If you or anyone you know suffers from acid reflux keep reading! Acid reflux actually happens because there is a deficiency in stomach acid. Yep that's correct... there is NOT enough stomach acid! It may sound confusing but when there is not enough stomach acid your body can't break down food properly (resulting in indigestion) causing gas and bloating. When the food isn't broken down properly it causes the regurgitation up (into the esophagus) causing what we call 'acid reflux.' When people have symptoms they typically take something which actually neutralizes the acid (which is already low)... this causes an even lower amount of stomach acid and only puts a band aid on the acid reflux and does not fix the problem.
Stomach acid is there to help you digest food and kill off invaders such as bacterias and viruses. If you or someone you know gets sick constantly I would confidently bet they have low stomach acid because their body's first line of defense (stomach acid) is lacking. Obviously there are many many other reasons people get sick but that is one of the best and first places to start.
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?
There are a couple things... first people who do have ulcers from long term acid reflux have to treat this slowly. You don't want to introduce more stomach acid when there is an ulcer... ouch! To test for this you can take 2 TBS of Apple Cider Vinegar with a little bit of water and see if this burns in your stomach area. If it does then you likely have a ulcer of some sort. If you do there is no need to worry because we have 2 products at the office by Standard Process that help to heal the ulcers and coat the stomach to help prevent reflux. They are called Gastrex and Okra-Pepsin. These are not the fix to acid reflux but are a natural 'Tums' that does not deplete stomach acid like antacids do.
If you do the Apple Cider Vinegar test and it goes okay the 2 best supplements I use are PDA (not public display of affection...) by Nature Sunshine and Zypan from Standard Process. These include stomach acid in them to help you break down food and actually fix the real root cause of reflux... low stomach acid. If you have questions or concerns contact the office. I actually test for this on new patient visits so let me know if you want me to check it again! (For existing patients- Food Enzymes has a little stomach acid in it as well as other great things!)
A side note... Apple Cider Vinegar is great for digestion and I encourage people to take it with meals as often as possible. I take it whenever I am home and fill up a shot glass half with Apple Cider Vinegar and half with water. (You may want to take it with a little more water to make the taste more mild.) Also for those who are on the Candida Clear diet/Phase 1 it says no vinegars... however Apple Cider Vinegar is an exception to the rule. It actually helps to combat candida and is one of the very few vinegars that can be used. It has enzymes that help tremendously with digestion and also helps to create an environment for healthy bacteria to live in your digestive tract which in turn keeps candida in check.
FUN FACT: Anyone with gray hair is deficient in stomach acid
Please feel free to email me at DrCarolynMaxfield@gmail.com if you have any questions!
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