The Real Reason Why You Have Acid Reflux and How To Fix It
I often hear people say, “I have acid reflux because of too much stomach acid.” While that is a common belief, it is not correct. The real reason why people usually have acid reflux is because of a lack of stomach acid. While some people may experience an excess of stomach acid, it is actually much rarer than having too little.
With every client I have worked with who has suffered from acid reflux (and other digestive issues), we have had to work on balancing their stomach acid levels.
Our stomach acid is designed to be very acidic and should have a ph score of 1.5-3. To give you an idea of how acidic that is, if you spilled hydrochloric acid on the carpet, it would burn a hole through it with no problem. Unfortunately, due to stress in our lives and low-quality food, stomach acid is commonly depleted in many individuals.
How digestion is supposed to work
Digestion starts in the brain. When we anticipate our food, whether we are smelling it, looking at it, thinking about it, etc., it readies our digestive system for food by prompting our gastric juices to flow. How digestion is supposed to work is, we chew our food, the food is swallowed, it passes into the stomach where our stomach acid and gastric juices break down the substance, and then it moves throughout the rest of the digestive system until eventually being eliminated.
How acid reflux occurs
Acid reflux occurs when someone lacks stomach acid (unless they are the rare case of people who have an excess). The reflux occurs when we eat our food, the food is swallowed and passes into the stomach, there are not enough gastric juices to break it down, and our body pushes the food back up into our esophagus, resulting in the burning sensation known as acid reflux. Many people think, “Well, if acid is being pushed up into my esophagus, then there has to be an excess.” This is not the case. Due to a lack of hydrochloric acid, the stomach is aggravated and pushes the little bit that you have, along with undigested food, up into the esophagus.
Doctors often prescribe antacids to people who are experiencing acid reflux without ever checking their hydrochloric acid levels. If a person already has an insufficient amount of gastric juices, the antacid lowers their levels even more, resulting in digestive dysfunction and unwanted symptoms like acid reflux.
With every client I have worked with who suffers from acid reflux, they have not had lasting success with an antacid. They would take it to relieve discomfort, and whenever they ate, the reflux would occur again. To fix the issue for good, we needed to get to the root cause and balance their stomach acid levels. And guess what? Their acid reflux was gone for good.
If you are taking an antacid, I would encourage you to think about if it is really resolving the problem. How often do you have to take it? Does your acid reflux come back again? If it does, the antacid is only serving as a bandaid to the real issue, low stomach acid.
It is crucial to have the proper balance of hydrochloric acid. If we have an imbalance, it will ultimately cause problems bigger than acid reflux. Without enough hydrochloric acid, our body cannot digest our food and absorb the nutrients we need to be fueled properly.
What should I do to get rid of my acid reflux?
My first and most important suggestion for getting rid of your acid reflux for good is to work with a holistic practitioner (like myself) who will know how to address low stomach acid levels and balance digestion. Getting to the root cause of dysfunction is the only thing you can do to resolve your symptoms for good. If working with a practitioner is not possible, then here are a few things you can do to relieve acid reflux:
1. Apple cider vinegar or real lemon juice in water
Add about 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar or real lemon juice to a glass of water.
2. Slow down and chew thoroughly
Slow down while you eat and chew your food thoroughly. Eating too quickly causes digestive dysfunction by not giving the system time to produce gastric juices.
3. Refrain from drinking anything during your meal
This dilutes your stomach acid. Wait until at least 30 minutes after your meal.
4. Digestive bitters
Digestive bitters are a powerful tool to use when balancing digestion. Using them right before you eat a meal will help get gastric juices flowing.
NOTE: If you are pregnant, check the bottle. Most bitters cannot be consumed while you are pregnant.