A reader asks: How can I change my diet to get rid of GERD?
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is caused by stomach contents regurgitating up the esophagus because the sphincter separating the esophagus and stomach is open. The risk of acid hurting the esophagus is the major problem. The tissue of the esophagus is not capable of tolerating the acidity, so it changes its cells structure to protect itself. If enough change takes place, it is called a Barrett’s esophagus, a precursor to cancer.
Any carbohydrate intake, especially sugar, seems to trigger more reflux than any specific food. Others have identified meat or beef as the trigger in them. You need to be your own detective to find the trigger. The treatment, then, is to avoid the trigger. In the meantime, you may be able to coat the esophagus with an oil swallowed several times each day, to protect the esophagus from the acid.
Some reflux is related to inadequate acid production, with subsequent inadequate breakdown of food in the stomach This needs to be treated with betaine HCl, which stimulates acid production. Some people do not have sufficient pancreatic enzymes to break down the food, again contributing to reflux. This is treated with ingesting those enzymes with each meal or any food intake.
Occasionally, acid blockers are needed, but they sometimes make the initial acid deficiency even worse, although they may protect the esophagus from further damage. These should be used as a last resort. Tums have aluminum in them. Aluminum is a toxic metal, and I do not recommend it.
My doctor says I can get all the vitamins and minerals I need from my food. What is your opinion on this?
I used to say the same thing to my patients, back in the days before I studied healthy alternatives. It is the party line of allopathic medicine, although that is starting to change. Here's the bottom line, and I'll follow up with some info on what allopaths are now doing:
3 responses so far ↓
1 Resa Roberts // Dec 29, 2009 at 3:07 pm
I’ve heard that drinking Apple Cidar vinegar w/moms helps this. What do you say about that?
2 Jane R // Dec 30, 2009 at 11:12 am
I had both upper and lower test for the acid reflux. The specialist said my constipation was the reason for my acid reflux. Acid Reflux is better but still have a problem keeping regular. Any advise to help without taking medicine to relieve the constipation? JR
3 J. K. // Jan 2, 2010 at 2:54 pm
Several years ago I was dianosed with a type of acid reflux that does not cause me heartburn but nearly destroyed my vocal chords without me knowing it. My doctor heard me coughing quite a bit as I spoke and asked me to come in for a scope of my throat the next week. My throat was inflammed terribly and I had ulcers on it. He told me it was caused from acids seeping back up my esophogus when I lied down and the acids were due to my diet. So he put me on a strict diet with LOW fat, NO spices, NO acidic fruits, NO chocolate (chocolate causes the vocal chord muscles to relax making it easier for acids to seep in) and NO hot sauce and then on the pill Nexium. With in six months my ulcers were down and I’d lost 13 pounds. By the end of the year I lost the 25 pounds I was overweight, and my throat was the best it’d ever been in years. The hardest thing is staying on the diet. Everytime I indulge I pay with upset stomach and a pained throat I can actually feel now because my esophogus and vocal chord lining were healed through taking Nexium and changing my diet. Before I never felt the true heat of hot and spicy foods because my lining was so damaged.
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