Does Milk Help Heartburn?

Milk has been used successfully by some people to ease heartburn. But it doesn't always work. While some say that it helps coat and soothe the throat and stomach, fatty food like dairy products can actually trigger heartburn.

Milk provides calcium, which can help to calm stomach acids. It also offers other nutritional benefits. However, other foods may be better suited to ease the symptoms of heartburn.

How Milk May Help Heartburn

Heartburn, or acid reflux, occurs when acid, food, or fluids in the stomach back up from the stomach into the esophagus, causing uncomfortable or painful symptoms. It can be triggered by certain foods, especially those that are spicy, high in caffeine (like coffee and chocolate), or fatty or fried. Heartburn can last up to two hours.

Because heartburn can cause painful burning in the chest, people often look for simple home remedies, like milk, to ease the discomfort.

What the Science Says

Studies investigating the role of dairy products in easing heartburn symptoms are limited. Even fewer studies investigate how milk specifically impacts heartburn. Some research suggests that milk may be helpful in reducing heartburn while others suggest that consuming milk plays no role at all in easing or aggravating the condition.

• May reduce stomach acidity: A 2017 study evaluated the effects of several foods, including cold milk, on stomach acidity. The study authors concluded that cold milk and broccoli demonstrated the most significant benefits. However, the study had limitations, most notably that it was conducted using an artificial stomach, not a human stomach.
• May ease pregnancy heartburn: A study on pregnant women in Jordan showed that home remedies, including drinking cold milk, helped ease heartburn symptoms and helped avoid the use of other medications. However, the study was conducted in 2011, and more recent studies have not duplicated these findings.
• Avoiding milk may increase risk of GERD: A research review conducted in 2021 showed that infrequent milk intake was associated with a higher risk for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Heartburn is the most common symptom of GERD. The same study, however, suggested that a diet high in fat and protein was associated with a higher risk for GERD.
• Including dairy in your diet does not aggravate GERD: A 2022 study evaluated the impact of consuming dairy products on symptoms of GERD in people with metabolic syndrome. Study authors concluded that consuming up to three servings per day of either low or high-fat dairy products had no impact on GERD symptoms compared to a diet that limits dairy products.

Beneficial Nutrients in Milk

There is some evidence that the nutrients in milk, particularly protein and calcium, may help to reduce heartburn symptoms or reduce the risk of getting heartburn in the first place.

• Calcium: A higher intake of calcium (>500mg/day) may be helpful in preventing non-erosive reflux disease (NERD), especially in men. Heartburn is a common symptom of NERD. Study authors suggest that the benefit may be due to the fact that calcium can help reduce stomach acidity. For this reason, calcium carbonate is often used as an antacid.
• Protein: A 2017 study suggests that increasing your protein intake and consuming an evening snack with protein has been associated with a reduced risk for GERD. Interestingly, the study also suggested that consuming some fat in the evening snack was also protective against GERD. Low-fat and full-fat milk provide both protein and fat.

In addition to calcium, protein, and fat, milk provides other nutrients that contribute to overall wellness, such as potassium, magnesium, vitamin D, and vitamin A. These nutrients are important to your health, whether you get them from milk, other dairy products, or other food groups entirely. 

Drawbacks of Milk for Heartburn

While milk is an excellent source of calcium and vitamin D, it doesn't always relieve heartburn. In fact, milk that is high in fat, like whole milk, is one of the most common triggers of heartburn. The high-fat content of dairy products stimulates acid production in the stomach which can trigger acid reflux and can worsen heartburn symptoms once they start. 

Several studies have linked high-fat diets and high-fat meals to increased stomach acid, especially in people with GERD. For this reason, many health experts advise that you cut back on your intake of fatty or fried foods if you are prone to heartburn.

Some people may choose to eliminate dairy or meat products altogether to reduce heartburn or other GERD symptoms. A 2023 study published in Nutrients found that a vegan diet was associated with a significantly lower risk of GERD. A vegan diet is one in which no animal-based products (like milk or dairy) are consumed.

Natural Remedies for Acid Reflux

Most people reach for antacids when heartburn comes on. Antacids are over-the-counter medications that help neutralize stomach acid.

But heartburn is highly preventable without the need for medication if you are willing to make a few lifestyle modifications. These include avoiding foods that trigger your heartburn, quitting smoking, not lying down after you eat, maintaining a healthy weight, and wearing loose-fitting clothing.

Milk is one of many natural remedies that people try to help treat their acid reflux, but there are others that appear to be more effective. These include the following:

• Herbs such as ginger, chamomile, aloe juice, and licorice can serve as digestive aids.
• Baking soda, which, when combined with water, can help neutralize acid in the stomach.
• Like baking soda, taking a spoonful of apple cider vinegar with some water is thought to serve as a digestive aid. 
• Chew sugar-free gum. Saliva production can provide a soothing effect and help decrease the production of acid in the stomach.
• Eat a banana (or another high-alkaline food). Bananas are high in potassium, making them a fairly alkaline food. This means it is the perfect food to counter the stomach acid that is irritating your esophagus.
• Quit smoking. Smoking reduces saliva production, thereby increasing the production of stomach acid. 
• Don’t lie down after you eat, and wear loose-fitting clothing. Anything that pushes on the belly or negates gravity from keeping your food (and stomach acid) down can cause or exacerbate your heartburn. 
  

It's important to note that herbal remedies do not undergo testing for safety and effectiveness by the federal government, are not FDA-approved, and often do not have to meet the same standards for manufacturing and packaging that prescription drugs do. You should never take an herbal remedy in place of traditional medication without first disclosing this information to your healthcare provider.

Summary

There's long been a myth that milk can soothe the throat and curb reflux symptoms. However, research findings are inconsistent when it comes to using milk to ease symptoms.

Using antacids and acid blockers, living a healthy lifestyle, and avoiding trigger foods seem to be much more effective in relieving heartburn, although more research is needed to assess the effectiveness, if any, of low-fat dairy products on heartburn. 

It's best to work with your healthcare provider to formulate lifestyle changes and a treatment plan suited to your needs.