Hydrochloric acid levels need to be high in the stomach to break down foods! If not, there will be a fermented soup of undigested food spoiling the whole GI tract. The last thing people need is toxins from the intestines leaking into the blood stream from antacids.
Let’s look at true underlying causes:
Heartburn can be a result of dehydration! In the famous book “You Body’s Many Cries For Water” by Dr. Batmanji, he states that dehydration is a chief instigator of heartburn.
Diluting the blood and stomach acid can be immensely helpful. As in the case of my husband, Ted, his severe heartburn went away 2 days after starting a drinking regimen of 8 -8 oz glasses of pure water per day. Nothing else hydrates the body like water does. I disagree with most physicians who tell their patients that milk, tea and juice are also hydrating. Through muscle testing I have found this to be false. It takes the body 2 cups of water for every cup of coffee or tea to process it for dilution. This is a proven scientific fact.
There is also relief from heartburn if you eat an apple with red skin for the pectin and if you drink water with a drop of peppermint oil in it.
Look to your diet for the reason for increased acid. An acidic diet high in animal protein and carbs make for an unhealthy acidic load in the system. Your body will be dumping lots of buffer to make up for the food you’re eating and will not buffer balance the stomach properly. Eat more raw fruits and vegetables and watch your body change.
Many of my patients have benefited from a bio-mechanical approach to Acid Reflux.I have treated many babies this way too very successfully.
The whole matter hinges on the diaphragm. If the diaphragm is in any way restricted in its normal motion, it can impact the cardiac portion of the stomach. The cardiac portion of the stomach can telescope up the diaphragm and encourage acid reflux. There are simple rib torque releases that can be done and pressure points on the abdomen followed by a sharp pull under the zyphoid process to bring the stomach down to a better position.
One of the main pre-disposer of developing acid reflux is antibiotic therapy. The antibiotic destroys bad and “good” bacteria. The good bacteria prevent yeast from overgrowing. The byproduct of yeast metabolism is gas! The gas puts pressure on the whole GI tract and the stomach contents are easily pushed up into the esophagus when gas is present.
A regimen of probiotics and gut repair supplements solves the reflux problem. The bio-mechanical approach is also needed by some. In infants, infant probiotics and craniosacral therapy is effective.
In summary look to diet, hydration, replenishing friendly bacteria and think about having your body evaluated for biomechanical reasons for heartburn and acid reflux.