Is Stomach Acid the Villain in Acid Reflux Disease?
Natural stomach acid is in your stomach for a reason. The actual
acid is not the cause of acid reflux disease. It is not like it
is a nasty poison that someone put in there without approval.
The acid breaks down foods and sorts them out into the right
department so to speak. Proper digestion depends on the presence
of adequate stomach acid while you are eating.
When you eat, food moves from the mouth through the esophagus
and into the stomach to be digested. At the end of the esophagus
there is a band of muscles that open and allow foods to go into
the stomach. It then closes to prevent the food and acid from
coming back up into the esophagus. Many people experience acid
reflux when foods or digestive juices escape the stomach and
come back up through the esophagus.
To make sure your stomach has enough acid at mealtimes, make
sure you chew your food thoroughly. Getting saliva mixed into
the food as you chew will get the digestion process off to a
good start.
Snacking throughout the day causes the stomach to pump out acid
gradually instead of saving it for mealtimes when it is needed
the most. It is best to not eating closer than three hours
apart. For example - if you eat breakfast at six a.m. and lunch
at twelve p.m. then a snack at nine a.m. would be fine.
Next, make sure you do not drink too much liquid while eating a
meal. Too much liquid dilutes the necessary acid in the stomach.
The best policy is to drink a glass of water 30 minutes to one
hour before or after your meal, with only a few ounces consumed
during the meal. After you've eaten one hour or two feel free to
guzzle down all the pure natural water you want.
Another cause of acid reflux comes from eating large meals. This
increases pressure on the stomach causing the stomach contents
to be forced out and up into the esophagus. You will need to
give your body at least two hours to digest your food properly.
And never ever lie down immediately after eating a large meal.
To avoid overproduction of acid eat smaller portions of food at
each meal. It would also help a lot to eliminate any fried food
or food that contains refined sugar, or caffeine.
Obesity can also increase abdominal pressure, and your risk of
suffering from acid reflux as well. If you are overweight,
cutting back on the amounts of food that you eat at each meal,
and exercising daily should put you on the right path to helping
you shed a few pounds.
Acid reflux is caused in some people when the sphincter muscle
at the end of the esophagus becomes weak or does not close
correctly. Prescription drugs, certain foods, alcohol, and
smoking have been known to weaken the sphincter muscles.
Try not to use antacids since they cut down the acids you will
need when you eat. Without enough acid, your stomach is unable
to do its job of breaking down the food into the various
nutrient components.
Inadequate digestion of proteins can cause the liver to increase
production of low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol which is
the bad cholesterol that does the most damage to your body.
Instead of taking antacids try the following natural approach.
If you still have sour stomach in between meals try eating
something that will settle it without triggering more acid
production such as sauerkraut. Your stomach should relax after
eating sauerkraut in five to ten minutes.
The benefits of natural solutions are they normally cost a lot
less, but even more important is the fact that natural solutions
are a healthier alternative. They tend to reduce the possibility
of becoming dependant on addictive chemical drugs.
There are also three herbs that are well known for soothing
stomach muscles which are chamomile, gentian, and ginger. If
your problem does not respond successfully to natural remedies
within a few days, please see your health care provider.