Day 45- Antacids

How many people do you know that run to the medicine cabinet for their bottle of TUMS every time they have a little stomach upset? After all it didn't become the #1 antacid for nothing! And if 4 our of 5 doctors recommend Antacids for heartburn, they can't be wrong...right?

The problem with antacids is that they don't fix the underlying problem, all they do is mask the symptoms, and may cause more serious problems to arise down the road. Antacids work by reducing the acidity of the stomach by neutralizing the Hydrochloric acid (HCL).

Instead of masking the issue, why not figure out what is causing the symptoms. Heart burn, although the name implies, has really nothing to do with the heart. It was given the name, because most people with heart burn feel a burning pain in the middle of their chest. Contrary to what most people think, the burning sensation can actually be due to insufficient levels of HCL, instead of too much. It is actually very uncommon to produce too much stomach acid.

Hydrochloric acid serves several functions in the body, it helps to aid as a disinfectant, killing bacteria and parasites. It also begins to break down protein, while in this process turning food into a food bolus, referred to as chyme.

So what happens to digestion if there isn't enough HCL in the stomach, or if people take antacids? Digestion is a step by step process, so when one step isn't working correctly it causes problems at all the steps further down in the process. If HCL isn't around to begin the break down of a meal once it hits the stomach then food tends to stay in the stomach. The acidic nature of the chyme in healthy digestion would trigger the next step in digestion; stimulating the release of secretin and CCK, which then in turn stimulates the gallbladder and the pancreas.

Even though the stomach isn't acidic enough to break down the food and move it to the next step, it is still too acidic for the esophagus. So if the chyme can't move into the small intestine it ends up just sitting in the stomach. The mound of food begins to purify in the stomach (yummy, huh?) causing the contents of the stomach to reflux into the lower part of the esophagus. This is when people feel a burning sensation, and run for their antacids. It also can cause other symptoms such as gas and bloating.

What are some causes of low HCL?

• Unhealthy eating habits: eating to fast, eating to large of portions
• Tobacco
• Heavy exercise, tight clothes
• To many caffeinated beverages
• Eating refined carbohydrates
• Alcohol
• Certain foods
• Stress
• Pregnancy
• Medications

Here are some steps to improve digestion:

• Avoid eating overly large portions
• Avoid eating a large meal 2-3 hours before bedtime
• Avoid any foods that you notice give you heart burn
• Avoid drinking ice cold beverages or too many beverages with meals
• Avoid refined sugars
• Avoid smoking
• Avoid alcohol
• Eat in a relaxed state
• Take your time and chew each bite fully
• Add digestive enzymes or HCL with your meals

Another misleading claim made by the manufactures of antacids is the idea that they are a great source of calcium, which aids in the fight against osteoporosis. What the companies fail to inform us is that your stomach needs to be acidic for calcium to be ionized, and therefore absorbed. So their product, while it does contain calcium, actually hinders its absorption, rendering it useless for the very purpose it is intended.

Pura Vida!

Alica Ryan, NTP