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Gastrointestinal (GI)Harmony + Health

The Truth About Acid Reflux

By May 24, 2016November 28th, 2018No Comments

I’ve been thinking a lot about stomach acid lately. Kind of weird I know but the misconceptions about stomach acid are some of the strange health things that would keep me up at night if I let them. Stomach acid gets a bad wrap because people really only think about it when it’s in the wrong place. Notice how I phrased that? When it’s in the wrong place! That is because EVERYTHING YOU THOUGHT YOU KNEW ABOUT THE CAUSE OF ACID REFLUX IS INACURATE!

Acid reflux is not a problem of excess acid in the stomach.

Let me repeat that.

Acid reflux is not a problem of excess acid in the stomach.

The problem arises because stomach acid is in the wrong place, such as in your esophagus rather than in the stomach where it is supposed to be,

Ok, now that you’ve had some time to absorb (lol, get it?) that fact, let’s talk about why you need stomach acid and what to do if its not in the right place.

Stomach acid is absolutely essential for the digestion and absorption of nutrients. As if providing your body with essential nutrients wasn’t enough, the acid in your stomach helps to kill off any bacteria that would potentially cause harm in your GI tract. H. Pylori (the cause of stomach ulcers) is a nasty stomach infection that can often be hard to get rid of and can contribute directly to stomach cancer.

Using acid reducing medications (Nexium, Prilosec, Prevacid, Protonix, etc.) for long periods of time can wreak havoc on your health long term and they don’t actually solve the problem!! There are many at-home remedies for acid reflux that you can try which, along with acupuncture and herbs will not only alleviate your symptoms but improve your digestive function for good!

The first thing you can try is simply to take a tablespoon of Organic Apple Cider Vinegar in room temperate water first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. That’s it. Super simple right? Give it a week or so to do it’s thing and see if your symptoms improve. Next thing you can do is separate solid foods and liquids during meals which, when ingested together, can dilute your stomach acid. Lastly, a broad spectrum digestive enzyme can work wonders for acid reflux. We would be happy to make a recommendation of some good brands of digestive enzymes if you need.

If you or someone you know is experiencing acid reflux or has been diagnosed with GERD we would love to speak with them about the potential causes of their condition and how we can help!

Ann&Emily

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