Approaching Acid Reflux more Proactively
Most pharmaceutical companies have advertised Acid Reflux as being caused by too much acid in the stomach. However, in reality it is likely to occur when the stomach is not producing ENOUGH acid. The stomach needs to produce a certain amount of acid in order to help properly breakdown food. So if it cannot do so, this is where things start to go haywire. Additionally, there are other factors that could contribute to reflux, such as hiatal hernia, or an unhealthy diet.
Let’s rewind a bit, and look at the digestive process in it’s proper order first….
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The Digestive process starts before you’ve even taken a bite. While you’re cooking, starting to smell the food, your mouth begins to salivate and ultimately sends a signal to the stomach, that food is coming.
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We start at the MOUTH with our first bites, chewing to break the food down into pieces, working with our saliva to help the body absorb the food and use it.
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Food travels to the THROAT, then into the ESOPHAGUS (our swallowing tube)
So what IS acid reflux?
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Acid Reflux results from dysfunction in the lower esophageal sphincter, which ideally is suppose to close once our food has passed through it.
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So when it’s not closing, acid creeps upwards and begins to cause all the incredibly uncomfortable symptoms like heart burn, belching, etc.
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If not treated, this can lead to issues more serious than these uncomfortable symptoms.
Common Reflux Symptoms
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Heartburn
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Regurgitation (feeling of liquid or food coming back up the throat, like vomit)
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Difficulty swallowing
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Belching, feeling bloated, uncomfortably full after meals
So can’t we just take an over-the-counter prescription for relief? Well you could, but…
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The most commonly prescribed medications for acid reflux & heart burn related issues, are PPIs (proton-pump inhibitors), H2 blockers, antacids; which can help in relieving the symptoms short term.
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PROBLEM IS, these medications essentially suppress the stomach from being able to produce any stomach acid.
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Remember earlier when I mentioned that the stomach NEEDS a certain amount of acid to properly break down our foods?
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Long term use of the PPIs and H2 blockers, suppresses the stomachs ability to produce the necessary acid to break down foods = nutrient deficiencies.
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AND PPIs can increase blood levels of the hormone gastrin, which can basically take calcium from our bones = higher risk of osteoporosis.
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AND stomach acid usually helps us to kill off some bad bacterias that can enter the body. Low stomach acid levels = risk for infections.
Side Effects associated with Long-term use of Antacids (1)
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Poor digestion
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Bloating
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Diarrhea
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Constipation
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Decreased absorption nutrients (folic acid, vitamin C, beta carotene, iron, calcium magnesium and zinc)
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Increased risk of gastrointestinal infections
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Mood or mental changes
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Calcium loss
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Osteoperosis
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Kidney stones
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Weakness
Commonly Prescribed PPIs, H2 blockers, Antacids
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Omeprazole (Prilosec, Prilosec OTC, Zegerid)
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Lansoprazole (Prevacid)
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Pantoprazole (Protonix)
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Rabeprazole (Aciphex)
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Esomeprazole (Nexium)
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Dexlansoprazole (Dexilant)
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Famotidine (Pepcid as a prescription, Pepcid-AC as an OTC medication)
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Cimetidine (Tagamet and Tagamet-HB)
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Nizatidine (Axid and Axid AR)
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Ranitidine (Zantac and Zantac 75)
Bottom Line
Taking these medications may help with temporary relief, but they aren’t addressing the root cause. So they’re working as a bandaid. One that you’ll likely have to keep on forever, as your body will depend on it in order to avoid the reflux symptoms. All the while other serious side effects are surfacing, resulting in more damage throughout the body.
The Good News
Proper changes in diet, lifestyle and alternative therapies have shown to suppress symptoms of acid reflux, healing the root causes without medication and it’s side effects.
Natural ways to manage & prevent reflux symptoms
INCORPORATING
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Gut restoring foods
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Organic vegetables (especially leafy greens, cruciferous veggies, squash, artichoke, asparagus and cucumbers)
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High-fiber foods
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Probiotic-rich foods (kefir, bone broth, apple cider vinegar, coconut yogurt)
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High-quality protein (pasture-raised chicken and grass-fed beef, wild-caught salmon, sardines)
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Healthy fats (olive oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, avocados)
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Parsley
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Ginger
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Drinking as little as possible with the meals (Drink between meals instead)
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Eating more slowly
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Sleeping with head & chest elevated (add more pillows or purchase an elevated pillow)
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Sleeping on your left side (the esophagus-stomach connection is located on our right side, so we don’t want to compress by sleeping on your right side)
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Considering taking digestive enzymes
AVOID
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Alcohol
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Carbonated or sugary beverages
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Artificial sweeteners
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Vegetable oils (canola oil)
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Processed foods
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Peppermint
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Spicy foods
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Fried foods
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Large meals
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Laying down immediately after meals (leave at least a 2-3 hour window between dinner and bed time)
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*These are baseline tips for managing & preventing reflux; please note that the best approach is to investigate the root cause and make the best efforts to restore you gut health.