible, not to mention, it has a very strong sour taste.
Mustard is commonly used in chicken recipes especially chicken broth where garlic, Italian spices and mustard are typical ingredients. Spices and garlic are deemed heartburn triggers and mustard can be used to neutralize their effects. When cooking with mustard, the ideal heat level is low. You may cook the chicken and herbs at medium heat then add the mustard and broth and simmer for 10 minutes. The mustard will also act as a marinade this way and keep the meat soft.
Mustard for Heartburn Relief – The Bottom Line
You can take mustard for heartburn relief since it contains vinegar which is a strong stimulant of saliva. Saliva helps neutralize stomach acid and in the process, bring heartburn relief. Adding mustard to your cooking can help you avoid heartburn. Be sure to use real mustard though since it’s actually the vinegar ingredient that reduces heartburn symptoms and not the mustard seed. Check the ingredient list as there are some flavored mustards that have less vinegar than traditional mustard. Yellow mustard is said to work better for acid reflux than some medicines, so you may want to try this.
If you’re after a quicker heartburn relief, you can just take a teaspoon of pure vinegar directly, though this won’t taste as good as mustard for heartburn relief.
