Its really strange but true - you don't have indigestion or acid reflux because you have too much acid in your stomach! One very common reason is usually due to a hiatal hernia which is when the acid comes out of your stomach where it belongs, and doesn't stay confined in there where it belongs. The other reason is that hydrochloric acid which is a necessary part of your stomach's digestive process, is actually reduced NOT PRODUCING ENOUGH OF IT! So what causes these scenarios as described here? You must restore your natural gastric balance and functioning. Your proper gut flora will increase your absorption of food nutrients that you consume by as much as 50% when its working correctly. So make sure you are consuming enough good bacteria thereby aiding in proper digestion and assimilation of the food. Eating fermented foods such as: Natto; Kefir (a fermented milk) or yogurt made from RAW milk are great ways to get better good bacteria - but really, how many people in the U.S. actually eat or drink those foods or actually want to? Not to say that wouldn't be wonderful, but realistically its not practical, so lets talk about what is practical...
Do you like cabbage or sauerkraut? If so, those are great choices for increasing healthy stomach acid production, thereby increasing digestion ability;
Astaxanthin - Take this powerful antioxidant which was also found to reduce symptoms of acid reflux in patients when compared to a placebo, by taking it as a pill form as a daily dose of 40 mg. Astaxanthin has so many purposes it helps the body with too, which you can research and see for yourself;
Vitamin B6, Vitamin B12, Glutathione and Betaine HCL are also great supplements to add in. These were all found to be superior to the drugs like those types in Nexium when used in treatment of GERD; Take 100 mg. daily of Vitamin B6, drops form of Vitamin B12 under the tongue rather than pill; and Glutathione caps can be purchased through me made by Max International, Betaine HCL is found in the health food stores following bottle directions;
Ginger has been found to have a protective effect by blocking acid especially the kind where imbalance causes ulcers. Natural ginger root is the best choice.
ACID REFLUX DRUGS that are very effective in BLOCKING your stomach's own ability to produce stomach acid are actually quite harmful when used long term like Prilosec, Nexium or Prevacid. They should only be used in limited quantity if you have a bleeding ulcer or severe stomach acid where an endoscopy has confirmed actual damage to the esophagus already.
So, in conclusion, if you hare having symptoms of GERD or acid indigestion, I would recommend you also do the following:
Eliminate certain food triggers - Completely eliminate caffeine of any kind except green tea; eliminate alcohol and nicotene;Increase your stomach acid production of the right kind by also changing your salt type that you put in your food by using Himalayan Salt (Trader Joes has it) which will provide you with the chloride your body needs to make this correct acid amount and also contains 80 trace minerals that your body needs for biochemical optimal balancing;
Eat as many unprocessed foods as possible that would be comprised of fresh veggies (organic) to increase fiber;
Vitamin D (2000 I.U. daily) helps production of antimicrobial peptides to help eradicate any infections you could have in the intestines;
Consume a twice daily (if you have severe symptoms or regular symptoms) probiotic supplement, preferably the type that must be refrigerated to ensure adequate purity and strength in numbers of healthy bacteria in the capsule;
Take 2 Food Enzyme caps before each meal (any health food store has them) to help assimilate the nutrients in your food to breakdown the food enzymes the best they can be for digestion;
Eat slowly and chew food until it feels like liquid in your mouth to further break down the enzymes for better digestion;
Stay as relaxed as possible especially when eating, as stress will heighten the muscle tension thereby disturbing the digestive process as well.
I have often used organic apple cider vinegar mixed in a very small glass of water after meals (2-3 tsp.) which is very helpful for balancing the acid pH in the stomach. I know that was a lot of information to "digest" when it comes to digestion, but you will really reap the benefits even into older age if you can follow as much of this as possible. Leave a Comment and tell me what else you have tried to naturally balance your digestion.
Linda Wolschlager, Certified Nutrition Counselor/Wellness Coach, Michigan
http://www.naturalnutritionadvisor.com/
email: naturalnutritionadvisor@gmail.com
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