Articles ¬ The Source ¬ Heartburn

The December holidays usually means excesses in food and drink, I thought it would be best for me to share some information with you about heartburn. Heartburn is characterized by a burning sensation in the stomach or esophagus. It can be caused by excessive consumptions of spicy, fatty, or fried foods, alcohol, coffee, chocolate, citrus fruit, and tomato based foods. It may also occur as a symptom of an underlying condition.

Although most people with heartburn are treated for having an excessive amount of stomach acid, 75% actually have pancreatic enzyme and or stomach acid deficiency. If this is the case, the heartburn is caused by maldigestion or by the fact that the acidic food that's been consumed is actually stronger than the acid in the stomach.

To find out what causes your heartburn try this test. The next time symptoms arise, drink a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar. If this relieves the symptoms, it indicates that your stomach acid too low, if it makes no difference it may indicate that you have a deficiency of digestive enzymes and if it worsens the symptoms, then your stomach is too acidic. If you're over 45, chances are that your stomach acid content is too low, as production decreases with age.

For proper digestion, it's very important to eat slowly. You should also not drink within a half hour of eating, as it dilutes your stomach acid, increasing the stress put on your stomach. Although this may be much easier to say than to do over the holidays, don't eat if you're either not hungry or stressed. The digestion is weaker during these times, which can increase the risk of heartburn. Also, include more raw and unprocessed foods in your diet. These foods contain their own digestive enzymes and can decrease the work load on your digestive system.

Raw almonds can be very useful to relieve heartburn instead of using something like TUMS or Rolaids. They can be eaten 3-6 at a time, chewed very thoroughly.

Digestive enzymes can be used in the prevention of heartburn either before eating a meal that is bigger than you would normally attempt or full of foods that you usually don't eat. Digestive enzymes should contain the enzymes lipase, amylase, and protease, and be taken using 1-2 pills, 10 minutes before a meal. If your heartburn is often caused by stomach acid being too high, make sure that the enzyme you choose doesn't contain hydrochloric acid, or HCl.

Activated charcoal can be used for absorbing excess stomach acid and reduce burning from malabsorption and bloating. Dosage should be 2-3 pills as needed, or as directed on the label. Activated charcoal should not be used on a daily basis, however, as it can interfere with the absorption of nutrients.

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