Acid reflux disease is also called: Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease or GERD. In this situation, the contents of the stomach, specifically the liquid portion of the stomach, backs up or "refluxes" into the esophagus. When this happens, the liquid, which is composed primarily of stomach acid, can literally inflame and burn the lining of the esophagus.

If you read certain publications, you might see that GERD is a chronic condition and once it begins, it usually is life-long, and treatment (with medication) is necessary for the rest of one's life. I'm here to tell you officially that I completely disagree with this statement. (More on that later).

The truth is that acid reflux occurs in most people. The problem is when it occurs too frequently, for too long and contains too much acid.

Gravity, swallowing (washing down the acid), and saliva (which has bicarbonate properties) are important protective mechanisms for the esophagus, but they are effective only when individuals are in the upright position. At night while sleeping, gravity is not in effect, swallowing stops, and the secretion of saliva is reduced. Therefore, reflux that occurs at night is more likely to result in acid remaining in the esophagus longer and causing greater damage to it.

There are further complications associated with GERD, but for now, we'll stick with the basics.

If you read magazines or watch television, no doubt you've seen dozens of commercials promoting medications for the treatment of acid reflux. When someone is in great discomfort, I know that the promise of quick relief is very tempting. However, there is a price to pay.

Right now, Proton pump inhibitors (PPI's) are the most commonly prescribed class of medication for the treatment of heartburn and acid-related disorders. They work by blocking the site of acid production in the parietal cells of the stomach. But because there are millions of parietal cells that are constantly reproducing, complete inhibition of stomach acid production is virtually impossible.

You may be familiar with some of the medications used to treat this disorder: Omeprazole (Prilosec) and lansoprazole (Prevacid) have been available the longest and consequently are the most familiar to physicians and patients. While the newer medications, rabeprazole (Aciphex) and pantoprazole (Protonix) have data to suggest better suppression of stomach acid compared to omeprazole, there is no proof that the differences are clinically important. Rabeprazole and pantoprazole are smaller and may be better for patients who have problems swallowing capsules. Esomeprazole (Nexium), a new and very potent PPI, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2001. Omeprazole is now available over-the-counter.

Known side effects of PPI's include headache, abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea and nausea. If someone is sensitive to these medications, complications might include: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat. Remember these are the known side effects, which means they occur with regularity.

But a side effect that none of the medications mention is the result of decreased acid production in the stomach and the reason stomach acid is increased in the first place!

First of all your stomach is supposed to produce acid and plenty of it. It's purpose is obvious - to break down food sufficiently to allow optimal absorption by your body. When that process is interfered with by taking drugs or antacids that diminish gastric acids, improper digestion and absorption is the result, which leads to incomplete delivery of the right amount of nutrients to the body. Couple that with the fact that we don't get enough nutrients from our foods anyway and the results are evident - disease and poor health.

So why the seemingly recent increase in acid reflux disease? Well, besides the pharmaceutical company's agenda, it's simple, we are eating the wrong foods and too much of them. I don't think it will come as a surprise that we are the fattest nation on the planet; increased gluttony leads to increased health problems including heartburn/acid reflux.

So how do we fight this "burning sensation" and promote healing? The first thing we can do is eat less at each meal. When we eat too much food, the stomach overproduces acid in response to the quantity of food. It's not "hot and spicy" foods that cause reflux necessarily, it's because we are eating too much at one time. So reduce the amount of food you eat at one sitting. Don't eat until you are stuffed and make sure you eat slowly. When you eat your food too quickly, there is a delayed response from your stomach to your brain to let it know you've had enough food and you keep eating. But when you eat slowly the brain receives the signals in a timely fashion and invariably you will eat less.

Second, don't drink fluids with your meal. There has been a battle back and forth regarding the protocol for eating and drinking. A very small amount of water or wine (for those who can), is fine, but too much fluid is terrible with a meal. Think about it, if you have a pretty big meal and you wash it down with a full glass of water, not only does it fill up the stomach increasing the chance of reflux, but you are diluting the stomach acid and your food simply will not digest properly.

Lastly, as we age, our body's production of HCL (stomach acid) decreases resulting in over-production of caustic stomach enzymes. So it's important to get the right kind of nutrition that will facilitate healthy production of HCL. It's also important to keep your intestinal digestion healthy by getting the proper probiotics for productive intestinal flora. intraMax contains the ingredients necessary to help with all these needs.

One last thing I'd like to mention. If acid reflux does occur, instead of reaching for the medication or the antacid, try mixing a half a teaspoon of baking soda in a 4 oz glass of water and sip it slowly. Baking soda is very alkaline and has strong acid neutralizing properties. I've used it in the past and it works!

In conclusion, we can combat gastroesophogeal reflux by taking responsibility for our health: eat less, watch the amounts of acidic foods you eat (processed foods primarily), eat slowly, wait at least 1/2 before or after meals to drink and get the right nutrition to promote HCL production and healthy intestinal flora.

Thank you for your time and for reading.

I look forward to hearing about your improved health.

Yours in health,

Dr. Michael Roth

This information is very important. Please share this newsletter by sending it to your family and friends. Thank you!