If you were like me, you are under the impression that acid reflux is caused by too much stomach acid. With this being said you assume that you should stay away from acidic foods such as citrus or tomatoes, right? Wrong! You haven’t been given the whole story.
Stomach acid is actually a critical element in your digestive process. The trouble with acid reflux starts when the acid ends up in the wrong place.
The Truth About Acidic Foods
It’s true that citrus, tomatoes and vinegar are all acidic foods. But they only cause painful acid reflux symptoms when they come into contact with areas of the digestive system that have already been damaged by stomach acid. How does this happen you ask?
Well, it happens when your stomach acid ends up in the wrong place. This can happen in two different ways. The first is that the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) does not close tightly enough, or is opening at the wrong times. The other happens when the protective mucous-like lining of the stomach is eroded.
The Good News
Fortunately, there are things you can do at home to try and prevent acid reflux symptoms as much as possible. Try eating smaller meals, avoiding foods that trigger symptoms, and cutting back on caffeine. Herbal supplements like DGL (deglycyrrhizinated licorice) may also be helpful, as Dr. Andrew Weil agrees.
Next Steps
Click here to take Dr. Rose’s Nutritional Profile Quiz and get an overview of what your nutritional imbalances could be. You’ll get your results immediately.
Dr. Marina Rose has helped both women and men with acid reflux symptoms and other challenging, chronic health conditions in and around the city of Sunnyvale, CA.