An increasing number of people are suffering from stomach acid reflux. While once it was an occasional disturbance, recently it has become a daily sufferance of heartburn, pain, and reflux rising up the throat, interfering with sleep; resulting in acrid mouth taste and gum recession; provoking upper respiratory infections; and promoting the risk of esophageal cancer.
Obesity and present-day stressful lifestyles gave way to the surfacing of chronic conditions such as gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD). While stress and obesity are triggers of GERD, unhealthy diets and lifestyles, genetics, and digestive tract structural defects (hiatal hernia) are also significant factors in provoking acid reflux.
GERD is characterized by stomach acid reversing up the delicate esophagus, provoking painful upper chest burning sensations and sometimes sore throats.
Doctors prescribe stomach acid neutralizers and inhibitors to relieve reflux. H2 antagonists that suppress stomach acid were popular for a while, until the proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) took over.
PPIs block stomach acid for over 24 hours, relieving acid reflux and becoming one of the highest selling over-the-counter drugs in the US, but do they provide genuine cure for GERD or only temporary relief? Let us see what happens when stomach acid is suppressed.
Stomach acid is essential for breaking up food like meat; for protecting the digestive system from infections; and for absorbing nutrients.
When stomach acid is inhibited, the digestion of food, proteins in particular, is slowed down. Stomach acid inhibiting drugs are then not treating the underlying cause of GERD; they are only suppressing the symptoms, giving temporary relief for the esophagus to heal.
Short-term use may give significant relief, but what happens when the stomach acid is indefinitely inhibited?
Suppressed stomach acid exposes the digestive tract to microbes found in food, resulting in diarrhea, salmonella, and respiratory tract infections including pneumonia and acute stomach inflammation in children who use PPIs.
Low stomach acid lead to anemia, in users, due to their inability to assimilate B vitamins, calcium, and iron. Users of PPIs sometimes develop antibiotic resistance, making treatment of infectious diseases difficult. They also become more susceptible to developing cancer and tumors.
On the other hand, certain lifestyle modifications and natural approaches and therapies provide relief and cure as they address the underlying cause of GERD.
Tradition Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Ayurvedic and Arab traditional medicines offer therapies and herbal remedies for conditions of hyperacidity.
TCM applies acupuncture and herbal therapy to quell “stomach fire,” resulting from stress that makes the liver spill “over into the stomach where it causes things to heat up and rise.” Acupuncture, moist nourishing food, and Chinese herbs quell acid reflux, calm the liver, and soothe pain and heartburn.
According to Dr. Anil Minocha, director of digestive diseases and nutrition at University of Mississippi Medical Center, lifestyle changes are important to treat GERD.
These include lighter and more frequent meals in a calm atmosphere; abstinence from food three hours before bedtime; chewing food slowly and thoroughly; keeping away from stress especially during meals; avoiding caffeine, nicotine, mint, chocolates, alcohol, fries, excess salt and sugar, spices, pickles, and fatty and junk foods (they weaken esophageal muscles). He also suggests taking digestive enzymes to promote digestion.
Many herbs and aromatic seeds have healing properties that are effective against GERD and enhance the digestive process.
Aloe vera juice (half a cup twice daily between meals) lines and protects the esophagus from acid reflux. It may produce diarrhea, hence it is neither recommended during pregnancy nor for long-term use.
Deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) offers anti-inflammatory effects and protects the esophageal lining. Avoid in hypertensive conditions.
Lemon balm infusion thrice daily relieves bloating and quells acid reflux.
Bitter greens like dandelion (hindiba) and arugula (jarjeer) increase digestive juices and relieve hyperacidity.
Coriander and cumin seed infusion neutralize acid reflux, thrice daily, once before bedtime.
Turmeric powder is an important remedy in Ayurvedic medicine for many ailments including heartburn and for breaking down fat. Add the powder to food (yogurt, soup, dressing, stews, marinades).
Chewing gum, especially Arabic gum (luban lami), enhances saliva secretion for better digestion and reducing acidity.
A thousand year-old Chinese tonic, made from fennel and cardamom seeds and herbs, treats gastrointestinal problems including heartburn, pain, and hyperacidity.
Dr. Jabber Al-Qahtani, professor and chairman of the King Saud University’s Department of Pharmacognosy ([email protected]) and a leading herbalist, recommends equal parts of honey and water before breakfast, lunch, and bedtime for GERD and heliobacter pylori. Mistaka gum coats the esophageal lining and destroys bacteria.
He also recommends drinking green tea for its antibacterial and digestive properties.
From personal experience, I found banana dipped in powdered mistaka very effective, in the morning.
But nothing is more healing and relieving to heartburn and GERD than water. Drink 8 to 10 glasses of water in between the meals and as you wake up to dilute acid reflux.
Dr. F. Batmanghelidj, author of Water for Health, for Healing, for Life, treated many gastrointestinal problems including GERD with water. Water is healing to many diseases. Help yourself to water; you will see and feel the difference!
(Mariam A. Alireza is a holistic science specialist. Send comments to [email protected]. Log on to arabnews.com for previous articles.)