Today we\u2019re continuing the \u2018burning discussion\u2019 on acid reflux.\u00a0 Called by many names, acid reflux is one relatively new condition which is on the rise mostly due to our culture\u2019s lifestyle habits, particularly overeating and increasing weight gain.\u00a0 The excess belly fat creates both structural ‘blockage’ of acid flow and fuels inflammation lending to more digestive drama.<\/p>\n
This is Part II of the Acid Reflux topic, so if you haven\u2019t read \u2018Fire In The Hole\u2019, I encourage you to begin there as this discussion builds from that post, mostly that acid reflux is not a condition of TOO MUCH stomach acid, but rather a situation of TOO LITTLE stomach acid.<\/p>\n
In fact, once you understand the physiology of how and why, you\u2019ll likely recognize the long-term implications of treating this issue of TOO LITTLE stomach acid with conventional means, namely Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs) might not be the best choice for most of us.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s jump in and talk about how it could be that too little acid could result in acid reflux?\u00a0 The answer is fairly simple.\u00a0 Our stomach is designed to work optimally at a pH of 1-3.\u00a0 When the food enters the stomach, it causes the pH to rise (become less acidic).\u00a0 This rising pH causes the stomach to release more hydrochloric acid.\u00a0 As the stomach becomes acidic again, the valve at the opening of the stomach (the esophageal sphincter) will close to prevent the acid from escaping back up.\u00a0 It is this action of the esophageal sphincter, in response to rising acid levels that prevents acid reflux.\u00a0 Now let\u2019s look at another scenario.\u00a0 If the stomach does not produce enough acid in response to food intake, the esophageal sphincter will remain open.\u00a0 An open esophageal sphincter allows what little acid that exists in the stomach to rise up into the esophagus, thus causing the burning sensation associated with heartburn.\u00a0 So, you can see that there exists a possibility that your acid reflux medication could be worsening your issues or explains why they might not be working for you.\u00a0 That’s the beauty of science in action.\u00a0 That’s a Functional Medicine approach to acid reflux.<\/p>\n
Now that we\u2019ve covered another cause of acid reflux, it\u2019s time to test out the theory.\u00a0 There is a simple litmus test of whether a person could be experiencing hypochlorhydria (low stomach acid) as the cause of their acid reflux.\u00a0 I recommend they perform a trial of taking 2-3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar right before their meals.\u00a0 Yes!\u00a0 That\u2019s right!\u00a0 We add a mild acid to the stomach (the vinegar) with a meal.\u00a0 If this works to reduce\/eliminate acid reflux, and it does so about 85% of the time, we initiate a therapeutic path to retrain the stomach to produce its own hydrochloric acid.\u00a0 I just want to be clear, the apple cider vinegar is just a test to determine if the issue is low stomach acid (hypochlorhydria).\u00a0 If it helps improve symptoms, it is an indication that we likely have identified the real root cause of the acid reflux problem.\u00a0 Apple cider vinegar is a not a long-term remedy, but an old-fashioned, natural ‘lab test’ of sorts.\u00a0 Some of my patients do use it to help with those occasional bouts of heartburn.<\/p>\n
Caution:\u00a0 There are situations where it is not appropriate to test with apple cider vinegar.\u00a0 Anyone with the following diagnoses should not attempt the vinegar test: hiatal hernia, erosive esophagitis, peptic ulcers, or Barrett\u2019s esophagitis.\u00a0 These conditions could be worsening by adding an acid to the mix.<\/p>\n
It would be an incomplete discussion if I didn\u2019t address another common cause of acid reflux and related symptoms\u2026Food sensitivities.\u00a0 You might be wondering, “Haven’t I heard this tune before?”\u00a0 Yes, I talk about food allergy\/sensitivity often, but that’s because we eat very often.\u00a0 And if we continue to eat foods that irritate our immune system, our body is going to let us know about it.\u00a0 Sometimes it\u2019s through chronic sinus congestion, eczema, headaches or even acid reflux.\u00a0 I discuss how to determine possible food allergies\/sensitivities in several online lectures at LivingWellnessUniversity.com.<\/p>\n
So, if you\u2019re one of the 22 million people suffering with acid reflux, I recommend you seek out the root causes of your symptoms and work to improve them through lifestyle modification and a thoughtful (and sometimes supervised) application of common sense and science!<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re interested in learning more about this topic, visit our Education Beyond Medication online medical community, LivingWellnessUniversity.com to watch the following Dr. Saxena Speaks!<\/strong><\/em> educational videos which also relate to this topic:<\/p>\n Today we\u2019re continuing the \u2018burning discussion\u2019 on acid reflux.\u00a0 Called by many names, acid reflux is one relatively new condition which is on the rise mostly due to our culture\u2019s lifestyle habits, particularly overeating and increasing weight gain.\u00a0 The excess belly fat creates both structural ‘blockage’ of acid flow and fuels inflammation lending to more…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":220,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,2,5],"tags":[62,52,68,41,67,46,51,61,17,16,42,15,36],"class_list":["post-141","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-everyday-health-tips","category-global-health-wisdom","category-medical-tips","tag-acid-reflux","tag-allergies","tag-apple-cider-vinegar","tag-constipation","tag-dyspepsia","tag-food-allergies","tag-food-allergy","tag-gerd","tag-healthy-living","tag-integrative-medicine","tag-irritable-bowel-syndrome","tag-lifestyle","tag-therapeutic-lifestyle-change"],"yoast_head":"\n\n