Does thisPopular type of diet better work better than pills for Acid Reflux?

 GERD, commonly referred to ac Acid Reflux Disease, affects close to 2o% of the population.  And while, some make think what’s a little heartburn, years of pro-longed acid reflux can among other things lead to esophageal cancer.  The most commonly prescribed treatment is typically medication like PPI’s(Proton Pump Inhibitors.)  While these drugs are only meant for short term use, doctors typically leave patients on this drug for years if not for the rest of someone’s life.  Unfortunately, these drugs tend to have many side effects.  For those looking for other options that medication, recent evidence suggests that eating a recently popular diet may actually work better than medication.  In this article from Dr. Mercola, he talks more about acid reflux and this diet which could help millions who have this illness avoid dangerous medications:

“Acid Reflux May Respond Better to Foods Than Prescribed Pills

By Dr. Mercola

Americans spend a whopping $13 billion a year on over-the-counter and prescription proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), which are the most popular anti-reflux medications on the market.¹ Because they inhibit acid production, prescription PPI drugs like Nexium, Prevacid and Prilosec are used to treat acid reflux, also known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), a condition affecting about 20 percent of the U.S. population.²

Once prescribed, your doctor may keep you on a PPI drug for years, despite label warnings suggesting they be used only for short periods. If you regularly suffer from heartburn or acid reflux, you’ll want to take note of research suggesting dietary changes are as or more effective than drugs in addressing acid reflux.

In many cases, you can begin to restore your body’s proper gastric balance and function simply by avoiding processed foods and sugar. By eating real food and infusing your gut microbiome with beneficial bacteria — from traditionally fermented foods or a high-quality probiotic supplement — you can rebalance your digestive system and eliminate the need for PPIs and other medications. In addition, there are several natural remedies available to help you address this condition.

What Is Reflux?

Reflux, or GERD, occurs when contents from your stomach back up into your esophagus, causing stomach acid to irritate the lining of your esophagus. Other common names for this condition include:

• Acid indigestion
• Acid regurgitation
• Heartburn

If you experience acid reflux symptoms more than twice a week, you very likely have reflux disease or GERD, which involves bloating, burning pain in your chest and gut discomfort.

GERD sufferers who experience pronounced reflux symptoms concentrated in the upper throat area, including the pharynx and voice box, may have a more serious condition called laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR). LPR occurs when pepsin, a digestive enzyme from your stomach, damages the sensitive tissues in the back of your throat, resulting in symptoms such as:³

• A “lump” in your throat that doesn’t go away
• Excessive throat clearing or throat mucus
• Hoarseness
• Persistent cough or sore throat
• Trouble breathing or swallowing

Research Shows Diet Plays a Crucial Role in Addressing Acid Reflux

A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery⁴ involving 184 participants, suggests a Mediterranean diet — one focused on fruits, healthy fats, lean meats, nuts and vegetables — may be as effective as PPIs in treating acid reflux symptoms.

The type of reflux addressed in the research was LPR, the kind in which stomach acid affects sensitive tissues at the back of your throat. “You’re not supposed to have acid up in the throat,” says lead study author Dr. Craig Zalvan, chief of otolaryngology and medical director of the Phelps Institute for Voice and Swallowing Disorders at Phelps Hospital in New York. “The tissues there have poor protection against acid and pepsin.”

All the study participants were advised to avoid reflux triggers such as alcohol, chocolate, coffee, greasy and fatty foods, spicy foods and tea. The research compared outcomes involving two groups:

• 85 LPR sufferers who were treated with PPIs
• 99 LPR sufferers who were put on a Mediterranean diet and told to drink alkaline water

After six weeks, outcomes were measured using a standardized reflux scale. Notably, those who changed their diet and those who used PPI medications both reported a similar lessening of reflux symptoms, with the diet group indicating a slightly higher level of improvement. Given the outcomes, Zalvan believes diet is the better of the two options for addressing LPR symptoms. He states:

“These results really show you can treat people with a diet-based approach using a plant-based diet. If you take all patients with LPR and put them on a plant-based diet … the majority do get better. And they stop their drugs, which overall leads to much better health.”

The Benefits of a Mediterranean Diet on Reflux

Even though it was not clear from the research why this particular choice of diet evidently helped relieve reflux symptoms, a number of studies have confirmed the overall health benefits of a Mediterranean-style diet. As you may imagine, eating a healthy diet will naturally contribute to your body’s proper acid balance.

Even if you do not have reflux issues, a Mediterranean-style diet is a good choice if you are interested in optimizing your health, since it’s low in sugar, moderate in protein and high in fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as healthy fats. The Mediterranean-style of eating has been shown to improve cardiovascular health and significantly reduce your risk of stroke. It has also been shown to lower your risk of Alzheimer’s disease,^5,6 cancer, Parkinson’s and rheumatoid arthritis.

Overall, the Mediterranean diet is one of the best conventional diets to support your brain and heart health. Research indicates diets rich in healthy fats from avocados, nuts and olive oil may boost memory and cognition in older adults.^7,8 About the research, Samantha Heller, certified dietitian/nutritionist at New York University’s Langone Orthopedic Center, stated:

“These healthy fats have been shown to improve cognitive function and brain health. Conversely, research suggests eating unhealthy fats like trans fats found in processed foods, and saturated fats in animal foods accelerated cognitive decline and poor memory, and is linked to an increased risk of dementia.”

While I agree with most of what Heller said, I disagree with her assertion that saturated fats from animal foods are bad for you. Saturated fat found in meats and other animal products is actually quite good for you, but only if you choose high-quality sources such as grass fed beef and pastured chicken or healthy fish such as wild Alaskan salmon, anchovies or sardines.

Alkaline Water Is a Short-Term Fix, Not a Long-Term Solution for Reflux

While there’s no doubt you need water to survive, the type of water you drink will have a significant impact on your well-being. Because alkaline water was paired with a Mediterranean-style diet in the featured reflux study, I want to address it. Most importantly, if you suffer from GERD or another serious reflux disease, I want to dispel any notions you may have about consuming alkaline water on a regular basis. Your body simply will not be able to handle the pH change that will come about if you make that switch.  

For occasional relief from burning reflux symptoms, alkaline water, due to its higher pH level than regular drinking water, may deliver soothing relief by neutralizing the acid in your body.

Whereas normal drinking water has a neutral pH of 7, alkaline water’s pH is about 8 or 9. On those “emergency” occasions, you can make alkaline water easily and quickly at home simply by adding a squeeze of lemon or lime juice, or one-half to 1 teaspoon of baking soda, to a glass of filtered water. Authors of a 2012 study indicating the beneficial effects of alkaline water on reflux disease noted:⁹

“Unlike conventional drinking water, pH 8.8 alkaline water instantly denatures pepsin, rendering it permanently inactive. In addition, it has good acid-buffering capacity. Thus, the consumption of alkaline water may have therapeutic benefits for patients with reflux disease.”

Again, I would underscore the importance of alkaline water as a temporary solution — and only if your reflux is actually caused by excess stomach acid. More often than not, heartburn is the cause of insufficient amounts of acid. Your body is naturally designed to achieve balance and it needs acid to digest food. If you have low stomach acid and your digestion is impaired, you will not only absorb less nutrients from your food, but also open the door for potential bacterial infections. (More on that below.)

The bottom line is daily consumption of water that is either too acidic or too alkaline will be problematic. What you want is pure water — water that is clean and balanced. Ideally, the pH of your water should be somewhere between 6 and 8.

Photo By Slimming Plus