Will a diet bring permanent relief for your heartburn? Classical medicine has been a disappointment for millions of heartburn sufferers on this score, because of its ineffectiveness over the long-term and the undesirable side effects that it produces. Will the right mix of a special heartburn diet and healthier lifestyle changes make for a safer option? Studies done recently show that new diet habits can really relieve heartburn and at the same time make big improvements in your overall quality of life.

Before we get into the nature of the new diet habits, it is important to understand that chronic heartburn cannot be treated for a permanent solution without a full holistic solution that clearly targets the fundamental problem. This is because heartburn is only a symptom of a complex medical problem known as GERD (gastro esophageal reflux disease) or acid reflux.

A circular muscle called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) is a key part of the syndrome of heartburn. When acid escaping via the LES corrodes the cells lining the esophagus, this causes the unpleasant burning sensation known as acid indigestion or heartburn. GERD is the result of this valve-like muscle between the stomach and the esophagus weakening and no longer keeping the stomach contents away from the esophagus.

New diet habits must therefore handle both aspects that bring on acid reflux. They must reduce excessive acidity in the stomach but also work in conjunction with the weakened sphincter. We set out seven simple guidelines for diets below as the preliminary step for a holistic, all-natural GERD solution:

1. Eat smaller meals. Big meals stress the digestive system unduly, more stomach acid is manufactured and an existing acid reflux condition can be worsened. Instead of 2-3 big meals per day, eat 5-6 smaller meals.

2. Give your stomach a better possibility to work in the 2-3 hour window after a light meal, rather than the 5-6 hours for a heavy one. This is much better planning for the last meal of the day, to avoid lying down when acid can still flow back along your esophageal passage. So eat your last meal of the day as a light one and go for a short walk if you can, to aid digestion.

3. Don't gobble your food. Chew it properly to prevent air being sucked in, which makes the stomach balloon and pushes open the esophageal sphincter, this opening the way for stomach acid to reflux.

4. Don't eat food that irritates the lining of your digestive system, which in turn can cause your esophageal sphincter to relax when it should not. Choose herbal tea rather than coffee and reduce intake of high-fat and spicy dishes, peppermint, coffee and caffeine, citrus juices, soda and alcohol, chocolate and any food with a large percentage of tomato.

5. Studies done in Sweden support the theory that acid reflux danger can be reduced by 50% by adopting a high fiber diet and that high-fiber diets are effective for optimizing digestion and sweeping away toxic matter.

6. Reduce intake of dairy produce, in particular milk. Milk encourages acid, allergies and mucus, which in turn encourage Candida overgrowth and further digestive problems leading to GERD.

7. Cut down on calories. Obesity and excess weight also act to force open the lower esophageal sphincter the wrong way.

The right program using the diet guidelines above will reduce the risk of GERD and at the same time increase your fitness and health.

This is just one part of the treatment. Heartburn is just one piece of the acid heartburn puzzle and the other pieces also need to be treated to really solve this problem. An anti-heartburn diet that is correctly balanced is the first part of a complete natural and holistic program to prevent acid reflux. In this way and only in this way, you will be able to halt this problem permanently.