An interventional study of Vinegar and vinegar pill in Heartburn, sponsored by Arizona State University. Recruiting at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-11-10.
Sponsored by Arizona State University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Prevention
In this study, a popular home remedy, vinegar, will be tested for its efficacy to relieve the discomfort of heartburn possibly by inducing the esophageal clearing mechanisms. We plan to recruit 22 individuals who report regular heartburn, but not diagnosed with erosive reflux disease, for this randomized crossover trial. Enrolled participants will identify foods that consistently cause their heartburn, and two of these foods will be prepared and consumed during their visits. Participants will arrive at the testing center on two occasions following a 4-h fast (no food or beverage except water) and consume the targeted foods in a 10-minute period. On one visit liquid vinegar will be ingested with the meal, and on the other visit (order of visits will be randomly determined) a vinegar tablet (control) will be ingested with the meal. Starting prior to food ingestion and for 2 hours post meal, symptoms will be assessed at 10-to-15-minute intervals by the participant using a validated heartburn severity scale.
Currently a great deal of research is focused on relationships between GERD, esophageal pH, esophageal clearing-content mechanisms, and the functioning of the esophageal sphincter (LES). Transient LES relaxation may also contribute to GERD. In the esophagus, both chemical and physical reactions are used to clear content from the stomach due to reflux. Saliva flow is increased when the body senses acid because saliva acts as a buffer, which neutralizes the acid through chemical reactions. The physical process of clearing acidic content occurs via esophageal emptying by peristalsis. Several studies show that, in the esophageal mucosa, there are acid sensitive receptors that sense the change in intraluminal pH and induce esophageal peristaltic contractions that are independent of swallowing. The movement of this acid-induced contraction is long in duration, high in amplitude, and low in propagation velocity. As the first randomized controlled trial examining the effect of vinegar ingestion on heartburn, this study will examine symptoms of heartburn only and not focus on mechanisms.
154 studies on the registry are indexed under Heartburn; 12 are open to participants now.
This study's planned enrollment of 22 is below the median of 100 across 127 interventional studies indexed under Heartburn.
Browse Heartburn studies →Arizona State University is the lead sponsor of 238 studies on the registry; 42 are open to participants now.
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Exclusion Criteria:
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Dietary Supplement: Vinegar
Vinegar tablet
Dietary Supplement: vinegar pill
2 Tablespoons
Tablet
heartburn symptoms
validated Likert scale questionnaires
Time frame: measured premeal and at 15 to 30 minute intervals during the 2-h postprandial period
Start is estimated for Nov 2026; primary completion for May 2027, 5 months later.
Of 26 interventional studies with no phase under Heartburn, half reached primary completion within 15 months of starting (the median), counting those still running; a quarter within 10 and three quarters within 35. This study's planned 5 months is below that.
How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.
From the registry record's own update history. This site started tracking changes on Sep 25, 2026; for anything earlier, see the record history on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
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