Is acid reflux really too much stomach acid.. or too little?
Acid reflux is a condition that most of us have experienced at some point in our lives. I know I have! There are so many causes whether its diet, stress, food sensitivities, medications or maybe something more serious like a hernia. Most of the time it’s from our lifestyle choices. Whatever the cause of it, if left untreated it can cause more issues. This is why it is so important to always try your best to get to the root cause because if you don’t it eventually leads to a game of wack a mole. One condition left untreated causes another issue and that issue causes another then you take medication and that medication causes something else to go wrong. Although medication is sometimes necessary it should not be a first course of action. So let’s get back to the title of this post. Is acid reflux too much stomach acid or too little? This is the tricky part of this condition. There’s not many readily tests available in the conventional medicine field to test this and if there is I sure have never been offered one! Nine times out of ten you will be prescribed some type of PPI and for some people it works! So why does it work for some and not all? Well because a PPI (proton pump inhibitors) is an acid reducer so for people who have too much stomach acid it will provide relief. BUT if you are someone like me it really will not help and that is because my acid reflux is caused by TOO LITTLE stomach acid. When you deal with low stomach acid your lower esophageal sphincter may not close properly causing stomach acid and partially digested food to flow backward. To be completely honest I believe more people deal with minimal stomach acid causing their reflux then the latter. What causes someone to have minimal stomach acid? Most of the time stress! (something we all need to work on, am I right?) Stress can reduce stomach acid production and or weaken the esophageal sphincter. Also diet is another huge factor. Are you consuming seed oils? lots of processed foods? are you shoveling your food down? All of these things truly matter when it comes to proper digestion!
So what can you do to get some relief or even just optimize your current digestion? Here are some great tips!
Digestive enzymes (Gives your body a break from doing all the work when it comes to breaking down food. You can find a link to these under my Amazon links tab then go under the digestion category).
Digestive Bitters ( Helps to encourage your body to release Digestive enzymes on it’s own. I love organic Olivia's bitters).
Thoroughly chew your food (about 30-40 times before swallowing).
Wait to take a sip of your drink until you have ate your whole meal.
Work on your breath everyday. Deep breathing is huge for relaxing your nervous system which leads to better digestion!
As corny as this sounds take a second to look, smell, and taste your food before chewing and swallowing. It allows your pancreas to release enzymes to break down your food (you know how your mouth waters when you see or smell food? Well that is your intelligent body preparing itself for the process of digesting food!).
*This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Please consult with your healthcare provider before making any changes to your health regimen.*
