Will you believe me if I told you that the reason you are getting a heart burn/acidity is because your stomach is not making enough acid?

What Is Heartburn/acid reflux?

Despite its name, heartburn has nothing to do with the heart. It creates a burning discomfort in the chest hence the name. It is caused by irritation of the esophagus by stomach acid. Heartburn is a weekly occurrence for up to 20% of Americans.

Do you remember the biology lessons from High school?

Gastric acid is a digestive fluid, formed in the stomach. It is composed of hydrochloric acid (HCl),  potassium chloride (KCl), and sodium chloride (NaCl). The acid plays a key role in digestion by activating the digestive enzymes. Being acidic is the natural state of the stomach. The stomach is lined by epithelial cells which protect the stomach from the overall acidic environment.

What causes Heartburn?

The reason behind acid reflux/heartburn is that when the stomach does not make enough acid to break down the protein you just ingested in your meals, it churns vigorously to make the best use of the limited acid it has. This in turn causes pressure and backflows of the existing acid. The combination of the back flows into the esophagus and the stomach’s cramping action is what causes pain and discomfort.

The physiology of heartburn during pregnancy is slightly different. The cause is hormonal as well as physical changes. The hormone that relaxes muscles during pregnancy, also relaxes the stomach valve letting acid into the esophagus, hence the heartburn. Also, the growing baby crowds the stomach, forcing acid into the esophagus.

 Does your stomach have enough acid?

Unfortunately, in today’s world of high stress, processed foods, antibiotic over-use, prescription, and various drugs side effects our stomach’s ability to make acid is reduced. Also with age, there is a reduction of HCl produced by the stomach. Many digestive problems are caused by too little stomach acid. It may seem like there is too much acid because of heartburn or a sour aftertaste but the cause of the problem is low stomach acid and not too much acid as perceived.

What happens when you take an antacid?

When you take an antacid it gives you instant relief by neutralizing the acid in your esophagus but does the very opposite for your digestion. It neutralizes the low acid that you have and will worsen the problem. The same symptoms will appear at the next meal and you will again have to take an antacid for symptomatic relief and not cure the cause of the problem. To recreate acids that have been neutralized, the body must carry out a set of complex chemical reactions that stresses the body and cause it to develop an acidic pH. This process is quite unhealthy.

Some of the common symptoms caused by low stomach acid are :

Bloating, belching, and flatulence immediately after meals, heartburn (often thought to be caused by too much stomach acid), indigestion, acne, hair loss in women, weak fingernails, chronic fatigue, dry skin etc

 A Natural Remedy:

If you already know that you have an ulcer, stop here.

The next time that you have indigestion/stomach pain try an experiment that gives your stomach the acid that it needs.

  1. Take a tablespoon of lemon juice mixed with a glass of water (no sugary lemonade).

IfBraggs-Apple-Cider-Vinegar this makes the pain go away, the cause of the ailment is low acid.

Or  2. Take a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and chase it with a glass of water. I recommend only purchasing organic, raw apple cider vinegar in glass containers All stomach churning and pain should subside within minutes unless the problem is ulcers. The results are amazing.

Or 3. Another practical solution is apple cider vinegar gummies with each protein-containing meals.

A Natural remedy during pregnancy:

Although heartburn during pregnancy is mostly harmless it can get uncomfortable. Try eating small meals and sipping ginger tea in between meals for relief. Ginger in herbal tea or candy ginger can really help.

 

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15 Comments

  1. So true Niti. Apple cider vinegar always works for any stomach problems and I always keep a bottle of it in my home. Having apple cider vinegar with little honey in warm water every day first thing in the morning helps with pollen allergies as well.

  2. I am 22 weeks expecting mom and having acid reflux problem since first trimester. I am going to give it a try to your tip regarding apple cider vinegar. I have been taking prescribed acid reflux medicine since the first trimester. I was curious how long does this take to affect in our body, does it require us to do it every morning regularly or you would do it as needed base? I really like your site. It has very good information. Thanks!

  3. Congratulations, Seema! I would say apple cider vinegar might not be of help to you as acid reflux during pregnancy is not because of low acid.
    The hormone that relaxes muscles during pregnancy, also relaxes the stomach valve letting acid into the esophagus, hence the heartburn. Also the growing baby crowds the stomach, forcing acid into the esophagus. Although heartburn during pregnancy is mostly harmless it can get uncomfortable. Try eating small meals and sipping ginger tea in between meals for relief. Ginger in herbal tea or in form of ginger candy can really help. Best of luck, Niti.

  4. The small prescription here would be to eat wholesome and real foods. It is easier said than done. So we live in a world of treating symptoms than treating the root cause.
    Other small fixes which helps improve stomach acid production would be: avoiding processed and GMO foods, using good quality sea salt, using different spices in food, avoid drinking ice water with meals. Hope this helps! Good luck!!

  5. I WAS SO BAD YOU COULD SMELL ME FROM TEN FEET AWAY:

    I have been suffering with stomach problems for years and every doctor I have been to prescribed acid blocking pills, the more I took them the worse I got, to a point where I wanted to die.

    One night while sleeping a sudden gush of acid fluid came up through my mouth like vomit and as I rushed to the bathroom sink I fell unconscious, I was told, for a few minutes, on regaining consciousness I heard someone over me saying “are you alright” .

    I took matters into my own hands and decided that I was done with the Doctors medication. I started on non-filtered apple cider vinegar with fresh cane juice and sometimes lime juice in water while testing my urine PH all through the day.

    Now I can eat the toughest meat anytime even minutes before I go to sleep with no pain, no reflux.

    By the way I must tell you that I also use pau pau (paw paw) almost fully ripened in my smoothies in this way the enzymes help with the digestion.

  6. Thank you so much for sharing your story, Danny. So glad you took matters in your hands and figured out the right path. Apple cider n Lemon juice is the way to go for relief!

  7. I had a bloating in my chest like it was taking my breath, i started drinking ginger ale for the relief, finanlly when i went to the doctor he told me i have the bacteria h-pylori, was giving clopidermide, nexium and the antibiotics, check and see if it went, came back negative but i was getting worse went to doctor again and was told i have gastritis/gerd with a haital hernia, i was on nexium again, dexilant, still wasn’t getting any better, was to the point where i had no energy to do nothing, my stomach was bloated all day every day, chest burning like it had a hole, one day i just decided to try juicing stuff i read about on the net, like carrot, cabbage, cellery, beets, chew fennel seeds, drank ginger tea and the fennel tea, until the burning went, i tried probiotic yoghert 0% fat, all this i did after making a lifestyle change and keep wondering why am i still hurting, am a lot better since then, now i’m trying digestive enzymes, aloe vera juice and supplements, along with the apple cider vinegar, i do eat paw paw and apple, my eyes are blurred which have me feeling doopy either from some sort of deficiency or one of the medications taking too long, a friend who have a sister with acid relux told me its the meds that have my eyes so and thats an uncomfortableness i have to live with for a while, before i knew this i went to the eye specialist to check my eyes, he told me i need glases, i wonder why, my eyes wasn’t like this before my situation, i have lost so much weight during the process, don’t know if i was worried about it too much or because i had a likestyle change where i had to eat small meals and snack in between, i dont have heartburn when i eat because i stick to my lifestyle change, i do have gerd when i eat too much at a time, my stomach bloating, sourish, feeling full feeling seems to be going away, i have stuffy nose i guess from the acid getting up there, and even at times felt like i had asma, skin is also dry

  8. Wonderful Elodia. Digestive enzymes, aloe vera juice, apple cider vinegar and Paw Paw is the way to go! I wish this treatment plan would be readily available. There are way too many misconceptions like using antacids to cure acidity and we keep on doing it hoping it will work and it doesn’t because it is wrong. So glad you took matters in your hand and made the lifestyle change! Great going!

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