Heartburn sufferers shouldn't be too quick to reach for the antacids; heartburn medications do more harm than good...Before you reach for the antacids to deal with troublesome heartburn, you might want to consider simply changing your eating habits. Most people are aware that eating too quickly or eating certain foods can trigger heartburn, yet few people are willing to change how and what they eat. Instead, they chow down as usual and then turn to their heartburn medication for relief. However, this is not the best way to tackle heartburn or indigestion, and, in fact, some of the very medications that claim to ease heartburn may actually make things worse.
Heartburn occurs when foods mix with acid to form a liquid that rises into the esophagus, causing chest pain or a burning sensation in the stomach. Antacids effectively "block" stomach acid, but at the same time, they block the absorption of nutrients and can hinder proper digestion, possibly making indigestion worse, according to Phyllis A. and James F. Balch in "Prescription For Nutritional Healing." In fact, the millions of Americans who take antacids to treat their heartburn are actually making a big mistake, according to Pamela Sky Jeanne, a naturopathic doctor from Oregon. "One of the worst things you can do for your health is take an antacid," Jeanne says in Bill Gottlieb's "Alternative Cures." Jeanne explains, "That's because, in order to break down proteins into amino acids that are usable by the body, you must have sufficient hydrochloric acid in your stomach."
Besides interfering with digestion and nutrient absorption, both prescription and over-the-counter heartburn medications can have startling side effects. According to Phyllis and James Balch, many popular antacids contain aluminum compounds, which can cause constipation; magnesium compounds, which can cause diarrhea; sodium bicarbonate, which can cause gas and bloating; and calcium bicarbonate, which can actually cause the stomach to create more acid than usual once the antacid wears off.
Other heartburn medications may have more serious side effects. In "Graedons' Best Medicine," by Joe Graedon and Dr. Teresa Graedon, there is an account of a woman whose doctor prescribed her Reglan and Pepcid for her severe heartburn. Within days after she started taking the drugs, she began experiencing muscle spasms in her neck and shoulders, and a few weeks later she began experiencing uncontrollable muscle twitching, insomnia, hallucinations and even thoughts of suicide. When doctors could not reverse these symptoms with other prescription drugs, they became so severe that the patient temporarily checked herself into a psychiatric ward temporarily, not realizing at the time that she was having an adverse reaction to her heartburn medications.
Heartburn medicines are far from completely safe, and in some cases, they can even be deadly. Gottlieb writes, "A popular heartburn drug, used by more than 30 million people since 1993, has caused 70 deaths and 200 other incidents of heart problems, and, says the government; it should be used 'only as a last resort.'"
So, what is the first resort in heartburn treatment? Aim to prevent it in the first place, and for that, a change in eating habits is a good place to start. Many foods have a reputation for causing heartburn, including onions, garlic, hot and spicy foods, fatty or greasy foods, fried foods and highly acidic foods, like tomatoes and citrus. Chocolate and coffee are also common culprits. In addition, the way you eat is sometimes just as important as what you eat. People who eat especially quickly, who lay down after a big meal or who simply eat too much, are often more prone to heartburn. When you eat too much too fast, without chewing well, the stomach must produce more acid to break down food, creating problems for you down the line. Therefore, in addition to paying attention to the types of foods you eat, and avoiding those that trigger heartburn, you must also be aware of portion size and how quickly you eat.
If you do start to feel heartburn coming on, one of the first things you should do is drink water. F. Batmanghelidj in "Water for Health Healing" writes that heartburn really begins as just "thirst pains" -- a signal of a water shortage in the body. Batmanghelidj suggests treating this pain with water rather than medication.
Finally, it is important to bear in mind that it is not just food choices that can contribute to heartburn. Stress can also be a factor, as well as any prescription or over-the-counter drug you might be taking. This may surprise some people, but the drugs you take can lead to indigestion and heartburn. Aspirin, for example, has been shown to contribute to heartburn when taken in high doses, as has Ibuprofen. Anti-inflammatory drugs often cause heartburn in addition to more serious problems, such as death from sudden gastric hemorrhage. Certain calcium-channel blocking drugs, asthma drugs, beta-blocking drugs used to lower blood pressure and anticholinergics used to treat Parkinson's Disease may also cause heartburn, as can birth control pills, diazepam, nicotine, nitroglycerine, progesterone, provera and theophylline.
With the number of people eating poor diets and taking multiple prescription drugs in this country, it is no wonder, according to statistics given by Drs. Marc R. and Michael R. Rose in "Save Your Sight," that more than half of all people over 40 experience heartburn once a month., according to Drs. Marc R. and Michael R. Rose in Save Your Sight. If you frequently suffer from heartburn, it may be time to reevaluate what's in your diet or what's in your medicine cabinet. Talk to your doctor about how you can reduce your risk just by changing your lifestyle.
Heartburn occurs when foods mix with acid to form a liquid that rises into the esophagus, causing chest pain or a burning sensation in the stomach. Antacids effectively "block" stomach acid, but at the same time, they block the absorption of nutrients and can hinder proper digestion, possibly making indigestion worse, according to Phyllis A. and James F. Balch in "Prescription For Nutritional Healing." In fact, the millions of Americans who take antacids to treat their heartburn are actually making a big mistake, according to Pamela Sky Jeanne, a naturopathic doctor from Oregon. "One of the worst things you can do for your health is take an antacid," Jeanne says in Bill Gottlieb's "Alternative Cures." Jeanne explains, "That's because, in order to break down proteins into amino acids that are usable by the body, you must have sufficient hydrochloric acid in your stomach."
Besides interfering with digestion and nutrient absorption, both prescription and over-the-counter heartburn medications can have startling side effects. According to Phyllis and James Balch, many popular antacids contain aluminum compounds, which can cause constipation; magnesium compounds, which can cause diarrhea; sodium bicarbonate, which can cause gas and bloating; and calcium bicarbonate, which can actually cause the stomach to create more acid than usual once the antacid wears off.
Other heartburn medications may have more serious side effects. In "Graedons' Best Medicine," by Joe Graedon and Dr. Teresa Graedon, there is an account of a woman whose doctor prescribed her Reglan and Pepcid for her severe heartburn. Within days after she started taking the drugs, she began experiencing muscle spasms in her neck and shoulders, and a few weeks later she began experiencing uncontrollable muscle twitching, insomnia, hallucinations and even thoughts of suicide. When doctors could not reverse these symptoms with other prescription drugs, they became so severe that the patient temporarily checked herself into a psychiatric ward temporarily, not realizing at the time that she was having an adverse reaction to her heartburn medications.
Heartburn medicines are far from completely safe, and in some cases, they can even be deadly. Gottlieb writes, "A popular heartburn drug, used by more than 30 million people since 1993, has caused 70 deaths and 200 other incidents of heart problems, and, says the government; it should be used 'only as a last resort.'"
So, what is the first resort in heartburn treatment? Aim to prevent it in the first place, and for that, a change in eating habits is a good place to start. Many foods have a reputation for causing heartburn, including onions, garlic, hot and spicy foods, fatty or greasy foods, fried foods and highly acidic foods, like tomatoes and citrus. Chocolate and coffee are also common culprits. In addition, the way you eat is sometimes just as important as what you eat. People who eat especially quickly, who lay down after a big meal or who simply eat too much, are often more prone to heartburn. When you eat too much too fast, without chewing well, the stomach must produce more acid to break down food, creating problems for you down the line. Therefore, in addition to paying attention to the types of foods you eat, and avoiding those that trigger heartburn, you must also be aware of portion size and how quickly you eat.
If you do start to feel heartburn coming on, one of the first things you should do is drink water. F. Batmanghelidj in "Water for Health Healing" writes that heartburn really begins as just "thirst pains" -- a signal of a water shortage in the body. Batmanghelidj suggests treating this pain with water rather than medication.
Finally, it is important to bear in mind that it is not just food choices that can contribute to heartburn. Stress can also be a factor, as well as any prescription or over-the-counter drug you might be taking. This may surprise some people, but the drugs you take can lead to indigestion and heartburn. Aspirin, for example, has been shown to contribute to heartburn when taken in high doses, as has Ibuprofen. Anti-inflammatory drugs often cause heartburn in addition to more serious problems, such as death from sudden gastric hemorrhage. Certain calcium-channel blocking drugs, asthma drugs, beta-blocking drugs used to lower blood pressure and anticholinergics used to treat Parkinson's Disease may also cause heartburn, as can birth control pills, diazepam, nicotine, nitroglycerine, progesterone, provera and theophylline.
With the number of people eating poor diets and taking multiple prescription drugs in this country, it is no wonder, according to statistics given by Drs. Marc R. and Michael R. Rose in "Save Your Sight," that more than half of all people over 40 experience heartburn once a month., according to Drs. Marc R. and Michael R. Rose in Save Your Sight. If you frequently suffer from heartburn, it may be time to reevaluate what's in your diet or what's in your medicine cabinet. Talk to your doctor about how you can reduce your risk just by changing your lifestyle.
Discover Optimal Health through Body Alkalization
Today, there’s a new worldwide health concern affecting everyone. If free radicals and antioxidants were the focus of the last twenty years, body acidity, body alkalinity, and the importance of maintaining a pH balanced system are the focus of today.When naturally balanced, your body is alkaline. But a diet high in meat, dairy and sugar overwhelms your body with acidic waste, resulting in weight gain, low energy, poor skin, brittle bones and a myriad of other health concerns.Excess acidity is a condition, in fact, that weakens all body systems. Excess acidity forces the body to borrow minerals including calcium, sodium, potassium, and magnesium from vital organs and bones to buffer (neutralize) the acid and safely remove it from the body. As a result the body can suffer severe and prolonged corrosion due to high acidity - a condition that may go undetected for years.It affects virtually every person in our society because of the way we live, the way we eat, and the environment we live in. The result is an internal environment where disease can easily manifest, as opposed to a pH balanced environment, which allows normal body function necessary for the body to resist disease.
What Does This Mean? Is There Any Science Behind This?Our body is about 20% acidic and 80% alkaline; it is recommended that we consume roughly 20% acidic foods and 80% alkaline foods. Unfortunately, this is not the case. The average US consumer is eating over 90% acidic foods.*The ramifications of this are severe and far reaching. Leading medical researchers are concluding that a decline in health begins when cellular pH moves toward becoming acidic, toxic, and polluted - a process called metabolic acidosis. Over 400 peer-reviewed articles link low-grade acidosis with aging and dozens of problems associated with the aging process.Blood pressure, cholesterol, and body temperature are well known barometers of health. However, body pH level is emerging as the most important measurement of all. Unfortunately, most people take better care of the pH in their swimming pools than in their own body. The simple fact of the matter is that very few people are willing to change their dietary habits to improve their health. In addition to poor dietary habits, our body’s ability to process acid steadily decreases as we age and as we experience more stress.An acidic environment in the body is the beginning of many health issues and challenges. Systems are compromised and can become overworked as the body insists on maintaining its delicate balance.
When excess acids must be neutralized, our alkaline reserves are depleted, leaving the body in a weakened condition. In 1996 Dr. Lynda Frassetto at the University of California, San Francisco, discovered that as we age we lose the alkaline buffer bicarbonates in our blood. She believes that humans, in evolutionary terms, have changed. Once upon a time, our bodies used to break down food and dispose of the acid waste with our kidneys and livers. But now, because of the sheer amount of acid waste the average American produces, she sees our inner bodies being turned into a war zone, where our body is fighting to protect its most strategic reserves — our kidney and liver — from total degradation and failure.To prove this theory, Dr. Frassetto studied 1000 people and discovered that we are indeed stockpiling acid waste in our fatty deposits instead of eliminating it with our kidneys and liver. Cholesterol and crystallized uric acid are solidified acids that have been dumped within the body for later disposal, which never comes. Our bodies have made the choice to preserve our kidney and liver instead of processing the acid waste.Also, when the pH of the body is acidic or low, the body’s ability to absorb antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients is reduced and energy production in the cells can become compromised, which inhibits the cells' ability to repair itself and the cells' ability to detoxify.Over time, the build-up of this acid waste can lead to inflammation and the build-up of solid waste, cholesterol, fatty acids, uric acid, sulfates, etc. A good analogy is that our bodies become like a fish bowl that hasn't been cleaned in years or even decades, creating a cesspool of acid.This build-up of and accumulation of non-disposed acid waste within the body accelerates the aging process. Additionally, inflammation has been identified as the main culprit behind aging and disease in the body.Throughout the body, alkaline substances are used to neutralize acids. If this buffer system is used only occasionally, the alkaline elements loaned by the tissues are soon replaced by ones from foods.The problem occurs when intake of acid-forming foods consistently outweighs intake of alkaline substances. In this case, the tissues- especially the bones-are constantly forced to give up their alkaline minerals, namely calcium and magnesium, in order to buffer the excess acid and keep metabolic processes going.Additionally, an acidic balance can:decrease the body's ability to absorb minerals and other nutrientsdecrease the energy production in the cellsdecrease the body's ability to repair damaged cellsdecrease the body's ability to detoxify heavy metalsmake the body more susceptible to fatigue and sickness
What Does This Mean? Is There Any Science Behind This?Our body is about 20% acidic and 80% alkaline; it is recommended that we consume roughly 20% acidic foods and 80% alkaline foods. Unfortunately, this is not the case. The average US consumer is eating over 90% acidic foods.*The ramifications of this are severe and far reaching. Leading medical researchers are concluding that a decline in health begins when cellular pH moves toward becoming acidic, toxic, and polluted - a process called metabolic acidosis. Over 400 peer-reviewed articles link low-grade acidosis with aging and dozens of problems associated with the aging process.Blood pressure, cholesterol, and body temperature are well known barometers of health. However, body pH level is emerging as the most important measurement of all. Unfortunately, most people take better care of the pH in their swimming pools than in their own body. The simple fact of the matter is that very few people are willing to change their dietary habits to improve their health. In addition to poor dietary habits, our body’s ability to process acid steadily decreases as we age and as we experience more stress.An acidic environment in the body is the beginning of many health issues and challenges. Systems are compromised and can become overworked as the body insists on maintaining its delicate balance.
When excess acids must be neutralized, our alkaline reserves are depleted, leaving the body in a weakened condition. In 1996 Dr. Lynda Frassetto at the University of California, San Francisco, discovered that as we age we lose the alkaline buffer bicarbonates in our blood. She believes that humans, in evolutionary terms, have changed. Once upon a time, our bodies used to break down food and dispose of the acid waste with our kidneys and livers. But now, because of the sheer amount of acid waste the average American produces, she sees our inner bodies being turned into a war zone, where our body is fighting to protect its most strategic reserves — our kidney and liver — from total degradation and failure.To prove this theory, Dr. Frassetto studied 1000 people and discovered that we are indeed stockpiling acid waste in our fatty deposits instead of eliminating it with our kidneys and liver. Cholesterol and crystallized uric acid are solidified acids that have been dumped within the body for later disposal, which never comes. Our bodies have made the choice to preserve our kidney and liver instead of processing the acid waste.Also, when the pH of the body is acidic or low, the body’s ability to absorb antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients is reduced and energy production in the cells can become compromised, which inhibits the cells' ability to repair itself and the cells' ability to detoxify.Over time, the build-up of this acid waste can lead to inflammation and the build-up of solid waste, cholesterol, fatty acids, uric acid, sulfates, etc. A good analogy is that our bodies become like a fish bowl that hasn't been cleaned in years or even decades, creating a cesspool of acid.This build-up of and accumulation of non-disposed acid waste within the body accelerates the aging process. Additionally, inflammation has been identified as the main culprit behind aging and disease in the body.Throughout the body, alkaline substances are used to neutralize acids. If this buffer system is used only occasionally, the alkaline elements loaned by the tissues are soon replaced by ones from foods.The problem occurs when intake of acid-forming foods consistently outweighs intake of alkaline substances. In this case, the tissues- especially the bones-are constantly forced to give up their alkaline minerals, namely calcium and magnesium, in order to buffer the excess acid and keep metabolic processes going.Additionally, an acidic balance can:decrease the body's ability to absorb minerals and other nutrientsdecrease the energy production in the cellsdecrease the body's ability to repair damaged cellsdecrease the body's ability to detoxify heavy metalsmake the body more susceptible to fatigue and sickness
Take advantage of the FREE Alkalete challange.
Contact us today to get started on Alkalete. www.Lifes-a-Blast.GoYoli.com
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