Baking soda

Old wives' tales will tell you the best way to beat heartburn is with a little sodium bicarbonate (baking soda).

"Baking soda is OK for most people with heartburn," says Jacqueline Wolf, MD, associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. "Because it's a base, it helps neutralize [stomach] acid."

Dr. Wolf, author of A Woman's Guide to a Healthy Stomach, recommends mixing between 1/2 and 1 teaspoon of baking soda with a glass of water. But avoid making baking soda your go-to remedy if you regularly have heartburn—it is high in salt and could cause side effects like swelling and nausea.