Natural Treatment for Acid Reflux

If you have been diagnosed with GERD or acid reflux, holistic treatment can help. Dr. Hanson, naturopathic doctor in New York City, offers safe and effective holistic treatments that will stop the pain and improve your digestion.

What is Acid Reflux (GERD)?

Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), also called acid reflux, is the cause of heartburn and occurs when the contents of the stomach flow backward into the esophagus. Acid produced by the stomach in order to digest food makes these contents irritating to the esophagus causing the heartburn sensation and, if acid reflux occurs regularly, inflammation of the esophagus (esophagitis), ulcers in the esophagus or even bleeding. Acid reflux is of particular medical importance because long-term exposure to acidity can cause tissue changes in the esophagus, called Barrett's metaplasia or Barrett's esophagus, that are known to increase the risk of esophageal cancer.

Heartburn medications are some of the top selling drugs, they provide relief by decreasing or neutralizing stomach acid. Is this the right approach? Many people don't realize that we need stomach acid. Adequate stomach acid is vital for proper digestion and good health. Acidity is necessary to absorb nutrients and to kill ingested microorganisms. Proper stomach acidity is also necessary to activating digestive enzymes when food moves out of the stomach and into the intestines.

The lining of the stomach is designed to withstand the natural acidity of its contents. We only feel heartburn or "overacidity" when the contents of the stomach escape into the esophagus. The lining of the esophagus is not designed to withstand acidity the way the stomach is, and acid in the esophagus causes pain and burning. Heartburn is not due to too much acid but to acid in the wrong place.

Drugs for acid reflux work by neutralizing acid or preventing you from making it. They eliminate the acid, but not the reflux. They treat the symptom, but not the cause. By eliminating the acid, heartburn medications create poor digestion and create a more hospitable environment for unfriendly microorganisms to grow. They also induce nutrient deficiencies. Because acidity is necessary to absorb minerals like calcium and magnesium, they can induce bone loss or even dangerous drops in blood levels of magnesium and calcium. In addition, drugs used to treat GERD, such as proton pump inhibitors (PPI) or H2 antagonists, are all known to have other, occasionally life-threatening side effects. For example, PPIs - drugs like Prilosec and Nexium - have caused acute interstitial nephritis and toxic epidermal necrolysis.

Doctors are right to be concerned about the long-term risks of acid reflux, particularly the increased chance of esophageal cancer, but there are healthier ways to treat acid reflux naturally. Holistic treatments for GERD can actually improve digestion and overall health, rather than threaten them.

Acid Reflux: Holistic Treatment and Natural Remedies

The truth about acid reflux may surprise you. As mentioned above, the problem to be addressed in acid reflux is not the acid, but the fact that the acid has gotten to the worng place. The stomach and esophagus are separated by a muscular band, the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). This band should constrict to keep stomach contents from coming back up into the esophagus, but the LES constricts best when the contents of the stomach are more acidic. Therefore, acid can only reach the esophagus and cause heartburn when the contents of the stomach are in fact not acidic enough to close the LES, but are acidic enough to irritate the esophagus.

You can see from this that, rather than neutralizing stomach acid to treat heartburn, a better idea is to actually increase stomach acid. This is an approach holistic doctors use successfully all the time to relieve acid reflux. There are two ways to do accomplish this, by supplementing directly with acid or by using herbs that encourage stomach acid production.

If you have been suffering from heartburn for a long time, it is also important to take steps to repair the damaged surfaces of the esophagus. Mucilaginous herbs like slippery elm (Ulmus fulva) can help here, as well as nutritional supplements like the amino acid glutamine.

If you have been diagnosed with GERD and are interested in natural treatment for heartburn, make an appointment today. If you do not live in the New York City tri-state area, but are still interested in treating acid reflux naturally, phone consultations are available. Please call 917-267-WELL or email  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .