Did you know the antacid industry is a 10-billion-dollar industry?
GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), or heartburn/acid reflux is very common in North America. If you suffer from it, you will experience:
heartburn
indigestion
abdominal or chest pain
a sensation of a lump in your throat
burping or regurgitation
GERD can be worse at night or when lying down, it can disrupt your sleep, lead to lethargy, diarrhea, constipation and can lead to COPD (from burping up and breathing in stomach acid). It can also lead to esophageal cancer.
What Causes GERD?
GERD is due to HYPOCHLORHYDRIA–which is LOW STOMACH ACID.
And what are the causes of low stomach acid?
Regular use of antacids or NSAIDs
Antibiotics
Drug or alcohol use
Poorly chewed food
Overeating
Eating a large amount of red meat or dairy which requires a lot of HCL to break it down
Too little fibre
Malnutrition from eating too many refined foods (sugar!)
Dehydration–a big one since HCL is predominately water
Stress (always being in fight or flight)
Age
Poor adrenal function
As opposed to taking an antacid which ultimately will reduce even further the amount of acid in your stomach-it is important to address why you are having heartburn or acid reflux in the first place.
First Things First!
Stop taking antacids!
Eat smaller amounts of food
Drink lots of water but drink it away from meals as drinking water with meals can reduce HCL
Eat real food
Avoidprocessed foods and try to avoid foods that aggravate
Increase physical activity
Increase the amount of fibre in your diet
Eat probiotic rich foods
You can naturally increase your stomach acid by drinking organic, raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar. My fave brand is Braggs and you can pretty much find this anywhere.
Pour a tbsp.in an 8-ounce glass of water and drink it throughout the day. If you are having a bad bout of heartburn that requires an immediate solution–drink a tbsp and chase it with water. The initial reaction will be harsh–but within a few seconds you should have relief!
Why Is low Hydrochloric Acid (HCL) Such An Issue?
Low HCL leads to the poor activation of enzymes, low B12 production, poorly broken-down food, and low pancreatic function and bile release. It leads to leaky gut and gut dysbiosis from the lack of helpful bacteria in the gut and the overgrowth of yeast.
People with low HCL crave sugar and simple carbs to fulfill their energy cravings as they are literally starving due to their gut dysbiosis. They may start to see signs of hypoglycemia, nutrient, mineral and amino acid deficiencies, poor skin, hair and nail issues (ridges on their fingernails), allergies forming and various autoimmune disorders.
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Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is considered a chronic inflammatory condition that affects hormone levels. The ovaries are responsible for producing androgen hormones, and when androgens are produced at optimal levels, follicles remain healthy leading to a normal ovulatory process.
GERD is very common in North America and there are many ways to both treat and heal naturally from it. First things first - stop taking antacids! Did you know that the main cause of GERD is not enough acid in the stomach? The last thing you need is to further reduce this with an antacid. Let's first address why you are having heartburn or acid reflux in the first place and go from there!
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