Milk can momentarily relieve heartburn, because your alkaline pH helps neutralize stomach acid. However, the heartburn will return, because the milk itself being digested will stimulate the production of more gastric juice. Water, on the other hand, seems to have one more psychological effect, because it has no property capable of reducing the acidity of the stomach.
During digestion, the stomach produces gastric juice, which is quite acid. The stomach has a protective layer against this acidity, but the esophagus does not. THE heartburn and the burning occur when the gastric juice rises to the esophagus (reflux), which has no protection against stomach acid.
When drinking the milk, which is often swallowed cold, it passes through the place being attacked by acid and relieves heartburn momentarily. However, when you start the digestive process of milk, the stomach returns to produce acid, which can become a vicious circle. The more milk a person drinks, the more gastric juice will be produced, the greater the reflux and the more heartburn they will have.
The solution to end heartburn is decrease the production of gastric juice. For this, it is necessary to take medications that block stomach acid, which require a medical prescription, or ingestion of acidic drinks in small quantities, as Orange juice or lemon, no sugar.
Although it seems senseless, acidic drinks help relieve heartburn precisely because of its acidity, which "cheats" the stomach, stating that it already has enough acid inside the organ. Thus, the stomach decreases the production of gastric juice because acid does not need more acid to be digested.
However, this is true for punctual heartburn. Acidic beverages do not relieve gastrites from burning.
For more information on effective ways to relieve and prevent heartburn, see your GP, family doctor, or gastroenterologist.
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