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Medically reviewed by Karl Hammerschmidt, M.D.
Sodium alginate has been generating growing interest among people searching for non-drug reflux options. Many discussions online reference a “raft barrier,” a physical gel layer that forms when alginate interacts with stomach acid. The concept is simple: create a buoyant foam that sits on top of stomach contents and helps keep them from rising upward.
Because the mechanism is mechanical rather than pharmacological, I expected sodium alginate supplements sold in the U.S. to be fairly standardized. That assumption was wrong. After reviewing formulas, labels, and ingredient lists side-by-side, the differences turned out to be substantial.
This review summarizes what I found, especially regarding alginate strength, supporting salts, additives, and cost so consumers can better understand which products align with the evidence available.
1. Why Sodium Alginate Amount Matters
The research behind raft-forming alginate therapy (most notably European studies using Gaviscon Advance) indicates that an effective serving generally delivers around 1,000 mg of sodium alginate. That appears to be the level where raft formation becomes strong and consistent.
Using that benchmark, I compared the top sodium alginate-based reflux products sold in the U.S.
Refluxter (Nutritist)
- Uses a 1.47 g alginate complex, with sodium alginate listed first.
- I emailed Nutritist customer service asking for the exact amount of sodium alginate in a serving of 2 capsules of Refluxter and I was told it was 1,123 mg. This places Refluxter firmly inside the clinically effective range.
Reflux Gourmet
- Contains a 425 mg complex, but sodium alginate is not the primary ingredient.
- More than half of the blend appears to be a B5 derivative, leaving limited space for sodium alginate.
- I emailed Reflux Gourmet customer support but was not given an answer to the exact amount of sodium alginate in a serving. Estimated sodium alginate: between 75-150 mg per serving.
RefluxRaft
- Offers a 245 mg complex, with calcium carbonate listed first.
- Because the entire complex is small and carbonate occupies most of that space, the amount of sodium alginate becomes very minimal. I estimate it is between 25-50 mg per serving.
- I emailed RefluxRaft but was not given an answer to the exact amount of sodium alginate in a serving.
Khelp (Hartspan)
- Ingredient profile looks closer to strong-formula designs, with a listed 950 mg of sodium alginate per serving, placing it in the clinically effective range.
- However, the price is nearly double ($54 vs $30) the cost of Refluxter, making it difficult to justify despite a promising formula.
Summary:
Only Refluxter and Khelp appear to approach research-aligned alginate amounts. Refluxter has the most sodium alginate per serving in the US, followed by Khelp. The others fall well below the levels typically associated with successful raft formation.
2. The Role of Carbonates and Bicarbonates
Raft-forming alginate products often include salts such as sodium bicarbonate or calcium carbonate, which interact with stomach acid to increase the raft’s lift and structural integrity.
Here’s how the major U.S. options use supporting salts:
- Refluxter: Includes both bicarbonate and carbonate within the blend.
- Reflux Gourmet: Contains sodium bicarbonate but omits calcium carbonate.
- RefluxRaft: Includes both bicarbonate and carbonate within the complex, but the total complex size is so small that these salts appear in very quantities. We can estimate that calcium carbonate, since it is the first ingredient listed in the complex, must be at least 122.5 mg.
- Khelp: Uses a similar combination to Refluxter but at a much higher price point.
While salts aren’t mandatory, research suggests they enhance the expansion and buoyancy of the alginate layer.
3. Additives & Sweeteners (Important for Sensitive Stomachs)
People with reflux often react poorly to sugars, flavoring agents, or preservatives. For that reason, I paid close attention to non-active ingredients.
- Refluxter: Clean capsule format; no sweeteners or preservatives.
- Reflux Gourmet: Includes dextrose and polylysine (a preservative).
- RefluxRaft: Uses glycerine as a stabilizer.
- Khelp: Fairly clean formula, but again, the price category places it in a different tier.
Capsules tend to create fewer flavor-trigger issues compared to liquid products, especially those containing mint or citrus.
4. Flavoring: A Hidden Trigger
Liquid alginate products often add flavors to improve taste, but mint, citrus, and chocolate can be problematic for many reflux-prone individuals.
- Refluxter: Capsule; no flavorings.
- Reflux Gourmet: Mint-chocolate. Mint is known to relax the LES in some individuals.
- RefluxRaft: Lemon-ginger. Citrus can aggravate reflux.
- Khelp: Capsule; avoids flavor issues but is significantly more expensive.
For daily use, unflavored capsules were the more predictable option.
5. Cost Comparison: Price Per Effective Serving
Sodium alginate is most effective when taken consistently after meals, meaning long-term cost matters more than the sticker price. Also, people suffering from silent reflux aka LPR need to take it after every meal, and many people take these alginate products at night to prevent night time reflux. So, it can get to be an expensive proposition for some people.
Refluxter: $30 for 60 capsules; highest alginate content per serving in the US at 1,123 mg. Refluxter cost per mg = $0.0267 per mg of sodium alginate.
Reflux Gourmet: Similar price, but significantly lower alginate content. The product contains a 425 mg complex, but sodium alginate is not the first ingredient. Realistic scientific estimates place alginate content below 200 mg. We estimate it is between 75–150 mg per serving.
We’ll calculate both ends:
Low-end estimate: 75 mg alginate
$28/75 mg = $0.373 per mg
High-end estimate: 150 mg alginate
$28/150 mg = $0.187 per mg
Reflux Gourmet estimated cost per mg = $0.187–$0.373 per mg. This is 7x to 14x more expensive per mg than Refluxter.
RefluxRaft: Total complex is only 245 mg, with calcium carbonate listed first. This means alginate content is extremely low, often estimated between 25–50 mg per serving. We will calculate both estimated ends of the spectrum.
Low-end estimate: 25 mg alginate
$32.99/25 mg = $1.3196 per mg
High-end estimate: 50 mg alginate
$32.99/50 mg = $0.6598 per mg
RefluxRaft estimated cost per mg = $0.66–$1.32 per mg. This is the most expensive per mg of all products, up to 49x the cost of Refluxter!
Khelp: $54 for 60 capsules. 950 mg of alginate per serving. Khelp cost per mg = $0.0568 per mg of sodium alginate. This is more than double Refluxter’s cost-per-mg despite delivering a slightly less amount of alginate per dose.
Verdict:
Refluxter delivered the highest alginate density with the best price-to-performance ratio, and it was not even close.
6. Which Product Most Closely Matches Clinical Patterns?
After comparing doses, supporting ingredients, formulations, and cost, one product aligned most closely with what the research shows:
Refluxter
- Falls within the research-supported alginate range.
- Includes carbonate and bicarbonate salts.
- Avoids sugars, flavors, and preservatives.
- Reasonably priced for consistent use.
Khelp shared some favorable attributes, but lost practicality due to its much higher cost. The other brands used very low alginate amounts and also relied on flavoring and sweeteners that many reflux-prone individuals try to avoid.
Final Verdict: The Most Evidence-Aligned Sodium Alginate Supplement
After weeks of comparing formulas, ingredients, and product design strategies, to finally compare these US products in a rigorous manner that had not been done before, this was the clearest conclusion:
Refluxter currently stands out as the most complete and clinically aligned sodium alginate supplement available in the U.S.
Refluxter’s alginate content, supporting salts, clean capsule format, and overall value placed it closest to the formulations used in clinical studies. While other products may work for some individuals, Refluxter was the only option that matched nearly every criterion I examined, including cost effectiveness. If a product is too expensive, people will not consistently use it over a long time period.
For individuals trying to identify the best sodium alginate supplement for acid reflux issues such as heartburn, GERD, and LPR silent reflux the data consistently pointed me toward Refluxter.
Karl Hammerschmidt, M.D. is an ENT (Ear Nose Throat) physician who enjoys examining the clinical research behind current therapies in the acid reflux space.
