These 6 foods can give immediate relief from hiccups

The diaphragm is a muscle that helps in breathing, and sometimes it begins to spasm involuntarily, causing your vocal cords to snap shut as you inhale. The resulting sound is what we all know as hiccups. It can be caused by a number of reasons like eating too much, eating too quickly, eating spicy food, drinking alcohol or carbonated drinks, being exposed to changes in temperature such as having hot tea after a cold drink, and if you’re superstitious, it can be caused if someone misses you. Today we will take a look at some foods that will give instant relief from hiccups.

The vagus is a nerve that controls the parasympathetic nervous system and one of its functions is to control actions in the digestive tract. Honey soothes the vagus nerve, breaking the continuity of the hiccup reflex, thus making them stop.

Vinegar contains sour compounds that relieve hiccups by resetting the involuntary movement of the diaphragm. Moreover, the strong and sour taste of vinegar will keep you distracted while the muscles involved are given room to reset.

Sugar is a popular choice to cure hiccups because its graininess irritates the oesophagus, stimulating the vagus nerve and causing an interference in the involuntary reflex. This resets the nerves and lo and behold, your hiccups would have vanished.

Peanut butter is digested slowly by the body, and the slow process of digestion changes your breathing and swallowing pattern. This causes the vagus nerve to react differently to adapt to the new patterns, eliminating hiccups.

The high acidic content found in lemon disrupts the oesophagus and distracts the vagus nerve, resetting the contractions. Suck on a lemon wedge for a few seconds and watch your hiccups disappear.

The rich taste of chocolate powder overwhelms the vagus nerve, and it informs the brain to stop the involuntary movement so that it can properly focus on the feel good sensation. Thus, you are instantly relieved of hiccups.