I have been battling acid reflux for more than a year now. And in those months, I have been put through different tests including an endoscopy after which results showed that my stomach was inflamed and the doctor made me to understand that the ibuprofen that I had taken soon after a major surgery to treat the pain I was experiencing was to blame for my condition. I was given proton inhibitors over time and while I had temporary relief, the acid reflux just won’t go away.

Acid reflux also know as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) occurs when acid back flows from the stomach into the esophagus. In my experience, I had very bad heartburn that felt as though my chest was inflamed and I would feel the pain from my chest to the back of my ribs. It was such an excruciating pain. Sometimes I was nauseous as well. It was quite discomforting because I was also bloated. Other symptoms of GERD that I experienced included dry throat, sore throat and sometimes dry cough caused by the dryness in my throat. My doctor had placed me on medication and would warn that staying away from triggers was better than depending on medication as the drugs also had adverse effects on the body. I noticed that my knees started to weaken as I took the drugs and sometimes, I would hear popping sounds in my knees so I had to start consuming foods rich in calcium and taking calcium supplements as well.

Acid reflux (GERD) triggers are many and I soon realized that they vary from person to person. I learnt from reading articles on Healthline.com that I was to avoid high fat foods, tomatoes and citrus fruits, chocolate, garlic, onion, spicy foods and mint. And I did sincerely try to avoid these foods but I struggled a lot to find a balance when it came to dieting even though I was very cautious. So I could go for weeks without acid reflux and then fall back to it again.

So I started a cautious effort to eat right and to try the famous cabbage juice that everyone was talking about.

There are claims that cabbage juice can help treat acid reflux and during my research, I found out that fermented cabbage juice worked best. I know that cabbage is rich in vitamins A and K, it is also antioxidant and anti inflammatory. It is also known to improve gut health, detoxification and even weight loss. The claims that cabbage juice helps gut health is being studied however one study has shown that fermented cabbage is high in lactic acid bacteria which is known for gut health. Hence the claim that fermented cabbage juice will relief stomach ulcer and acid reflux. So I gave it a try.

To make fermented cabbage juice, I washed some cabbage and had it soaked in water for 3 days. I made sure to cover the entire cabbage with water. After three days, the cabbage did not smell foul. And then I blended the cabbage and the water in which it had been soaked before passing it through a mesh.

I stored the fermented cabbage juice in a container and placed it in the refrigerator. I consume one glass twice daily.

As for the blended cabbage itself, I didn’t discard it; rather I made a soup with it.

I have only been drinking the fermented cabbage juice for two days now so it’s too early to draw conclusions. What I do know is that I started releasing gas more often after consuming the fermented juice. I also noticed that I don’t feel as bloated as I used to. Although it’s too early to say it has cured me of GERD. So I will definitely keep you posted on the results.

Beyond drinking this fermented cabbage juice, I have realized that adopting a healthy diet is also very important for recovery and you have to make it a lifestyle because you can’t keep drinking proton inhibitors. If you must lose weight, please do. It also helps to take probiotics especially Greek yogurt. But for the sake of this experiment, I am not taking probiotics or proton inhibitors as I need to know for certain if fermented cabbage juice does work.

Cabbage soup however is delicious and filling when cooked with the right ingredients. Here is the link to the Cabbage soup recipe

So tell me your experience with acid reflux (GERD). What are you doing to help yourself?

Cheers!

Enne