120
SUMMER
2016
Thesymptoms
of heartburncan includeaburning sensationbehindyour sternum (breast bone), apersistent
cough, andan increased frequencyof developing cavities. Commonly known triggers includebending forward,
lyingdown, stress, hiatal hernia, somemedications, and spicy foods.However, didyoualsoknow that eating too
quickly, low stomachacid, andconsumingcaffeineoralcohol canalsobe theculprits?
Let’s lookcloserat these3 things…
The speedatwhichyoueat isacommon factor tomanydigestivecomplaints. Youmaynot realizehow important
your teethare fordigestion; your teetharemeant topulverizeyour food in toapaste,mixing foodwithyour saliva
that is rich inenzymes.Onceyou swallow, your stomach is smoothand slippery… therearenogears tobreakup
chunksof food! Themoreworkyour stomachhas todo, the longer the food remains thereand themore likelyyou
are toexperience troublesome symptoms.
Whilemostpeopleassociateheartburnwith toomuchstomachacid, inmanycases it isdue to insufficientproduction
of stomachacid. Howdo I know this?Becausewhen I support/encouragepatients' levels of acid theburning in
most casesgoesaway!
There isa tight sphincter at the topof your stomachwhich is intended toonlyallow food tomoveoneway: down.
Ingesting coffee, chocolate or alcohol can interferewith how strongly this sphincter closes; if it gets too lax then
contents fromyour stomachcaneasilymoveupward. The functionalityof this sphincter isalsoeffectedby thepres-
enceof ahiatal hernia; speak toyour chiropractororosteopathabout a simplemaneuver tocorrect this.
Whilemedications for reducing stomachacidcanbeappropriate for somepeople, inmanycases it isnot agood
long-term solution. For example, protonpump inhibitors havebeen shown in studies to reduce theabsorptionof
nutrients such as calcium, iron, vitamin B12andmagnesium. Deficiency syndromes, such as osteoporosis, may
result following long-termuse.
Hereare some stepsyoucan take to support yourdigestion*:
•
Chewwell: eachmouthful shouldbe liquidbeforeyou swallow
•
STOP toeat: sit downand focus oneating. If youare in 'GO!' mode then your blood flowand nervous system
are focusedon tending toyourmuscles, heart and lungs, andarenot focusedonyour digestive system; bloating,
heartburnor crampsmayensue.
•
Applecidervinegar: testyourdigestionbyswallowing1Tbsp thenext timeyouexperiencedigestiveupset.Within
1minuteyouwill either noticeyour symptomsarebetter,worse, or nochange. Shareyour resultswithyour natur-
opathicdoctor (ND),whowill knowwhat thebest next step is for youandyourdigestivehealth.
*
These are general suggestions and should not be interpreted as medical advice. Discuss this with your qualified healthcare practitioner,
especially if you are pregnant, takingmedications or dealing with a chronic disease.
|E|
Heartburn iscommonly thought tobeasymptomof toomuchstomachacid,
however thiscanoftenbe inaccurateoronlyasmall pieceof thepicture.
DR. SHELBYWORTS, ND
ESCARPMENT
®
well being
...
itmaynotbewhatyou think
