Heartburn can strike after a heavy meal, a spicy takeaway, or late-night snacking. One of the most common home remedies people reach for is a glass of milk. But will milk help heartburn, or could it actually make it worse?
Let us break down what the research shows.
Milk may temporarily soothe heartburn symptoms, but it is not a reliable long-term fix. In some cases, particularly with higher-fat milk, it may even worsen reflux symptoms.
The reason comes down to how fat affects the digestive system and the lower oesophageal sphincter, the valve that keeps stomach contents where they belong.
Many people report that milk provides immediate relief. That initial comfort likely happens because milk can:
However, short-term comfort does not necessarily mean reflux has been reduced. Symptoms can return once digestion continues.
Milk is not all the same. Whole milk contains significantly more fat than semi-skimmed or skimmed varieties and fat matters when it comes to reflux.
Controlled dietary studies comparing higher-fat and lower-fat diets have found that participants reported more frequent reflux symptoms when consuming higher-fat diets, even when calorie intake was controlled.
Interestingly, in some of these studies, measured acid exposure in the oesophagus did not always increase alongside symptoms. This suggests that fat may influence how reflux is perceived or triggered, even if acid levels themselves do not dramatically change.
Other controlled trials have shown that a single high-fat meal did not significantly increase acid exposure or reflux episodes over the following few hours.
This tells us two important things:
While direct head-to-head heartburn trials comparing whole and skimmed milk are limited, research on dietary fat and reflux suggests:
If you want to try milk for heartburn, skimmed or low-fat milk would likely be the safer option.
Large population studies investigating diet and gastro-oesophageal reflux disease have not consistently identified milk as a major risk factor for developing the condition.
Milk does not appear to cause GERD in otherwise healthy people. However, it should not be considered a treatment either.
Milk can backfire for some people because:
For people sensitive to fatty foods, whole milk may trigger symptoms rather than relieve them.
If you are occasionally experiencing mild heartburn:
If you find that milk consistently worsens your symptoms, it is likely a personal trigger.
Occasional heartburn is common. Speak to a healthcare professional if you experience:
Frequent heartburn may indicate gastro-oesophageal reflux disease, which requires appropriate management.
Milk may offer short-lived relief, but it is not a proven heartburn treatment. For some people, especially when consuming whole milk, it may actually worsen symptoms due to fat content.
If you do try milk, choose a lower-fat option and monitor how your body responds. When it comes to heartburn, personal triggers matter just as much as general advice.
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