What is acid reflux?
Despite the recent hype about taking apple cider vinegar shots,
this treatment has existed for quite a long time. Apple Cider Vinegar has been
proven to assist with a range of different health issues with one of the most
important areas being acid reflux. A chronic,
more severe version of acid
reflux is known as Gastroesophageal reflux disease or GERD.
See: Egg White Scramble with Veggies & Quinoa For Gut Health
Acid Reflux or indigestion occurs when there is “acid
backflow” in the stomach up into the esophagus. After the stomach acid
gets into the esophagus, in which it’s not assumed to be, it causing symptoms
such as heartburn, burping, belching, nausea, or even vomiting for acute cases.
Does acid reflux mean you have high stomach acid?
But, when you have acid reflux does this mean you have high
stomach acid?
Not necessarily. Acid reflux is most likely a sign that you have
low stomach acid levels. Let us begin by recognizing what causes low stomach
acid in the first place.
Low stomach acid can occur in a small number of different ways.
From bacterial infections in the gut which may inhibit the body’s natural
production of stomach acid into eating too fast and not completely breaking
down your meals. There are several avenues which may lead to stomach acid to
lower over time. Chewing gum is one of the most shocking culprits for reduced stomach acids is that my clients are surprised when I bring this to their
attention. Consider It. When you chew gum you begin to create saliva because
digestion starts in the mouth. Your stomach produces more acid understanding
that you’re going to send food. If you don’t send food you may deal with high stomach
acid temporarily, but after some time, low stomach acid results because your
body begins to think you’re tricking it.
Symptoms of low stomach acid
Some symptoms of low stomach acid are:
Bloating and cramping
Food sensitivities
Asthma and Allergies
Baldness
Chronic Infections
IBS like symptoms
Bone & joint pain
Indigestion or gas
When you have low stomach acid it’s easy to mistaken it for high
stomach acid because they share a good deal of similar symptoms. The issue is
that if you have low stomach acid, you are not able to completely break down
your meals and food will essentially sit in the stomach. When food sits in the
stomach, it begins to create more acids that can ultimately make the reflux
like symptoms though the root issue was reduced stomach acid before this entire
cycle started. At that point, a lot people take antacids to aid with what we
believe is high stomach acid and create a negative feedback loop that keeps
going around and around and causing much lower stomach acids.
Can I check for low stomach acid?
There are a few ways to check for low stomach acid.
1) Among the most
recognizable ways is to check for low blood glucose levels in the blood.
Another one is blood markers, which may indicative of low stomach acid are
abnormal serum albumin, low phosphorus, high BUN levels, and abnormal MCV.
2) Another way you can test for low stomach acid is a baking soda evaluation. Do
so by mixing 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda in 4-6 ounces of cold water, first
thing in the morning before eating or drinking anything.
Then drink the baking
soda solution.
Next, monitor how much time it takes to get a burp or belch to
come about.
When you haven’t burped or belched in 5 minutes then it might be a
indication of low stomach acid.
3) Lastly, and among the simplest ways to check
for low stomach acid is it eat beets and track your urine to find out if it’s a
purple tint. If you don’t see a purple or reddish tint on your urine as many as
two days after eating beets it’s an excellent indication you have optimum levels
of stomach acid.
If you have low stomach acid, drinking apple cider vinegar can
help support the body by relieving acid reflux symptoms. ACV introduces more
acid to the digestive tract to reduce acid backflow and boost healthy levels of
stomach acid. ACV comes with many advantages but with health recommendations or
remedies, it’s important to listen to your body and find out what works for
you.
What is Apple Cider Vinegar?
Apple cider vinegar, or cider vinegar, is a type of vinegar made
from fermented apple juice. It’s produced by crushing apples, then squeezing
the juice out. Compounds and yeast are added to the liquid to begin the
alcoholic fermentation process, which converts the sugars to alcohol. In
another fermentation step, the alcohol is converted into vinegar by acetic
acid-forming bacteria. Acetic acid and malic acid unite to provide vinegar its
sour taste.
(Just an interesting trivia, Vinegar has origins in French “vin aigre” that translates to “sour wine”).
Apple cider vinegar helps neutralize the pH balance in the stomach.
It supplies intestinal protection, while preventing acid reflux. On ingestion,
it introduces more acid into the digestive tract. Additional acid released by
apple cider vinegar might assist in avoiding intestinal issues that result in
acid reflux. It’s reported to be rich in enzymes, pectin and protein, all of
which assist in reducing the effects of acid reflux.
Summary
Apple cider vinegar can help with acid reflux. Some other benefits of apple cider vinegar may include weight loss,
reduced cholesterol, lower blood glucose levels and improved symptoms of
diabetes. A few studies support these claims but more research is needed.
