Does Milk Help Heartburn?

Enter the ultra-common home remedy for acid reflux: a cold glass of milk. 

Honestly, most people disagree on whether or not this remedy works or just makes heartburn symptoms worse later on. Even more frustrating is that there’s no straightforward, one-size-fits-all answer! Let’s explore the different components of your favorite dairy beverage to get to the bottom of what might make it an effective remedy一 or gas to fuel the fire.

What Is In Milk?

Raw cow’s milk is a naturally heterogeneous (separating into layers) mixture of water, fat, protein, sugar, antibodies, and vitamins and minerals. The processing that occurs before the milk makes it to your carton is a story for another time, but the basics are this: the milk is pasteurized (sterilized), and additives make it into a homogenous (no longer separating) mixture that is fridge-stable for a decent amount of time.

In order to determine whether or not a cold glass of milk may be a good acid reflux remedy, we have to take a look at each individual component:

Water: Neutral Risk

In general, water neither causes nor reduces heartburn. However, if you drink too much water in one sitting, you can cause the stomach to distend (enlarge) and loosen the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) enough to cause heartburn. Heartburn, in this case, will likely be mild since you’ve diluted the stomach contents.

Fat: High Risk

Fat tends to linger in the stomach much longer than other compounds, making it a potential heartburn trigger. If you frequently experience worse heartburn symptoms after a fatty meal (most people do), you may want to avoid this common remedy.

Protein: Low Risk

Protein in of itself is unlikely to cause heartburn. Protein-packed foods generally cause an issue only when the food is also high in fat. Proteins denature in the stomach’s acid, releasing smaller compounds called amino acids; these compounds, although they have acid in their name, don’t usually cause heartburn episodes. One study found that amino acids can influence the amount of pressure on the LES, but they did not increase heartburn symptoms.

Sugar: Low Risk

According to Healthline, “sugar alone doesn’t trigger acid reflux...” Sugar is, however, usually found alongside other trigger compounds, like caffeine, theobromine, citrus extracts, and fat. Additionally, milk has low levels of sugar, making it unlikely that this component will contribute to your symptoms.

Antibodies: Unknown

First and foremost, you will only find antibodies in unprocessed, raw cow’s milk一 which is illegal in many states. Much like human breast milk, raw cow’s milk contains antibodies that get passed onto the calf during nursing. Were these present in the milk we buy today, it is unknown what kind of effects they would have on heartburn.

Vitamins: It’s a Toss-Up

There are many different vitamins in fortified cow’s milk: vitamin D; vitamins B 2, 5 & 12; and sometimes vitamin A. Some research suggests that riboflavin (B-2) be helpful in a patient’s fight against heartburn. The bottom line is that there just isn’t enough research to suggest that any of the vitamins found in milk may stop a heartburn attack.

Minerals: Could Help Reduce Heartburn

Calcium, potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus are all found in moderate quantities in cow’s milk. Calcium, in fact, is one of the main components of antacid tablets; however, that doesn’t mean that milk will save your bacon in the middle of a heartburn attack. Antacids are composed of calcium carbonate; this compound splits up to neutralize stomach acid. Often, though, antacids backfire as the stomach over-compensates by producing more acid after it has been neutralized.

Magnesium is in the same column of the periodic table, meaning it interacts similarly with stomach acid. Much like with calcium, magnesium may temporarily relieve your symptoms, but they’ll be back. The other minerals found in milk each have their own cult followings for heartburn relief, but there’s no hard evidence that leads us to believe that they will definitely help you.

The Bottom Line

Your experience with milk and how it affects your heartburn is going to be unique. Here at Tampa Bay Reflux Center, we recommend that patients experiment with different remedies; if you want to try to quell your heartburn with a cold glass of milk, we recommend that you reach for low-fat or skim milk. And, of course, don’t hesitate to reach out to our team of professional reflux specialists for a more permanent solution to your heartburn woes!