Registered Dietitians Nutritionists - Rebecca Bitzer and ...



Why Stomach Acid Is Good For You

Stomach acid creates an environment that is (should be) free of bacteria. This is contrary to our nose, mouth and intestines, which harbor billions of organisms. It is ok though! Whatever we ingest through our nose or mouth is guided right into the stomach into a pool of acid, which does the trick to annihilate anything that shouldn’t be there (in as little as 15 minutes), if in fact the acid is high enough.

How do we lose stomach acid?

A natural product of aging is that our bodies are producing less and less stomach acid. By the time we are 60 years old about 50% of people have a reduction in the amount of stomach acid they produce. If stomach acid is not present to breakdown our food, then the nutrients from our food cannot be absorbed. This means your diet can be nutritionally wonderful, but it is not making it to your cells and is passing right through your system! Lack of absorption of these vitamins, minerals, and proteins (amino acids) can cause leg cramps, cracking/peeling/chipping fingernails, or hair loss. Other symptoms include bloating, belching, burning, flatulence immediately after meals, indigestion, food allergies, nausea after supplements, rectal itching, undigested food in stool, and fullness after eating.

Another cause that can bring about low stomach acid in people of any age are antacids or acid blockers which decrease the acidity of the stomach even further and if prolonged (which many people take for years or even decades). This creates a domino effect in the nutrients that the stomach is responsible for digesting and their roles in the other processes in our boy. The sum of this domino effect can contribute to allergies, asthma, skin disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, insomnia, osteoporosis, GI infection, and depression.

Should you be taking antacids or acid blockers to relieve GERD?

It is necessary to work with a physician and dietitian that are aware of the implications of low stomach acid because much of the medical community is taught to suggest acid reducers to relieve acid reflux or GERD. In order to treat acid reflux naturally there are some tips below:

□ Eat small, frequent meals instead of 3 large meals. Too much food at one time requires more stomach acids to digest, causing increased workload on the stomach.

□ Choose foods that are high in complex carbohydrates, such as whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, and brown rice.

□ Avoid high fat meals, such as fried and greasy foods. These remain in your stomach longer and require more stomach acid to digest.

□ Limit alcohol

□ Limit carbonated beverages

□ Wait approximately 2 hours after a meal before going to bed.

□ Supplements under the supervision of your doctor or dietitian:

|Avoid These Foods and Drugs That Can Cause Heartburn |

|LES Weakeners |Esophageal Irritants |

| | |

|Foods |Foods |

|High fat foods: high fat dairy products, processed meats, fried foods, |Citrus fruits and juices |

|desserts |Tomato-based foods |

|Chocolate |Spicy foods |

|Caffeinated beverages: tea, coffee, etc |Caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee/tea |

|Mints, especially peppermint and spearmint |Carbonated drinks |

|Sugar |Pepper |

|Alcohol |Drugs |

|Onions |Aspirin |

|Food allergies |NSAIDs |

|Large meals |Tetracycline |

|Drugs |Quinidine |

|Cigarettes |Potassium chloride tablets |

|Bronchodilators (e.g. theophylline, albuterol, ephedrine) |Iron salts |

|NSAIDs | |

|Calcium channel blockers (e.g. Cardizem, many others) | |

|Beta-blockers (e.g. Inderal, many others) | |

|Diazepam (Valium) | |

|Nitrates (e.g. nitroglycerin) | |

|Demerol | |

The following foods may aggravate GERD symptoms depending on the person. The best thing to do is keep a detailed food record for several weeks and make note of which foods worsen your symptoms and limit these.

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