How to naturally resolve

Acid Reflux & Heartburn

Acid reflux, also known as Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD), occurs when stomach acid backs up into the oesophagus irritating the tissue. This can be a serious issue if the cells affected start to change and can become pre-cancerous due to damage from the acid, something known as Barrett’s Oesophagus.

Heartburn, or acid indigestion, is a symptom of acid reflux, so named because the oesophagus lies just behind the heart, and that is where the burning sensation is felt.

What are acid reflux and heartburn?

Heartburn is a symptom of acid reflux. Heartburn describes a feeling of burning, pain, or discomfort in the chest that can be quite unpleasant. You may also get a sour or bitter taste in the throat and mouth, and it usually occurs after you eat a big meal or when you lie down.

However, not everyone with GORD will experience heartburn. Other symptoms of acid

reflux include regurgitation of acid into the throat or mouth, a bitter taste in the mouth, an upset stomach, belching, nausea after eating, feeling full, bloating in the stomach and upper abdomen, a dry cough, wheezing, hoarseness, a feeling of tightness in the throat, and in some people, vomiting.

What is the difference between heartburn and acid reflux?

• A full blood count to check for problems like certain cancers• Tests for Helicobacter pylori. This is a ‘bug’ that can live in the stomach and intestines; it creates severe

chronic atrophic gastritis (SCAG), i.e., inflammation in the stomach, and this can lead to stomach cancer. • Gastroscopy (a camera inserted down the throat) to check for ulcers, Barrett’s Oesophagus and

oesophageal and stomach cancers• There is a rare condition known as a pharangeal pouch, where a ‘kink’ or ‘bend’ develops in the

oesophagus. Food/tablets can get stuck in this pouch causing gurgling and choking. Diagnosis is usually through a barium ‘swallow’ and/or gastroscopy.

A note about stomach acidThe acid in our stomach is there for a very good reason, to help digest our food, in particular protein and equally importantly, to help neutralise any pathogen trying to get into the body via the oral route, and this includes pathogenic bacteria and parasites. If you take regular antacids, especially the strong proton pump inhibitors that put your stomach acid to almost zero, this can impede the proper digestion of food which, in turn, can affect absorption of nutrients, as well as enabling the ‘bugs’ and parasites to get a direct route into your intestines, increasing the risk of bloating, uncomfortable cramps, irregular bowel movements, bowel inflammation and infections. This, in turn, can have a detrimental impact on your immune system, your weight, your mental health and your energy levels.

Furthermore, if the food in your stomach doesn’t contain enough stomach acid, there will be no trigger to instruct the release of bile from your gall bladder into the small intestine. One of the functions of bile is to emulsify fats and proteins and ensure normal transit time in the bowel so that you don’t have a ‘confused’ bowel. So you see how one issue can set off a chain reaction, that has the potential to cause many other symptoms and at the end of all this, leave you with having to take a ‘cocktail’ of medications, when all you needed to do was eat earlier in the day, eat less, and chew more!

Tests that GPs and hospitals undertake to rule out ‘red flags’

Potential risk factors and tips on how to reduce them

Risk factors and causes

• Gastroenteritis and food poisoning• Lack of digestive enzymes, low or no stomach acid

• Underlying causes such as small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). This is a chronic imbalance of bacteria, fungi and yeasts in the small intestine, usually caused when bacteria that normally grow in other parts of the intestines start growing in the small intestine.

• Dysbiosis – usually caused by an imbalance in the gut flora following antibiotics, but can also be caused by food intolerances and by auto-immune diseases such as Coeliac disease, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative Colitis

• Use of PPIs (proton pump inhibitors) – I would recommend that all other natural healing avenues be explored before taking these strong antacids, as research shows that they can block the uptake of certain minerals, in particular calcium and iron, and Vitamin B-12, as well as increase the risk of developing nasty gut infections like Clostridium difficile. The only caveat I would use here would be if you’ve had a diagnosis of Barrett’s Oesophagus, a precursor to oesophageal cancer. It is extremely important that stomach acid stays where it should, in the stomach, and that acid-drenched food does not migrate out of the stomach and up the oesophagus, burning the oesophageal tissues and increasing the risk of oesophageal cancer.

• An inflammatory diet (Check out ‘The Acid Watcher Diet’ book by Dr. Jonathan Aviv on Amazon)

• Food intolerances• Stress• Chronic, long-standing constipation causing a back-up in the intestine, putting pressure on the diaphragm

and stomach, thereby pushing acid-drenched food out of the stomach and up the oesophagus

• Certain medications – antibiotics, antacids, steroids, some anti-depressants, calcium channel blockers prescribed for high blood pressure, progesterone, and some painkillers in particular, aspirin and ibuprofen. If you are taking any medications and are suffering with GORD, ask your GP to check your medications, as it may be a simple change to your current prescription that relieves the GORD.

• Smoking• Eating overly large meals which may increase the pressure in the stomach and enable acid-drenched

food to pour out and up the oesophagus, burning it

• Underlying conditions such as hiatus hernia, usually caused by obesity or excessive intestinal bloating, exercising pressure on the diaphragm and stomach, again causing acid-drenched food to pour out and up the oesophagus

• The way you sleep may be exacerbating the GORD

Tips to help reduce the risk

• Always take a three month course of Live Bacteria probiotic capsules after a course of antibiotics to replace ‘friendly’ bacteria. Many a chronic case of reflux has been resolved just by taking a probiotic. See below to purchase and use the code ‘loveyourtummy’ to get 15% off your first order.

• Prevent dehydration by drinking at least two litres of plain water daily• Stop drinking peppermint flavoured teas, chewing mint gum and sucking on mints. The mint family

contains certain compounds that can relax the sphincter at the top of the stomach, allowing acid-drenched food to pour out.

• Avoid caffeine which can cause dehydration

• Don’t drink fizzy drinks• Don’t drink low-sugar/sugar-free drinks• Consider eliminating alcohol until the acid reflux has calmed down

• Ensure adequate fibre is consumed – particularly soluble fibre. Aim for 30g per day, but ensure you drink plenty of fluids so the fibre doesn’t get ‘stuck’ in the gut!

• Increase your fruit and vegetable intake – 2 fruit + 5 veg

• Ensure adequate magnesium intake so that your lower oesophageal sphincter is working properly, thus preventing food from backing up in the stomach and causing gas pressures to increase, and the risk of pushing acid-drenched food out of the stomach and up the oesophagus

• Ensure food is properly digested by taking one of my Just For Tummies vegan, gluten-free Digestive Enzymes tablets before meals, especially if you have weak digestion or are over the age of 50. See below to purchase and use the code ‘loveyourtummy’ to get 15% off your first order.

• Learn to manage your stress better. For many, their stomach is their ‘Achilles heel’ and the place where stress hits them

• Chew your food thoroughly; aim for 20 chews per bite, until food is like a paste, before swallowing. Remember that your stomach doesn’t have teeth!

• Do not eat late at night. If you do, always take one of my Digestive Enzymes tablets, otherwise the food can sit in your stomach, fermenting and putrefying, causing excess pressures

• Try sleeping on your left-hand side if reflux is bothering you at night and lift the bed head (using books, wooden blocks or bricks!) so your head is raised higher than your stomach

• Avoid getting constipation as this can cause back pressures up the digestive tract and increase the risk of acid-drenched food being pushed out of the stomach and up the oesophagus. Consider having a professional colon hydrotherapy treatment to help resolve constipation. I’d recommend www.colonic-association.org or www.colonic-association.net/

• Avoid bloating for the same reason as above. If you suffer with bloating or a hiatus hernia, take one of my Live Bacteria probiotics before breakfast and one before bed, and one of my Digestive Enzymes tablets just before lunch and one just before dinner, for at least 30 days

Foods to avoid Foods that help• Gluten• Dairy• Excess red meat (if you do eat it, try to find grass-

fed meat which is less inflammatory and again, take a Digestive Enzymes tablet before you eat any meal containing meat)

• An acidic diet – acidic foods include: red meat, dairy, gluten, nightshade family vegetables, processed foods, artificial sweeteners and refined sugars

• Caffeine• Carbonated drinks and drinks that contain

artificial sweeteners• Alcohol – especially red wine • Trigger foods which often include tomatoes,

citrus fruits, peppermint, chocolate, spicy foods, black pepper

• An alkaline diet – this type of diet contains plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, gluten-free grains, essential fats from nuts, seeds, coconut, avocado etc.

• Fermented foods: Kimchi, kombucha, sauerkraut and kefir as they contain beneficial lactic acid bacteria

• Apple cider vinegar to increase digestive juices• Crushed garlic – garlic is one of the most potent

antibiotics to kill harmful bacteria in the gut• Water – make sure you keep hydrated and flush

your system out by drinking plenty of filtered water

• Ginger – chop onto salads, stir-fries, or have infused in hot water

• Soluble fibre to provide bulk to the stool and help prevent constipation

• Anti-inflammatory foods: Oily fish, walnuts, flax seeds, chia seeds, turmeric, ginger

• Calming herbal teas – chamomile, lemon balm or my Just For Tummies Tummy Tea that contains liquorice root, (Iiquorice may stimulate the production of mucous and this may protect the lining of the stomach) ginger root, fennel, carom, fenugreek, cardamom seeds and black peppercorns to help soothe and relax

• Cabbage contains something called vitamin U, which helps with healing ulcers – you can juice it or drink the water that the cabbage was boiled in

A final few words from Melissa Griggs after my Just For Tummies supplements helped resolve her acid reflux:

“These products have changed my life. I have been on Omeprazole every day, on and off, since my late teens. I’m now nearly 40. Since taking the Just For Tummies Live Bacteria, Digestive Enzymes and a few Charcoal capsules, I have been able to stop taking Omeprazole. My stomach feels amazing, which I never thought was possible. This wasn’t just a phase either – I have felt this way since January 2019. I haven’t experienced any of my old symptoms of acid reflux and sickness; and any bloating I get is eased quickly with the Charcoal. I highly recommend the Tummy Tea as well – it works so well, calms everything down and tastes great. And what a lovely treat to receive a Just For Tummies dairy-free mint flavoured chocolate along with the products! I am so very impressed by this company – your customer service is one of the best around. Thanks, Linda.”

• Find my free 7-day gluten-free, dairy-free and refined sugar-free gut friendly recipe planner here: https://justfortummies.co.uk/recipes/. You can download recipes for meat eaters, fish eaters, vegetarians and vegans.

• Join the Tummy Talk Facebook community for more tummy-related support: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tummytalk/