What Causes Heartburn? Fact: It's Not a Lack of Antacids
Think heartburn is from too much stomach acid?
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First, it’s important to understand the concept of pH, which measures how acidic or basic a substance is. The scale goes from 0 to 14, with 0 being most acidic and 14 being most basic. 7 is neutral and is basically the pH of our blood.
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Digestion is a north to south process, kind of like an assembly line:
👀It starts in the BRAIN when you smell, see and think about food
👄Chewing your food triggers the production of saliva and tells the digestive tract to get ready
👅Digestive enzymes in saliva help start breaking down food in your mouth (already!)
⤵️Food goes through the esophagus and into the stomach
🔨Stomach acid, which should be a pH of 1.5-3 (SUPER acidic), is released along with other enzymes to break down food
🛠️Your stomach also contracts to break food down even more
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Next, food enters the small intestine, BUT it has a prerequisite: it must be ACIDIC. If not, it stays in the stomach longer, fermenting, putrefying and rancidifying. This injures the stomach lining and creates acidic splash back up onto the esophagus, CAUSING heartburn.
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Drs Jonathan Wright and George Goodhart found that 90% of Americans produce too little stomach acid. This is from:
🐌Being in a distracted or stressed state (sympathetic), which is a hypo-metabolic state
👄Not chewing your food well
🍺Alcoholic beverages
🥫Refined, processed foods
🤧Eating foods that you’re sensitive or allergic to
🍖Mineral deficiencies
🥬A vegetarian or vegan diet
💊Medications
💊Ant-acids, PPIs, histamine h2-Receptor blockers, motility enhancers etc
🧓Aging
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Then why do antacids seem to relieve heartburn?
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They raise the pH of the stomach, making it more basic so the esophagus doesn’t burn. BUT this creates even more digestive issues, makes us vulnerable to pathogens and increases our risk for digestive cancers.
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So how can we boost stomach acid?
🧐Focus on your food at mealtime
☝️Chew your food 20X per bite
🥛Minimize alcohol
❌Limit processed foods
👩🍳Eat animal foods for necessary ingredients, including bone broth
🍋Consume acidic/vinegary foods like lemons/ACV
❌Avoid antacids
💆♀️Stress less which boosts your metabolism by default
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This is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare professional before pursuing any changes to your personal healthcare regime.
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References
Sethi, S. (2018). How to Increase Stomach Acid at Home. Retrieved from: https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-increase-stomach-acid#treatment
Wright, J.V. Lenard, L. (2001). Why Stomach Acid is Good for You. Lanham, MD: M. Evans.
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