Restore Your Digestive Health

By Tweed, Vera

DISCOVER DRUG ALTERNATIVES FOR ACID REFLUX, HEARTBURN AND OTHER DIGESTIVE PROBLEMS UNDERMINING YOUR HEALTH

If antacids or acid reflux medications claim a regular spot on your shopping list, or if gas and bloating after meals are a constant bother, your digestive system is crying for help. And that’s not all.

“Digestive problems contribute to toxicity and inflammation, which in turn can lead to autoimmune disorders, heart disease, osteoporosis, dementia and cancer,” says Raphael Kellman, MD, a specialist in internal and integrative medicine at Patients Medical in New York City.

Kellman’s approach, like that of many other holistic healers. flies in the teeth of conventional treatments for tummy troubles. “A lot of people have hydrochloric arid deficiency,” he says. “If you block acid production with antacids, you can’t properly digest food.”

While it seems counterintuitive, even acid reflux can be a symptom of insufficient stomach acid. The stomach churns to digest food, and if there isn’t sufficient acid, it has to chum harder and harder. Eventually all that extra churning ran lead to an acid reflux problem.

THE BASIC SOLUTION FOR MOST PROBLEMS

The first step to resolving virtually any digestive problem is taking digestive enzymes. In addition, Kellman recommends bitters. These will gently stimulate your own production of stomach acid and can eventually restore your built-in acid-producing ability. Hydrochloric acid supplements are another option if nothing else works, except in situations that include heartburn, acid reflux or a history of peptic ulcers, In those cases, a physician should be consulted first to determine if low acid levels are a problem.

For indigestion or heartburn, Kellman recommends DGL (a specific form of the herb licorice sold at health food stores) or mastic (see p. 52 lor details on dosages). Both protect the stomach lining and can relieve discomfort. For stomach cramps, he suggests a calming herbal formula with chamomile, peppermint and lavender in a tea or pill form.

In addition, he says, don’t eat on the run; stay away from processed foods and chemical food ingredients; eat fruit either 20 minutes before or 45 minutes after other food, rather than mixing it with meals or snacks; and don’t drink water or soda during a meal- consuming liquids with food may weaken digestive fires.

CAN DETOX HELP DIGESTION?

“Detoxification is the ultimate way to remove obstacles to health,” says Decker Weiss, NMD, a naturopathic cardiologist at the Arizona Heart Hospital in Phoenix. He recommends an occasional cleansing program after any gas and bloating have been relieved with enzymes and/or probiotics.

“The two principal areas to clear are the intestinal tract and the liver,” he says. He recommends three types of products to be used in conjunction:

* An herbal formula to detoxify the liver. H should include dandelion root to move bile and toxins from the liver to the intestines for elimination, and milk thistle to regent-rate liver cells.

* Fiber that will effectively bind with toxins. Weiss cautions that fiber can clump and leave toxins to be reabsorbed into the bloodstream, causing side effects such as mood swings, fatigue, irritability and aches.

To avoid the problem, Weiss recommends psyllium combined with the herbs marshmallow, plantain, slippery elm or peppermint. Psyllium can be constipating, but marshmallow, plantain and slippery elm contain soluble fibers that protect the lining of the intestinal tract and provide a more slippery surface to keep intestinal contents moving along. Peppermint helps regulate the contraction of the intestines to keep them from being in spasm, causing constipation. Drink 12 oz. of water with each tablespoon of psyllium and stay hydrated the rest of the day, as all fibers absorb water.

* Magnesium hydroxide or citrate for laxative purposes. This will draw water into the intestines and help get rid of waste while resetting the body’s natural elimination clock. He cautions against laxatives that irritate the bowel, as these override the body’s rhythm and perpetuate problems.

“A lot of people have hydrochloric acid deficiency. If you block acid production with antacids, you can’t properly digest food,” says Raphael Kellman, MD.

The herb licorice, shown here and in root form below, can help heal the burn of acid reflux and heartburn.

Copyright Active Interest Media Mar 2007

(c) 2007 Better Nutrition. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.