Gaining weight appears to increase the risk for gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD. Researchers following more than 10,000 women in the Nurses’ Health Study compared changes in body mass index to discover that those with BMIs above 30 had three times the risk for GERD. “I’ve seen many instances where weight gain was associated with new reflux symptoms [in women] and weight loss was associated with improvement among both men and women,” says Brian C. Jacobson, MD, MPH, assistant professor of medicine at Boston University.

To relieve GERD, lose weight, exercise regularly, and eat a diet low in alcohol, caffeine, and acidic foods. Chamomile tea between meals can soothe inflamed esophageal membranes, while yarrow eases indigestion and reduces smooth muscle spasms.