Indigestion is an over-production of stomach acid caused by stress, eating too much or too quickly, or eating the wrong foods. Acid forming foods contribute to indigestion.

Make 80% of your diet alkaline-forming foods:

Asparagus, cabbage, lettuce, onion, cauliflower, radish, swede, peas, courgette, red cabbage, leeks, watercress, spinach, turnip, chives, carrot, green beans, beetroot, garlic, celery, cucumber, broccoli, kale, Brussels sprouts, non-sweetened soy milk, almond milk, lemon, avocado, tomato, grapefruit, watermelon (neutral), rhubarb, herbal teas (lemon verbena, peppermint, ginger), vegetable soup, almonds, pumpkin, sunflower seeds, sesame, flaxseed, spelt, lentils, any sprouted seed, olive oil, avocado, hummus, tahini.

Make no more that 20% of your diet acid-forming foods:

Pork, lamb, beef, chicken, turkey, seafood (apart from occasional oily fish), milk, eggs, cheese, cream, yogurt, ice cream, vinegar, white pasta, bread, biscuits, soy sauce, tamari, condiments e.g. tomato sauce, mayonnaise etc, artificial sweeteners, honey (manuka is ideal), fizzy drinks, coffee, tea, beers, spirits, fruit juice, dairy smoothies, milk, traditional tea, saturated fats, hydrogenated oils, margarine (worse than butter!), corn oil, vegetable oil, sweets/chocolate, powdered soups, convenience foods, peanuts, cashew nuts, pistachio nuts.

Recommended supplements:

* Digestive enzymes
* Peppermint oil capsule taken 30 minutes before eating
* Herbs: Aloe Vera juice, goldenseal, slippery elm tea, ginger
* Acidophilus

Top tip: Mix a solution of ½ teaspoon baking powder soda with ½ glass of water and drink every two hours until the indigestion subsides.

Acid indigestion refers to a set of symptoms that can occur due to behaviors, food choices, emotions or as an underlying cause of illnesses, such as ulcers or gallbladder disease. Mild indigestion is common and generally does not require medical care. If your symptoms are severe or last longer than a few days, doctor's guidance is recommended.

Foods and Beverages
Food and beverage choices can contribute significantly to acid indigestion. According to the Mayo Clinic, certain foods, such as high-fat or greasy foods, spicy foods, high-fiber foods and beverages such as coffee, alcohol and soft drinks may cause or exacerbate symptoms. Since indigestion affects people differently, take note of when you experience symptoms and what you ate or drank beforehand. High-fat foods, soft drinks and alcoholic beverages are not considered helpful components of a healthy diet, and over-consumption of them can increase risk for health problems. Thus, limiting or avoiding these foods and beverages is a good idea.

Since high-fiber foods, such as vegetables, fruits and whole grains, are important aspect of a healthy, balanced diet, avoid or limit only those which cause you symptoms. Cruciferous vegetables, such as broccoli and cabbage, and acidic fruits, such as oranges and pineapple, are common culprits. If you've recently begun consuming high-fiber foods after adhering to a low-fiber diet, increase the amount of dietary fiber in your diet gradually so that your body has a chance to adjust. For specific help, discuss your symptoms with a trusted doctor or dietitian.

Persistent or severe symptoms of acid indigestion may require allopathic treatments beyond lifestyle change. Medications a physician may prescribe include antacids containing mineral salts to absorb gastric acid; histamine-2 (H2) receptor blockers to block stomach inflammation; foaming agents to prevent reflux; proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) to block stomach acid secretion; or prokinetics to strengthen the LES and cause the stomach to empty more quickly. While considered relatively safe, these medications can have side effects ranging from mildly inconvenient, such as nausea, to dangerous, such as heart arrhythmias.

Surgery may sometimes be required for treating severe gastric indigestion. The most common surgeries for treating gastric indigestion include repair of hiatal hernia, and a variety of surgeries performed to strengthen the LES. Because there are risks inherit in any surgical procedure, health care providers will usually recommend lifestyle changes and other treatments before resorting to surgery.

acid indigestion is a common malady with even its most severe form, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) , affecting more than one-quarter of the US population. It is so often accompanied by hiatal hernia that in 2007 the National Institutes of Health referred to hiatal hernia as "a normal finding in otherwise healthy people over age 50."

Lifestyle causes of gastric indigestion include whatever puts undue pressure or irritation on the upper stomach and lower esophageal sphincter (LES). Eating too much or too quickly, poor mastication, ingesting foods, fluids, or medications that cause gas build up or act as gastric irritants, wearing too-tight clothing, lying down too soon after eating, obesity, pregnancy, and smoking can all contribute to gastric indigestion.

Persistent or severe symptoms of acid indigestion may require allopathic treatments beyond lifestyle change. Medications a physician may prescribe include antacids containing mineral salts to absorb gastric acid; histamine-2 (H2) receptor blockers to block stomach inflammation; foaming agents to prevent reflux; proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) to block stomach acid secretion; or prokinetics to strengthen the LES and cause the stomach to empty more quickly. While considered relatively safe, these medications can have side effects ranging from mildly inconvenient, such as nausea, to dangerous, such as heart arrhythmias.

Surgery may sometimes be required for treating severe gastric indigestion. The most common surgeries for treating gastric indigestion include repair of hiatal hernia, and a variety of surgeries performed to strengthen the LES. Because there are risks inherit in any surgical procedure, health care providers will usually recommend lifestyle changes and other treatments before resorting to surgery.