Did you know the antacid industry is a 10 billion dollar industry?

GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), or heartburn/acid reflux is very common in North America. If you suffer from it. you will experience:

• heartburn
• indigestion
• abdominal or chest pain
• a sensation of a lump in your throat
• burping or regurgitation

GERD can be worse at night or when lying down, it can disrupt your sleep, lead to lethargy, diarrhea, constipation and can lead to COPD (from burping up and breathing in stomach acid. It can also lead to esophageal cancer.

What Causes GERD?

GERD is due to HYPOCHLORHYDRIA - which is LOW STOMACH ACID.
And what are the causes of low stomach acid?

• regular use of antacids or NSAIDs
• antibiotics
• drug or alcohol use
• poorly chewed food
• overeating
• eating a large amount of red meat or dairy which requires a lot of HCI to break it down
• too little fibre
• malnutrition from eating too many refined foods (sugar!)
• dehydration - a big one since HCI is predominantly water
• stress (always being in fight or flight)
• age
• poor adrenal function

As opposed to taking an antacid which ultimately will reduce even further the amount of acid in your stomach, it is important to address why you are having heartburn or acid reflux in the first place.

First Things First!

• stop taking antacids!
• eat smaller amounts of food
• drink lots of water but drink it away from meals as drinking water with meals can reduce HCI
• eat real food
• avoid processed foods and try to avoid foods that aggravate
• increase physical activity
• increase the amount of fibre in your diet
• eat both prebiotic and probiotic rich foods

You can naturally increase your stomach acid by drinking organic, raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar. My favourite brand is Braggs and you can pretty much find it anywhere.

Pour a tbsp in an 8 ox glass of water and drink it throughout the day. If you are having a bad bout of heartburn that requires an immediate solution, drink a tbsp and chase it with water. The initial reaction will be harsh, but you should feel relief within a few seconds.

Why Is Low Hydrochloric Acid (HCI) Such An Issue?

Low HCI leads to the poor activation of enzymes, low B12 production, poorly broken-down food and low pancreatic function and bile release. It leads to leaky gut and gut dysbiosis from the lack of helpful bacteria in the gut and the overgrowth of yeast.

People with low HCI crave sugar and simple carbs to fulfill their energy cravings as they are literally starving due to their gut dysbiosis. They may start to see signs of hypoglycemia, nutrient, mineral and amino acid deficiencies, poor skin, hair and nail issues (ridges on their fingernails, allergies from and various autoimmune disorders.