Heartburn has probably affected every single person at one time in their life. Most of us know the feeling of burning, acidic stomach fluid refluxing up our esophagus. Heartburn has many names – GERD,
acid reflux, indigestion, etc. It is also a condition that has been targeted by major drug companies. You could say that heartburn is a lucrative business. The highest selling pharmaceutical in 2009 was the proton-pump inihibitor (PPI) drug Nexium – that little purple pill – with sales of $6.3 Billion dollars! In fact, Nexium costs $248 per month just to manage the symptoms of heartburn and do nothing about actually fixing it. Now, there are cases where proton-pump inhibitors could make sense for very short term use. However that is not how the drugs are used, marketed, or prescribed! The answer to heartburn is not drugs that have horrendous long-term side effects. Read on and you will learn how to fix heartburn naturally.
While it may sound hard to believe, the vast majority of heartburn is caused by too little stomach acid, not too much. In fact, it is better to think of heartburn as stomach acid (also called HCl) in the wrong place rather than stomach acid that is too strong. How can it be that burning feeling in the upper chest is due to too little acid? The answer lies in how the stomach works.
The stomach is a muscular bag with a valve at the bottom called the pyloric sphincter and a valve at the top called the lower esophageal sphincter, or LES. The LES is what is problematic in heartburn conditions. In a healthy stomach, food enters the stomach, the stomach secretes gastric juices, and the LES closes sealing off the stomach for digestion to take place. This keeps all the stomach acid and chyme (partially digested food) where it belongs. In order for the LES to close tight, it needs a very low pH. In other words, if the stomach can produce enough acid to lower the pH to the 1.5-3.0 range, then the upper valve to the stomach will shut tight. With that valve closed, no acid will reach the esophagus and no heartburn or GERD will occur.
When the stomach does not produce enough acid, when the pH does not get to 1.5-3.0, then the upper valve of the stomach has difficulty closing all the way. Then when the stomach begins to digest food, it splashes and sloshes up the hole in the valve and enters the esophagus where it burns and causes heartburn symptoms. What is considered low acid in the stomach, say pH of 4.0-5.0, is still strong enough to burn the esophagus. The lining of the esophagus was never designed to handle acids that strong. Only the stomach has the mucous defense mechanisms to tolerated such strong acids.
So each time a person with heartburn eats a meal, they do not get full closure of the upper valve of the stomach. The stomach doesn’t produce enough acid, the valve doesn’t close, and heartburn is the result. There are many reasons why the stomach doesn’t produce enough acid. The production of stomach acid is very energy intensive because the cells have to push upstream against a 3,000,000:1 gradient to produce enough HCl for proper digestion. Any health condition that creates blood sugar imbalance, emotional stress, or fatigue interrupts the production of HCl. Do you know anyone who is stressed out, carrying extra weight, and complains of being tired all the time?
Another reason stomach acid production is low is that it declines with age. The majority of people over age 60 have hypochlorhydria or low HCl. If you are over 40 it is likely you are not producing enough. When our stomach acid is low its not only heartburn that gets us. Without the acid we don’t absorb the nutrients like calcium from our food. This can cause osteoporosis, osteomalacia, and anemia if the problem persists over long periods of time.
In our holistic chiropractic office we screen every patient for stomach problems like low HCl and heartburn. Digestion is critical for health so we know how important it is for our patients. We use supplemental HCl and other enzymes to make sure digestion is working optimally. Another contributing factor to stomach malfunctions are spinal misalignments. When the bones of the spine are out of alignment they can put tension on nerves which changes how they fire. If the nerve going to the stomach is not firing well, the stomach will not be working optimally. Nerves control all organ function, and if a misalignment of the spine is interfering with the firing of a nerve, it needs to be corrected – adjusted by a chiropractor – to improve function and promote health.
At Red Mountain we have many powerful, safe, and natural tools for creating and improving health. Stomach acid problems are a major health issue as evidenced by the high sales volume of PPI drugs. Instead of going with the PPI drugs which can cause osteoporosis, hip fracture, anemia, pneumonia, diarrhea, and malnutrition, it makes sense to follow natural principals to restore function. If you or someone you know has heartburn and is tired of taking little purple pills then contact our office today to uncover and treat the cause of your problem.
Yours in Health,
Dr. Andrew
