While some people say pickle juice helps acid reflux symptoms, research doesn’t support its use for this purpose. Lifestyle changes, home remedies, and OTC medications may be a better option for heartburn and other symptoms.
Pickle juice is the liquid used to turn cucumbers into pickles and then preserve them. It typically contains water, salt, vinegar, calcium chloride, and seasonings or flavorings for specific pickles, such as dill, sweet, or bread-and-butter varieties.
Heartburn is a common symptom of acid reflux, when stomach acid flows back up from the stomach into your esophagus (food pipe). Persistent acid reflux may lead to gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a chronic condition that requires ongoing management.
Acid reflux symptoms may be exacerbated by a number of things, including physical and emotional stress, spicy or fatty foods, and some medications.
Heartburn feels like a burning pain in your chest, just behind the breastbone. It often gets worse after eating or drinking, and when lying down flat on your back or stomach. You may experience it with occasional acid reflux or if you have GERD.
How effective is pickle juice for heartburn?
The effectiveness and safety of drinking pickle juice for GERD symptoms like heartburn has not been backed up by science.
Pickle juice is highly acidic. Research has shown that acidic foods, in general, are often associated with reflux episodes. In people with GERD, it is also common to see delayed emptying of the stomach contents. This means that it’s possible for acidic foods to stay longer in the body, increasing the chance of acid reflux when you eat them.
Some people associate pickle juice with being a concentrated source of Lactobacillus, a healthy probiotic bacteria found in your gut microbiome and on the skins of cucumbers.
Probiotics may offer benefits for acid reflux symptoms. However, most commercially prepared pickles have been pasteurized. This means that they have undergone a heat-based process to kill any potentially harmful bacteria before being sold to consumers. This process also affects good bacteria and yeast.
In sum, even though some anecdotal information may suggest that pickle juice is good for GERD and acid reflux, science has not found evidence to support these claims.
Read about GERD treatment and cures.
Can natural remedies relieve acid reflux?
Yes, some natural and home remedies may be effective at managing symptoms of acid reflux and GERD.
Lifestyle changes are the first step toward relieving symptoms. These may include:
- avoiding lying down too soon after a meal
- keeping your head slightly elevated when sleeping
- reducing meal portions
- wearing loose-fitting clothes, especially around the waist
- limiting consumption of carbonated beverages
- avoiding acidic foods like tomatoes, citrus fruits, and vinegar
- managing stress
Read more about diets for acid reflux and GERD.
Home remedies may include:
Read more about heartburn relief.
How is acid reflux treated?
GERD and acid reflux are initially managed with dietary changes and other home strategies. If these don’t work, a healthcare professional may recommend over-the-counter (OTC) medications like antacids. Antacids neutralize stomach acid, quickly relieving reflux.
OTC medications are for quick but short-term relief. For long-term therapy, a healthcare professional may also prescribe H2 blockers and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs).
If all these strategies don’t provide enough relief, surgery may be the next effective option for GERD.
Read more about what to do if heartburn doesn’t go away.
The bottom line
While some people may say that drinking pickle juice relieves symptoms of acid reflux and GERD, like heartburn, research doesn’t show evidence for this claim. In fact, in theory, pickle juice may worsen symptoms of acid reflux because of its high acidity.
Lifestyle changes, dietary modifications, natural remedies, and medications may offer a better relief option.