Natural Alternatives for Acid Reflux
Propping yourself up on pillows every night so you can keep your dinner down and sleep is not a fun way to live. If this sounds familiar, you are not alone. There are millions of Americans that experience acid reflux, costing us a fortune in health care dollars, not to mention a major reduction in quality of life. Changes in lifestyle and eating habits, as well as taking supplements, can help keep digestive juices in your stomach and out of your throat. Let’s take a look at what causes reflux and some healthy, healing habits that can help you to live with (or without) acid reflux.
Acid reflux, also known as GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease), occurs when the muscle that connects the esophagus to the upper portion of the stomach does not close properly. This muscle acts as a gate, opening and closing at just the right moments. When it malfunctions, stomach contents can leak back, or reflux, into the esophagus. Hydrochloric acid (HCl), enters the esophagus and damages its delicate lining causing much discomfort.
Causes of Acid Reflux
Poor lifestyle and nutritional habits are a major cause of acid reflux. Overeating and not chewing our food properly stresses our digestive track by distending our stomach and forcing food back up the esophagus. Sugary, fatty, fried, and spicy foods, as well as caffeinated, carbonated, and alcoholic beverages, all make reflux worse. Other foods to avoid when trying to control reflux are chocolate, peppermint, tomato-based foods, citrus, raw onions, garlic, and vinegar. In addition, taking anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin or ibuprofen, as well as other medications that relax the muscles or irritate the gut, contribute to reflux.
Reflux is more often caused by a deficiency or lack of HCl than by too much of it. Virtually all drugs that treat acid reflux neutralize or suppress HCl. This is cause for concern in more ways than one. HCL is one of our greatest natural antibiotics. It not only digests and allows us to properly metabolize our food; its acidic nature acts to protect us from bacteria and viruses that enter our bodies through food, making it a major player for our immune system.
Pharmaceutical and OTC drugs
For those with reflux, pharmaceuticals and OTC drugs are both a blessing and a concern. They can often bring rapid recovery to uncomfortable symptoms, but act only as a band-aid, ultimately making symptoms worse. When you take antacids like Prilosec, Zantac, or Tums, your body thinks it is lacking acid, and then produces large amounts of a hormone called gastrin, which stimulates stomach acid. When you try to stop taking antacids, your stomach continues to make large amounts of acid. Many people become addicted to these drugs that were originally intended to only be taken short term.
Supportive Natural Alternatives
Several lifestyle practices can put your reflux at ease and help you feel more comfortable. Eat smaller meals several times throughout the day, and avoid lying down for 3-4 hours after eating to prevent gravity from forcing food back up. Drink as little as possible during a meal, no more than half of a cup at room temperature; liquids dilute digestive juices.
Eat whole foods. An alkalizing diet of vegetables and fruits keeps our pH in check, preventing us from becoming overly acidic. Licensed nutritionist Darlene Kvist, founder of Nutritional Weight and Wellness in St Paul, says that many people are sensitive to grain type carbohydrates, and that eating them can make reflux worse. She recommends eating lots of vegetables and adding bifido bacteria, good intestinal flora for the digestive tract, to your regime. “Try choosing vegetables for your carbohydrate source in place of grains for three weeks and see if it makes a difference. Also, many people lack good bacteria, making them more susceptible to reflux. Taking bifido bacteria helps the body get rid of reflux by supporting digestion on many levels,” claims Darlene. Eat food rich in probiotics, such as yogurt, kefir, miso, natto, and raw sauerkraut.
For low levels of stomach acid, take one or two capsules of betaine HCl before meals. If you feel a burning sensation, you are probably not deficient in acid, and should discontinue taking HCl.
Take a probiotic, such as acidophilus or bifidus, a half an hour before meals to support digestion. In addition, supplement with one or two enzyme capsules, containing protease, amylase, and lipase, before and after meals.
L-glutamine is an amino acid that plays a very important role in eliminating excess acid from the body. It also helps the body heal and regenerate cells in gastrointestinal tract. Recommended dosages are 5,000 to 10,000 mg of L-glutamine on an empty stomach.
If your gut is irritated, try chewing deglycyrrhizinated licorce (DGL), or drinking about 5 ounces of aloe vera juice diluted with water between meals. To reduce inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract, take essential fatty acids like Omega-3.
Natural alternatives can help reduce your need for medications and control the discomfort of acid reflux. Making changes in diet and eating routines, along with the support of supplements, can make a big difference in how you feel.
Resources:
Gut Solutions, by Brenda Watson and Leonard Smith, Renew Life Press, 2003.
“The Importance of Nutrition in Fatigue and Pain: Part 4-Enzymes and how to get off Prescription Antacids Naturally”, Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, by Jacob Teitelbaum, M.D., June, 2003.
Darlene Kvist, M.S., C.N.S., L.N., founder of Nutritional Weight and Wellness
708 South Cleveland Ave
St Paul, MN, 55116
www.weightandwellness.com
651-699-3438
