The lining of your stomach is made up of Parietal cells– they are amazing!! They line your stomach and produce HCL-Hydrochloric Acid- which immediately starts breaking down food particles for digestion. When you eat, your stomach contracts in waves, massaging the food and HCL together. Parietal cells also secrete pepsin, which protects them from the harsh effects of the acid in your stomach.
Sitting at the top of your stomach is a sphincter called the Cardiac Sphincter; its job is to squeeze shut so your stomach contents do not come up into your throat. It is the strength of the acid in your stomach that tells the Cardiac Sphincter to close!!
So if you are stressed, drinking alcohol, dehydrated, eating too much at a sitting, etc, and not producing enough HCL, your sphincter does not fully close and you end up getting Acid Reflux, or GERD (Gastroesophageal reflux disease). When this happens, the tender lining of your esophagus burns as the acid washes over it (OUCH!!).
The problem with taking antacids is HUGE-they actually decrease the amount of acid in the stomach which prolongs the problem-keeping your sphincter open allowing more acid up, and the low acid level opens you up to more dangerous infections by bad bugs that can only survive in a less acidic environment- YIKES!!!
The answer to healing GERD is three-fold:
- Take some Digest Max, available at our pharmacy. It has HCL and Pepsin to help shut down that sphincter and heal your stomach cells-you only need to take this for a short time, usually just 1-3 months.
- Evaluate your eating patterns. Include a quiet moment of gratitude before eating- research has shown that even a few seconds of gratitude-looking at your food and giving thanks, taking a moment to connect with what you are eating-will increase absorption of the nutrients in your food by activating cells both in your brain and in your small intestine! Chew each bite thoroughly, and do not eat more food than the size of your fist at one sitting. The size of your fist roughly matches the size of your stomach, and the food cannot be massaged and blended with the HCL if the stomach is too full! Alcohol decreases the amount of HCL excreted, so if you are planning to have a drink with dinner, take your Digest Max!
- Get yourself to a Chiropractic Physician and get a great adjustment. Nerves in your mid back supply your stomach and digestive organs, making sure your back is aligned and strong improves digestion tremendously.