Health Blue Print For Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease
What is G.E.R.D.?
GERD stands for Gastro- Esophageal Reflux Disease.
It is also called “acid reflux”.
Put simply, the back pressure of food in the stomach weakens the valve between the esophagus and stomach. After a meal this back pressure then forces food and stomach acid into the esophagus.
While the lining of the stomach is protected against stomach acid, the lining of the esophagus is not. The stomach acid pushing up into the esophagus can ulcerate and damage the esophagus.
Symptoms of GERD
The major symptoms are heartburn, regurgitation and nausea. Heartburn is a burning sensation beneath the chest bone or in the middle of the chest. It can start in the abdomen and move up into the neck and upper back. Regurgitation is the feeling of having your food come back up. Nausea is the feeling of uneasiness or upset in the stomach that occurs before vomiting. (One can feel nauseous without vomiting).
Complications Of GERD
Chronic irritation of the esophageal lining by stomach acid can lead to pre-cancerous changes (called Barrett’s esophagus) and risk of esophageal cancer.
Medical Treatment of GERD
The customary treatment offered by medical practitioners is a drug called an “acid blocker”. These drugs are Prolisec, Nexium Aciphex, Protonix, and are also called PPI’s for Proton Pump Inhibitors.
Acid blockers interrupt the stomach’s ability to produce and secrete stomach acid. When back pressure in the stomach pushes stomach fluids up into the esophagus, they are less acidic and do less damage to the lining of the esophagus. Consequently the symptoms of GERD improve.
Misinformation About GERD
Pharmaceutical ads attribute GERD to over production of stomach acid. This is not true. The problem in GERD is the back wash of stomach fluid up into the esophagus because of the weakening of the muscle sphincter that is supposed to block this back wash.
The best remedy for GERD is normalizing the function of the esophageal sphincters which are supposed to prevent backwash of stomach acid into the esophagus. The medical treatment for GERD, suppression of stomach acid production, leads to numerous health problems.
Negative Effects Of Acid Blockers
Many of the adverse effects of the acid blockers used to treat GERD come from insufficient stomach acid for digestion and absorption of nutrients. Stomach acid is essential for digestion of protein and absorption of critical nutrients such as vitamin B12, calcium and iron. Any one taking an acid blocker is at increased risk for
- hip fractures (poor calcium absorption leads to osteoporosis and weakening of bones)
- vitamin B12 deficiency (weakness, tiredness, light headedness, rapid heart beat and breathing, pale skin, sore tongue, easy bruising or bleeding, bleeding gums, stomach upset)
- amino acid deficiency (depression and mood issues, weak immune system, inefficient digestive system, chronic fatigue)
- iron deficiency anemia (symptoms include general lethargy, severe fatigue after exercise)
- cognitive impairment (ability to think, concentrate, formulate ideas, reason and remember)
Stomach acid also acts as a protective barrier against microbes that live in our gut. When the level of stomach acid drops when taking acid blockers, we become more susceptible to infections which lead to pneumonia and bowel inflammation (entero-colitis secondary to Clostridium difficile infection).
Addiction To Acid Blockers
Many people on acid blockers are the unsuspecting victims of addiction to these drugs. How is that possible?
It has been shown that when stomach acid is blocked by such drugs, the stomach compensates by a massive increase in the number of acid secreting cells. A person taking an acid blocker experiences this as an episode of severe GERD whenever they try to stop taking the drug. Such an effect was even shown in healthy volunteers. 120 healthy subjects with no symptoms of heartburn or GERD were given acid blocking drugs for 8 weeks. After stopping the drugs a large proportion of the subjects reported experiencing heartburn, indigestion and regurgitation. Remember, these were healthy people who were put on acid blockers for just two months and stopped. They then experienced symptoms of GERD.
What occurs for many patients on acid blockers, is they can’t get off the drug because of the compensatory over production of acid by the stomach. Talk about a vicious cycle.
Alternative Solutions To GERD For Immediate Relief
○ Sit or Stand For 3 Hours After Eating
Remain seated or standing for 3 hours after meals (particularly dinner). Lying down causes stomach fluid to push up against the top of the stomach and esophageal valve. If you remain sitting or standing until your meal is digested, and the stomach is empty, there is nothing to back up into the esophagus.
○ Avoid foods that relax the esophageal sphincter
These include chocolate, soda, coffee, green or black tea (herbal is okay), peppermint, smoking, alcohol, fat–especially from fried foods
○ Heal and rebuild the lining of the esophagus
A number of nutrients and herbs have been shown to heal the lining of the esophagus. I recommend:
Chewable DGL (deglycyrrhizinated licorice).
DGL increases the number of mucus cells in the lining of the upper stomach and esophagus. The mucus secreted by these cells protects the stomach and esophagus from the ill effects of stomach acid. Take 700-800 mg of chewable DGL two to three times daily away from meals. No adverse effects have been noted with taking DGL.
d-Limonene (natural orange peel oil).
d-Limonene coats the esophagus protecting it from stomach acid. Researchers find that over three-quarters of GERD sufferers report complete relief of their symptoms after taking d-Limonene. This relief continued after ceasing to take the d-Limonene and for some lasted several months. No adverse effects have been reported with taking d-Limonene. Take 1000 mg twice daily away from food for a minimum of one month.
For A Long Term Cure
○ Continue The Immediate Relief Therapies Above
A long term cure requires getting off of acid blockers, healing the lining of the esophagus completely, and correcting the underlying cause of GERD. It is important to continue the treatments mentioned above until the underlying causes are remedied.
○ Correcting The Cause
Strengthening the gastro-esophageal sphincter
The gastro-esophageal valve (shown on the right) is supposed to squeeze tight when there is food in the stomach. This prevents the stomach fluids from back washing up into the esophagus. You’ll note that the diaphragm also encircles the esophagus at this point.
Many people with GERD also have what is called a hiatal hernia. This is a condition where the upper part of the stomach pushes upward through the opening (hiatus) in the diaphragm. This condition must be corrected for the GERD to be corrected. Experienced chiropractors know how to manually pull the stomach down and thereby correct the hiatal hernia. This may need to be done on several occasions until it holds.
Improving digestion and speeding the transit of food through the stomach remedies GERD
Normally food enters the stomach, where upon acid is released to start protein digestion. When digestion in the stomach has occurred, a valve at the bottom of the stomach opens and releases the food into the small intestine. The stomach “senses” when stomach digestion is complete and then sends the food to the small intestines where the next step occurs.
The easiest way to support digestion is to take a digestive enzyme. By taking a digestive enzyme with your food at the beginning of a meal, the digestive process in the stomach and intestines is amplified.
There are countless digestive enzyme products on the market, varying in ingredients, cost and value.
Paradoxically, some patients with GERD benefit from a digestive enzyme containing hydrochloric acid (the same acid that is produced by the stomach). When taken with a meal this speeds the digestive processes in the stomach and the transit of food into the small intestines where it can no longer back wash into the esophagus. Consequently, for some patients, as a trial I recommend a digestive enzyme containing Betaine HCL and Pepsin. The product I use is Metagest by Metagenics.
I also recommend plant based digestive enzymes containing proteases, amylases, lipases and cellulases for the digestion of protein, fat and carbohydrate.
Change Your Diet As Follows…
If you are overweight, work on weight loss.
Excess weight, especially in the abdomen, increases the pressure in the abdominal cavity. This includes the pressure on the stomach. When you eat a meal, the stomach needs to be able to expand to accommodate the food. If it cannot there is excess pressure within the stomach.
The only thing that prevents the food from backing up is the sphincter between the stomach and the esophagus, which is what is weakened in those suffering GERD. Losing weight can relieve this pressure in the abdominal cavity and on the stomach.
Cut out the bad fat.
Avoid hydrogenated (trans-) fats like the plague. Also limit the amount of saturated fat from meat products (hard to digest). Avoid vegetable oils except for olive oil, canola oil, flax oil, walnut oil and grape seed oil.
Eat Healthy Fruits and Vegetables
Fruits and vegetables contain lots of healthy nutrients and minerals. The minerals help to buffer and protect against the effect of acid in your body.
Avoid NSAID Drugs
Avoid all of the NSAID’s (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) like Advil, Alleve, Ibuprofen, Naproxen, Aspirin, etc. These drugs are extremely damaging to the lining of the digestive tract and account for innumerable hospitalizations and deaths. Instead use natural products like curcumin, ginger, boswellia and fish oil which have potent anti-inflammatory properties without the negative side effects.
Release Stress
Stress builds up. When it does it affects our nervous system and our entire body. Researchers say that stress is a contributing factor to well over 75% of modern diseases. Stress can aggravate the symptoms of GERD and the function of the entire gastrointestinal tract.
It’s an insult to say to someone that they need to manage their stress without giving them the tools to do so. After all, none of us enjoys being stressed out. We just don’t know how to release the stress that builds up.
An exceptional technique for relief of stress and self healing through the mind body connection is the Release Technique. I have practiced this technique for seven years now (October, 2012) and it has helped me immensely with emotional stress and in healing some physical ailments. I highly recommend it.