Acid Reflux Disease (GERD)

Acid reflux is caused by lactic acid, a warning sign for too low of a concentration of hydrochloric acid, causing incomplete digestion of food. Acid reflux needs to be treated by increasing hydrochloric acid, not antacids which will neutralize hydrochloric acid, making reflux worse as well as other health consequences.
See also :

• Barrett's Esophagus
• Heartburn
• Digestive Disorders
• Gastroparesis
• Hiatal Hernia (Hiatus Hernia)

Symptoms and causes

• Certain drinks can stimulate the release of more acids in the stomach. Beverages like tea, soda and coffee and other caffeinated beverages can increase your likelihood of getting heart burn and acid reflux that may result to indigestion. Drinking coffee and tea can be healthy, but try to keep it moderated and limit your intake to one to two servings in a day. But if you’re very prone to getting heartburn and GERD, it may be advisable to totally avoid these drinks.
• Stop with the antacids : Acid reflux is usually a symptom of too LITTLE stomach acid (by aging or sodium chloride deficiency) that results in poor digestion, gas, boating and elimination problems. Without enough digestive acid in the stomach, proteins and minerals are not properly broken down, pathogenic bacteria that is normally burned up by hydrochloric acid slips past the stomach and into the bowels while fungus that normally resides in the intestines overgrows the stomach, esophagus and mouth. To make matters worse, without enough stomach acid, the pancreas and gall bladder are also inhibited, bringing on a real health crisis.

Home remedies

• Coconut oil is antimicrobial. Eating it cleans the bacteria out of your esophagus. It heals the damage caused by acid reflux. It also kills the harmful bacteria in your gut that cause inflammation. This fat will also help your body produce chloride. You need this for your body to make stomach acid. Not having enough stomach acid can actually cause acid reflux. Without enough of it, you won’t be able to fight off bacteria…or properly digest the foods you eat.
• Chew a stick of gum after meals to increase saliva production, which research shows can reduce acid levels in the esophagus.
• try sucking on a lemon wedge or drinking 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar right after a meal. If the acid problem goes away, this means that you don't have enough stomach acid to do the job. If the acid problem worsens, there may be an ulcer or other inflammatory process going on that needs attention.
• Ginger is up to eight times more effective at killing bacteria that can cause acid reflux than drugs like Prevacid. Ginger doesn’t stop your body from making stomach acid. It simply helps keep it under control. And because of its antioxidant and antimicrobial properties, ginger can make the lining of your stomach stronger. As a result, you won’t feel the effects of acid reflux as much even when it acts up on you.
• Take probiotics to keep the beneficial bacteria in your intestines thriving.
• Digestive Enzymes will help proper digestion.
• Persimmon in general and persimmon drinks in particular are very effective as a heartburn home remedy. The following cinnamon, ginger, persimmon mix is surprisingly effective for many people : This is a Korean new year's recipe called Soo Jeung Kwa or Persimmon Punch : Take a bowl and mix 2 quarts of water, 4 cinnamon sticks and 1/8 Lb of thinly sliced fresh ginger. Let it simmer for 1/2 hour, strain the liquid get rid of the ginger and leave the cinnamon. Add 1 cup of sugar to the hot liquid and then 3 whole dried persimmons sliced into pieces. Let it stay overnight in the fridge and serve cold.
• Start your day with a cup of warm water and fresh lemon juice. “By drinking this on an empty stomach 15 to 20 minutes before eating anything else, the body can naturally balance out its acid levels. It’s a great digestive aid and is safe for all users,” says Rebekah Fedrowitz, an applied holistic nutritionist.
• Taking an HCL supplement like Betaine HCL with the morning and noon meals will help provide the stomach with the acids necessary to break down nutrients and also help lower the body's pH. Don't take it though if the HCL gives you heartburn.
• Try eating raw almonds, an alkaline-producing food that can balance your pH because they are a good source of calcium.
• Calcium makes the LES tighten. This helps keep stomach acid where it belongs. But we don’t recommend taking a supplement. It needs to come from whole food sources and get absorbed in the stomach to be effective. Try adding some to your diet to keep your LES working the right way. But don’t depend on milk. You can do better than that. Sardines, salmon, kale, and plain yogurt are great sources of calcium… And they aren’t as inflammatory.
• Taking to 1 teaspoon of aluminum free baking soda in the late afternoon will also stimulate the production of more hydrochloric acid.
• Table Salt : Since HCl and sodium bicarbonate are made from salt, low salt diets and processed-demineralized table salts drive the body into acidosis while starving the stomach of what it needs.
• Apples produce an alkaline, or non-acidic, environment in the stomach so that excess acids are counterbalanced and digestion can function normally.
• Manuka Honey : it'antibacterial nature appears to have effects on internal problems such as: Acid reflux, Infections in the stomach and digestive tract, Ulcers (both in the stomach and peptic), Diarrhea.
• Unrefined, organic honey is very soothing and may reduce burning pains. Honey helps adjust the body's pH, neutralizing stomach acids almost immediately. A spoonful of honey at bedtime will promote an easier, symptom-free sleep.
• Try a tablespoon of Baking Soda in a half cup water — not tasty but effective.
• Meadowsweet seems to be an effective stomachic, which is used in the treatment of gastritis, heartburn, hyperacidity, and Peptic Ulcers.
• Calendula Tea soothes inflamed tissue and reduces inflammation.
• Basil is used in Ayurvedic medicine to relieve symptoms of acid reflux. Chewing a fresh leaf or making tea from fresh basil soothes the digestive tract.
• Licorice root creates a thin film of protective mucus called mucilage that coats the lining of the esophagus and prevents damage from stomach acids.
• Indian Gooseberry heals the digestive tract and protects against stomach acids.
• Slippery Elm (like licorice) coats the lining of the digestive tract, protecting delicate tissues. Additionally, it relieves coughing and throat pain from regurgitated stomach acids.
• Marshmallow root and slippery elm ate used in treatment of acid reflux, it's thought that these herbs may also help soothe inflamed or irritated tissues in the digestive tract.
• Gentian Tea, an age-old digestive aid, prevents heartburn. Simmer one teaspoon of gentian in a cup of water for 30 minutes. Sprinkle just a pinch of ginger and cayenne in the tea. Drink one-half hour before meals.
• Melatonin : A combination of melatonin, l-tryptophan, vitamin B6, folic acid, vitamin B12, methionine (an amino acid), and a compound called betaine shows promise in the treatment of acid reflux, according to a study published in the Journal of Pineal Research in 2006. In tests on 351 people with acid reflux, researchers found that those given the combination treatment for 40 days experienced a greater improvement in acid reflux symptoms than those given the prescription drug omeprazole for the same time period.
• Lose weight. Studies show losing 10 percent of your body fat can improve acid reflux symptoms.
• Chamomile, known for its anti-inflammatory properties, is a natural remedy for digestive conditions. Drink a cup of chamomile tea up to four times a day, between meals.
• Mint or Fenugreek tea may help reduce acid reflux symptoms.
• Cinnamon helps calm and soothe the stomach.
• chewing a chunk of raw red (purple) cabbage.
• Foods with high levels of potassium may help prevent or resolve acid reflux.
• Aloe Vera juice is good for heartburn and Stomach Ulcers.
• Cayenne : half or full teaspoon of 40,000 heat unit (minimum) cayenne powder in water. Many claim it works. Master Herbalist John Christopher cured his stomach ulcer this way.
• Eat smaller portions of food
• try to eat food slower.
• zinc L-carnosine is used to cure gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), gastritis, ulcers, leaky gut, and IBS.
• Astaxanthin: One study shows that subjects who received 40 mg of this a day had significant improvements in their acid reflux symptoms after four weeks. And the healing effect was more pronounced in people with Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infections. This harmful bacterium causes ulcers and an imbalance of stomach acid. In other words, you don’t want it hanging around.
• Ellagic Acid: This polyphenol protects your stomach and esophagus from H. pylori. It also fights inflammation and protects you against ulcers. Studies show that it decreases tumor growth caused by H. pylori by up to 55 percent. Even if ulcers aren’t something you worry about, it reduces the inflammation that helps cause acid reflux symptoms. You can find it in strawberries, pomegranates, and walnuts.
• Sleep on your left side. Studies found sleeping on your stomach or right side can cause additional pressure that increases GERD symptoms. Left-side sleepers report relief.
• An acid reflux wedge pillow will relieve discomfort by elevating the upper body.
• Take 1 to 2 teaspoons daily of apple cider vinegar. It’s great mixed with honey in tea or instead of lemon in tea. “Many people mistakenly believe all acid reflux and indigestion is caused by an overproduction of acid. The latest research shows it’s actually the opposite for many people: There is too little acid produced to adequately digest the food eaten.
• Supplement with Saccharomyces Boulardii, a probiotic strain specifically for the small intestine, to help optimize absorption of key vitamins for optimal digestive health,”
• Acupuncture : Several small studies indicate that acupuncture may be beneficial for people with acid reflux. A report published in the Journal of Gastroenterology, for instance, suggests that acupuncture may help treat acid reflux by inhibiting the secretion of stomach acids and regulating muscle contractions in the digestive tract.
• Stress Management : Since stress may aggravate acid reflux, practicing stress management techniques may be beneficial to people with this condition.

Warnings

It's a proven scientific fact: Persistent acid reflux sometimes turns into cancer. If the symptoms doesn't disappear ask for an investigation from a professional stomach specialist.

References

• Di Pierro F1, Gatti M, Rapacioli G, Ivaldi L. "Outcomes in patients with nonerosive reflux disease treated with a proton pump inhibitor and alginic acid ± glycyrrhetinic acid and anthocyanosides." Clin Exp Gastroenterol. 2013;6:27-33.
• Èfendieva MT. "Efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease." Eksp Klin Gastroenterol. 2013;(5):49-52.
• Patrick L. "Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD): a review of conventional and alternative treatments." Altern Med Rev. 2011 Jun;16(2):116-33.
• Pereira Rde S. "Regression of gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms using dietary supplementation with melatonin, vitamins and aminoacids: comparison with omeprazole." J Pineal Res. 2006 Oct;41(3):195-200.
• Zhang CX1, Guto LK, Guo BR. "Clinical efficacy of electroacupuncture combined with dalitong granule for gastroesophageal reflux disease and its mechanism." Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2012 Jun;32(6):491-8.
• Zhang C1, Guo L, Guo X, Guo X, Li G. "Clinical curative effect of electroacupuncture combined with zhizhukuanzhong capsules for treating gastroesophageal reflux disease." J Tradit Chin Med. 2012 Sep;32(3):364-71.

Medical Disclaimer

This information is not meant to be substituted for medical advice. Always consult a medical professional regarding any medical problems and before undertaking any treatment or dietary changes.