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Antacids
There are a lot of things in our environment which can bring about stress,
but one of the biggest seems to b the latest health crisis.
The latest fad is "low carb" diets to handle the
"obesity" problem in this country. (They haven't thought
of it as being brought on by fast foods and food with no nutrition, but
that's another article).
All this stress is sending lots of people to the drug store to calm
our nervous stomachs. And what do we usually reach for? That old standby -- an over-the-counter antacid. Advertising claims would lead you to believe that any
antacid, you know their names, is harmless enough. Did you know
that taking an antacid actually can make your stomach problems worse.
Stomach acid:is a "A Good Thing"
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 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 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 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.
If you stop taking antacids as a favor to your liver, what do you do about your sour stomach?
How do you prevent the "acid stomach"?
There may be different reasons for the "acid stomach".
You have to 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. 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. A rule on
this, One
fluid ounce of water for every two ounces by weight of solid food.
Don't overeat. Leave that extra little bit of room for dessert, and then
don't eat dessert because you should eliminate from your diet foods that have refined sugars, such as desserts.
Sugars tend to destabilize the stomach, decreasing deficiency 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.
One suggestion is -- sauerkraut. In Europe, you can even buy
sauerkraut juice for this. Five or ten minutes after eating
sauerkraut, you stomach will relax. 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.
There are also some herbal products that soothe and normalize the
stomach without suppressing acid production.
When Problems Don't Resolve
Occasionally, a more severe stomach problem causes between-meal acid
production. This can be caused by vaginal or oral thrush - a yeast
organism This can be avoided by following the steps to
maintain adequate stomach acid levels.
Caution: Anyone with gastritis that persists for more than 10 days or
recurs more than once a month should be tested for the bacteria or ulcers
which would require special treatment.
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.
Helpful Nutrition:
We suggest you find the reason and get the
correct supplements for that reason.
Where can I get these products?
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