Acid Reflux & Stomach Acid

If you suffer from acid reflux, you know the feeling. Pain, burning, and overall discomfort after you eat.

There’s a good chance you take some sort of antacid or acid blocker to help curb the symptoms and get some relief. You may have even heard that this is happening due to having too much stomach acid, which would explain why it’s coming back up and giving you that burning sensation.

Instead, research shows that stomach acid levels decrease as we get older, which contradicts the increased heartburn that we see with aging. So what’s going on?

First I want to talk about how acid reflux and indigestion happen. When we eat, we chew and swallow our food. It travels down our esophagus and passes our Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES), which is the barrier between our esophagus and stomach. The LES opens temporarily when we swallow in order to allow food to enter the stomach, and it’s also responsible for keeping the contents of our stomach (including stomach acid) in the stomach and not coming back up into the esophagus. That’s exactly what it happening when you get acid reflux or heart burn. The stomach acid comes back up and burns the esophagus, which doesn’t have the proper tissue to be protected against the strong stomach acid.

The problem here lies with the LES and it’s inability to keep the stomach acid where it is safely contained. Popular notion is that this is due to high levels of stomach acid, but what’s really happening is a failure to function properly on the past of this sphincter. While doctors still don’t fully understand why this sphincter is malfunctioning, there are clues related to our diet and the real level of our stomach acid.

In truth, a lot of the scientific literature shows that the best way to treat acid reflux and indigestion is often more stomach acid - not less.

Antacids further reduce the amount of stomach acid being produced by the stomach, a necessary function for proper digestion. Many of these symptoms may not be present until years of use have occurred.

The result of chronically low levels of stomach acid can include:

• Poor absorption of vitamins, minerals and amino acids (and the digestion of proteins)

• Allergies

• Asthma in children

• Depression

• Bacterial overgrowth in the stomach due to the inability to kill unwanted bacteria in the stomach without stomach acid

• Skin diseases such as acne, dermatitis, eczema, and hives

• Gall bladder disease

• Rheumatoid arthritis

• Accelerated aging

So before getting to the point of these more serious consequences, how can you determine if you are producing a good amount of stomach acid for proper digestion? Here’s some symptoms to consider in your regular digestion to determine if you may have low stomach acid:

• Belching or gas in the hour after a meal

• Heartburn or acid reflux

• Bloating within an hour of eating

• Stomach upset by taking vitamins

• Excessive fullness after meals

• Getting sleepy after meals

• Fingernails break and peel easily

• Stomach pains and cramps

You can help stomach stomach acid production naturally through the use of bitters to prepare your body for digestion or through the supplementation of hydrochloric acid, the primary stomach acid used for digestion. Here’s my top pick for supplementing Betaine Hydrochloric Acid & Pepsin with meals. I always recommend consulting a health professional before introducing this into your daily routine for proper guidance.

Now accepting new clients with a focus on digestion and stomach acid levels. Email me at deidre@always-growing.com to schedule a consultation.

Mr Kenny came! The boys gave him the thank you pictures they made for Miss Danielle (Mr Kenny’s daughter who gave them cupcakes last week.) Owen pointed out the tree guys (hard to miss ) and told him about his recycling lesson in school this morning. Owen asked Mr Kenny a few questions about his route and Mr Kenny