Milk for heartburn: What really helps?

Drinking milk can provide fast relief from the pain of heartburn, but not all milks are equal when it comes to easing this symptom. 

Heartburn is caused by acid reflux, when stomach acid leaks up into your oesophagus. Recurring acid reflux is known as GERD or GORD, short for gastro-oesophageal reflux disease.

Milk is just one thing that can ease heartburn quickly, and in this article, we’ll also look at other solutions. Plus, we’ll explore lifestyle changes that can prevent acid reflux and heartburn, including foods to try and others to limit. 

What is heartburn, and what causes it?

Heartburn is a burning sensation in the middle of your chest caused by acid reflux. It’s very common, affecting up to a quarter of adults in the United Kingdom.

Acid reflux is when stomach acid travels up your oesophagus, the tube that connects your stomach to your mouth. You may also notice a sour taste in your mouth.

Acid reflux happens when the valve at the top of your stomach — known as your lower oesophageal sphincter (LES) — becomes weak or relaxes at the wrong time. If you have regular acid reflux, your doctor may diagnose GORD.

Acid reflux and heartburn are often worse after meals and at bedtime, when lying down makes it easier for stomach acid to flow up your oesophagus.

Certain foods and drinks can increase acid reflux and heartburn, while others may help relieve them.

Does milk help relieve heartburn quickly?

Milk can provide quick relief from heartburn in some cases, but it can depend on what type you drink. 

The high levels of calcium in dairy milk make it relatively low in acidity, compared with the gastric juices in your stomach.

Drinking cold milk may help soothe the burning pain of heartburn, partly by counteracting the effects of acid regurgitated in your oesophagus.

In one study, researchers used an artificial stomach to look at how well different foods and drinks reduced acidity. They found that cold milk was as effective as over-the-counter antacid products containing sodium bicarbonate. 

In fact, milk may have an advantage over these treatments. Antacids can have a ‘rebound’ effect, increasing the concentration of stomach acid after initially lowering it. Natural products like milk are not thought to have this effect.

But the type of milk you drink could make a big difference to how it affects your heartburn. 

Foods high in fat can stimulate acid production in your stomach and relax your LES. This could actually increase exposure to stomach acid and trigger acid reflux and heartburn. 

These types of foods also take longer to digest, so it takes longer for them to leave the stomach. When foods stay in the stomach for longer, it increases the risk of heartburn symptoms.

That’s why doctors and dietitians generally recommend lower-fat options, like semi-skimmed, 1–2% fat or skimmed milk.

Other fast remedies for heartburn

If you’re looking for other ways to reduce your heartburn quickly, there are a number of things you can try.

• Loosen your belt: Wearing restrictive clothing around your waist, especially a tight belt, can increase the pressure on your stomach, pushing acid up into your oesophagus and causing heartburn. Letting your belt out a notch or two (or wearing loose trousers) could improve things quickly, especially after you eat.
   
• Change your sleeping position: If you get heartburn at night, try sleeping on your left side rather than your right. This can clear acid from your oesophagus more quickly. And using wood or bricks to raise the head of your bed slightly will elevate your chest, making it harder for acid to rise up your oesophagus. You could also sleep with an extra pillow or two.
  
  
• Over-the-counter medication: Several products for short-term use can provide quick relief from acid reflux and heartburn. Antacids, like calcium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate and magnesium carbonate, neutralise the acid in your stomach, while alginates create a protective layer to stop the acid from travelling up your oesophagus.
  
  
• Prescription medication: If you have recurring heartburn, your doctor may prescribe a proton pump inhibitor, or PPI. Options like omeprazole and lansoprazole reduce the amount of acid that your stomach produces. You’ll usually take them for 4–8 weeks, but if your heartburn comes back, you may receive a continuing prescription.

7 lifestyle changes to help prevent heartburn

When it comes to longer-term prevention of heartburn, these lifestyle changes could make a difference.

1. Try limiting certain foods and drinks

Particular foods can trigger heartburn or make it worse.

As we mentioned, high-fat foods take longer to digest, so they encourage your body to produce more stomach acid.

Meanwhile, spicy or acidic foods and drinks can contribute to the acid contents of your stomach.

Too much alcohol can relax your LES, making it easier for stomach acid to leak into your oesophagus. Alcohol can also damage the protective layer of mucus in your oesophagus.

A number of other foods and drinks can also contribute to heartburn, but it’s important to note that different people have different triggers. Keeping a food and symptom diary may help you work out what’s causing this issue.

Foods and drinks to try limiting include: 

• fatty, fried or very oily foods
• chilli peppers
• hot curries
• tomatoes
• citrus fruits and juices
• vinegar
• ketchup and brown sauce
• onions
• garlic
• alcoholic drinks
• drinks with caffeine, like most teas and coffees
• chocolate
• peppermint

2. Go for these foods instead

Everyone is different, so we often have different responses to foods. But there’s evidence that certain types of food could help reduce acid reflux and heartburn symptoms for many people.

Studies suggest that switching to an eating pattern like the Mediterranean diet lowers your risk of developing GORD. This diet is rich in fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and it’s low in ultra-processed foods.

Eating plenty of lean protein, including low-fat dairy products, has also been shown to reduce this risk.

The same is true for foods rich in calcium. Research suggests that low-fat dairy products without additives or sugar may be especially helpful. 

Here are some other foods linked to a reduced risk of acid reflux:

• whole grains, like oats and brown rice
• leafy green vegetables, including broccoli
• fruit
• potatoes
• eggs
• fish

3. Consider probiotics

Probiotics are live microbes that can be beneficial for your health.

They often come as supplements – including capsules, liquids or powders – and the packaging should state which live strains of microbes the supplement contains.

According to some studies, probiotics may help with GORD and acid reflux, which could reduce heartburn.

It’s worth trying a new probiotic for at least 4–12 weeks. This gives you enough time to see if it improves your symptoms as your body adjusts. Keeping a symptom diary could also help you tell whether the product is working.

4. Change the way you eat

It’s not just what you eat that can affect heartburn, it’s how and when you eat.

The following changes could reduce the amount of stomach acid you produce or the pressure on your stomach, both of which can lower your risk of acid reflux and heartburn:

• Eat more slowly, and chew your food well.
• Opt for smaller meals, more often.
• Drink plenty of fluids between meals.
• Leave 3–4 hours between eating and going to bed.

5. Maintain a healthy weight

Having overweight or obesity increases your risk of developing acid reflux and heartburn. 

Studies have shown that losing weight can reduce these issues associated with GORD and may even resolve them completely.

If you’re looking to lose some weight, avoid restrictive diets and those that focus heavily on calorie counting. These approaches are potentially unhealthy and don’t tend to work in the long run.

Instead, consider a healthy eating pattern like the Mediterranean diet. This can help people lose weight sustainably and keep it off.

Adding regular exercise to your routine can also help. But for some people, vigorous exercise can cause acid reflux, so you may need to take antacid medication before a workout.

6. Manage stress

Everyone experiences stress. If you also have digestive issues, then this next bit is for you.

There’s a strong link between stress and digestive trouble. Specifically, being stressed can make GORD symptoms like heartburn worse.

While stress may not increase acid reflux, it can make heartburn more painful, including by thinning the mucus that protects the lining of your oesophagus. 

It's not always easy to reduce stress, but some proven approaches can help with time. They include:

• being physically active – find a time that works for you and choose an activity you enjoy, which might involve a dance class, a YouTube yoga video or a gentle swim at your local leisure centre
• practising relaxation techniques, like meditation, yoga and deep breathing exercises
• trying talking therapies, like cognitive behavioural therapy
• approaching local charities or other organisations that offer stress management activities
• trying apps like Calm or Headspace

7. Stop smoking

If you smoke tobacco, quitting can help prevent GORD symptoms like heartburn.

Smoking causes heartburn by relaxing your LES, thus encouraging acid reflux. It also reduces the amount of saliva you produce, which would otherwise help neutralise stomach acid entering your oesophagus.

Quitting smoking may not be easy, but there’s help and support available.

Summary

Heartburn results from acid reflux, a common digestive issue that causes stomach acid to leak up into your oesophagus. Recurring acid reflux is known as GERD or GORD.

Drinking lower-fat milks, like semi-skimmed, 1–2% or skimmed, may provide quick relief from heartburn by soothing your throat and neutralising some acid in your stomach. Because it contains more fat, whole milk could actually make your symptoms worse.  

Other strategies for easing heartburn include loosening the clothing around your waist, sleeping on your left rather than your right side and taking over-the-counter or prescribed medications.

Several lifestyle changes may help prevent heartburn. Try limiting high-fat, spicy and acidic foods, eating plenty of whole plant foods and healthy protein, and giving probiotics a go. If you drink alcohol, cutting back can also help. 

Other tips include eating smaller meals more slowly and leaving time between your last meal and bed. Maintaining a healthy weight, finding ways to manage stress and quitting smoking are also effective.

To learn more about other gut health topics, visit Symprove’s Gut Hub.

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