Turning on the television or reading
the newspaper is becoming an exercise in anxiety. If it's
not terrorism, it's the latest health crisis or the struggling
economy. All this stress is sending lots of us to our medicine
chests to calm our nervous stomachs. And what do we usually
reach for? That old standby -- an over-the-counter (OTC) antacid.
Advertising claims would lead you to believe
that any OTC antacid, such as Tums, Rolaids, Maalox or Pepcid,
is harmless enough. Little did you know that taking an antacid
actually can make your stomach problems worse. Stomach Acid:
"A Good Thing"
You may be surprised to learn that Daily
Health News Contributing Editor Andrew Rubman, ND, describes
stomach acid as a good thing. Proper digestion takes place as
a series of functions, all of which depend on the presence of
adequate stomach acid while you are eating.
When you take OTC antacids -- or even worse,
the "more effective" prescription variety -- you're cutting
down or even eliminating the acid you need at mealtimes.
Without it, your stomach can't adequately break down food
into its nutrient components. What's more, as we described
in the May 26 issue of Daily Health News, inadequate digestion
of proteins encourages the liver to increase production of LDL
cholesterol -- the kind of cholesterol that does the most
damage to your body.
An all-too-common result of taking OTC antacids
on a regular daily basis is an increase in cholesterol, which is
then often treated with yet another drug to lower cholesterol levels.
Not a roller coaster ride you want to be on.
Go with the Flow
If you stop taking antacids as a favor to your liver,
what do you do about your sour stomach?
"Prevent it in the first place," says Dr. Rubman.
Make sure you have adequate acid in your stomach during mealtimes,
when you need it, and less stomach acid when you don't need it.
"What we call excess stomach acid," he explains, "is what we should
call inappropriate stomach acid. "To make sure your stomach has
sufficient acid at mealtimes, Dr. Rubman advises against "grazing" --
snacking on food -- throughout the day. Snacking signals the stomach
to pump acid rather than saving it for mealtimes.
In addition...
Always chew your food thoroughly. Introducing
saliva into the food as you chew will get the digestion process
off to a good start. Don't drink very much liquid while eating a
meal. Dr. Rubman says more than a few sips of fluid will dilute the
acid in the stomach. Also try to limit fluids for 30 minutes before
you eat and for an hour afterward. His general rule: One fluid ounce
of water for every two ounces by weight of solid food.
To avoid acid overproduction, Dr. Rubman also
advises a few changes in eating habits... Don't overeat. Leave
that extra little bit of room for dessert, and then skip it.
Eliminate from your diet foods that have
refined sugars, such as desserts. Sugars tend to destabilize
the stomach, decreasing efficiency of digestion and nutritional
value and creating gas.
Avoid caffeine and fried foods. Caffeine stops
starch digestion and can impair acid production with meals. Fried
foods create gastrointestinal inflammation and
speed the aging process.
Between-Meal Defenses
If you still suffer from a sour stomach between
meals, put something in it that will quiet it without triggering
more acid production. Dr. Rubman has several suggestions...
"A time-tested remedy, believe it or not, is
sauerkraut," he says. In Europe, you can even buy sauerkraut juice
for just that purpose. Five or 10 minutes after consuming sauerkraut,
your stomach will relax and you'll feel great. Sounds weird, but in fact,
the enzymes released during the fermentation of the cabbage as it turns
into sauerkraut actually help break down and neutralize the inflammatory
components of a sour stomach.
Should sauerkraut not be for you, some herbal
products soothe and normalize the stomach without suppressing acid
production. Dr. Rubman recommends gentian, an herb that comes in tinctures,
capsules and fluid extracts. "Usually using eight to 10 drops in a little bit
of water will do the job," he says. Use this as needed rather
than prophylactically.
Glyconda, a traditional herbal combination that includes
turkey rhubarb root, cinnamon and goldenseal, is another old-fashioned remedy,
one that grandmothers in Italy have been giving their families for years.
Dissolve 10 to 20 drops in two ounces of warm tea or water, and drink
before a meal.
Other products that address the problem...
* Gastri-Gest, a combination of plant-derived
enzymes taken as needed as an antacid substitute. Available from
Priority One (800-443-2039, www.priorityonevitamins.com).
* Compound Herbal Elixir, a botanical mixture
that can be used as needed as a "tummy tonic." Available from Eclectic
Institute (800-332-4372, www.eclecticherb.com).
Both of these products also are available at quality
health-food stores.
When Problems Don't Resolve
Occasionally, a more severe stomach problem causes
between-meal acid production. "This occurs when something in the stomach
lining stimulates it in the same way that food does," explains Dr. Rubman.
Typically, the cause is a yeast organism or something similar. Often, the
culprit is the same creature found in vaginal or oral thrush. You can avoid
it by following the above steps to maintain adequate stomach acid
levels during meals.
Caution: Anyone with gastritis that persists for more
than 10 days or recurs more than once a month should be tested for the
bacterium Helicobacter pylori.
It also might be an ulcer, which would require special
treatment. Having a gastric or duodenal ulcer is one of the few problems that
call for prescription antacids to suppress stomach-acid production while the
lesion heals properly," says Dr. Rubman. If your problem does not respond to
the natural remedies above within a few days, see your health-care provider
to rule out a more serious condition.
When it comes to acid indigestion, don't let the
cure be worse than the disease. Healthy eating habits and a strategy
to work with the body's natural digestive function will go a long way in
calming that grumbling pain.
Sources:
* Andrew L. Rubman, ND, associate professor of clinical
medicine, College of Naturopathic Medicine, University Bridgeport, and medical
director, Southbury Clinic for Traditional Medicines, both in Connecticut.
* BC Cancer Agency, Provincial Health Services Authority,
British Columbia, www.bccancer.ca
* International Coenzyme Q10 Association, wwwcsi.unian.it/
coenzymeQ Pamela L. Larsen, PhD, senior scholar on aging, University of
Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, and author of a Science study on
coenzyme Q10 and worm longevity.
* National Cancer Institute, www.cancer.gov/
cancerinfo/pdq/cam/coenzymeQ10
* Clifford Shults, MD, associate professor of neuroscience,
University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, and author of an
Archives of Neurology study of coenzyme Q10 and Parkinson's disease.
