The Secret Solution to Gastric Reflux

$13 Billion is spent on antacids each year in the United States in hopes of alleviating your digestive symptoms such as Gastroesophegeal Reflux Disease (GERD). Long term use of antacids can actually worsen the underlining cause of the problem and create additional side effects in other systems of the body. As an initial protocol of conventional medicine it is common to treat most mild digestive complaints with an antacid. If you have stomach pain reducing acid sounds like a logical approach (assuming the acid is the culprit). If you take antacids and the stomach pain goes away then the problem is fixed, right? Not so fast.

The acid in your stomach is crucial to optimal health having many underlining purposes that your doctor did not explain to you. Simply lowering acid and decreasing stomach function may be the worst step you can take to solve the problem. Let's take a look at the purpose of stomach acid and make some logical deductions:

STERILIZATION:
The acid in your stomach keeps the digestive system sterile and free from offending organisms. When you eat a piece of fruit you aren't concerned of the hundreds or thousands of yeast spores on the fruit because the acid will kill those spores to prevent you from having a severe digestive yeast infection. Without adequate acid, your gut becomes a breeding ground for bad bugs. Your gut is warm, dark and moist which is a perfect environment for viruses, fungus and bacteria to flourish.

DIGESTION:
In order to digest the food you put in your stomach you need acid. Without adequate acid, your body will NOT secret pepsin which is a vital enzyme needed to breakdown the protein in your stomach. Instead of digesting the protein it will literally begin to decay and putrefy. This faulty protein digestion will cause lack of hormone secretion and a weakened immune system. You are left with a weak immune system prone to infections and hormone imbalances causing moodiness, anxiety, depression, fatigue and even sleeplessness. Sound like you?

ABSORPTION:
In order to absorb minerals and certain vitamins (B12) it requires adequate acid production. Essential minerals such as calcium and magnesium are poorly absorbed in a low acid environment. Without these essential minerals you may experience poor bone growth leading to osteoporosis, muscle spasms and achiness, low energy levels, fatigue, and many other health conditions. Magnesium alone is involved in over 300 different enzyme reactions in your body and its deficiency will obviously cause AT LEAST 300 different problems in your body!

Jonathan V Wright, MD, author of �Why Stomach Acid is Good For You: Natural Relief from Heartburn, Indigestion, Reflux, Gerd..� suggests a causative link between low stomach acid and depression, acne, food allergies, stomach cancer, ulcers and many more.

SIDE EFFECTS:
I am always intrigued how the side effects of a medication can be the same underlining reason for taking it. Common side effects from antacids (Proton Pump Inhibitors) is diarrhea, constipation, upset stomach, vomiting and stomach pains. Isn't that the reason most people are taking the medication! A new side effect recently discovered from the use of antacids is the increase in food allergies.

Now, I am not saying that there are never potential cases that would benefit from lowering stomach acid but in my experience it is very, very few cases that would need that course of action. Additionally, these proton pump inhibitors (antacids) are supposed to be taken for a short period of time according to the label (2-4 weeks). They were never intended to be taken indefinitely due to the numerous health problems long term use may cause.

If you have side effects from any medications make sure you report it by going to www.fda.gov/medwatch or calling 1 - 800-FDA-1088

THE REALITY:
The fact is that as we age we produce less acid which is one of the causes of faulty digestion. In addition to aging, excessive stress, poor dietary habits, chronic use of medication and dehydration are additional causes of decreased stomach acid.

Your stomach has a valve (door) at the top of the stomach and at the bottom of the stomach to contain the contents and begin the digestive process. When you have low acid in the stomach it seems to create valve issues on the upper valve of the stomach and those weak acids trickle out of the stomach and into the esophagus causing pain and irritation. Did you catch that. I said "weak" acid trickle out and cause irritation NOT "strong" acids.

When you increase the stomach acid in most cases it alleviates the problem and increases digestion. As mentioned above, the stomach acid will sterilize the gut, increase enzyme production and improve vitamin and mineral absorption.

I am aware this is the EXACT opposite management used by conventional medicine. I know it sounds a little crazy but the reality is that stomach acid decreases as you age in addition to the other factors that weaken stomach acid and in most cases we need more acid to fix the problem.

One simple test to see if you could suffer from low stomach acid, known as "hypochlorhydria", would be to take one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar with your meals and see if you feel better. There is a protocol of taking tablets of Betain HCL (acid) that was written in the Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine and I have used if for fourteen years in five different clinics around the nation with a 100% success rate.

DAMAGE:
In some cases your stomach acid may have be low for a long period of time causing infection and damage to the lining of the stomach. The stomach has a protective mucus lining that keeps the body's acid from literally hurting itself. The mucus lining is essential to normal digestion.

In some advanced cases where we supplemented with acid the patient got considerably worse. We simply figured in those cases the patient really had excess acid in their stomach. Then after years of research, we found that supplementing with deglycerrhized licorice root will repair the mucus lining allowing the patient to add the increased acid and in most cases alleviate their symptoms permanently.

I recommend that you discuss these thoughts with your physician before you chose any course of action.

The question that I have to ask you again, "Are You Really Secreting Too Much Acid?"