The commonly-held opinion is that the cause of these symptoms is too much stomach acid; and that if you reduce the acid the problem is solved.

There is more to the problem, though, and there are natural, safe, elegant solutions for you to consider.

What happens much more often than 'too-much-acid" is this:
The symptoms of acid indigestion and GERD may be related to
a digestive system that is clogged and doesn't work right.

The Problem May NOT Be Too Much Acid

As we age we produce less stomach acid. One estimate suggests that more than half of the people over 50 produce too LITTLE digestive acid for proper digestion. Many people are affected with stomach disorders.

The symptoms of too much and too little stomach acid are very
similar - indigestion is an upset or imbalance in the stomach chemistry.

Prescription antacids are among the top five drugs sold, they are very profitable. Antacids may take care of the symptoms, but they may not be the real solution for the cause of the problem so many people really have.

LOW stomach acidity is very unhealthy - it adversely effects digestion, and is is not strong enough to kill harmful bacteria and parasites. This leaves us open to invasion from the outside world; H.pylori is an example of a creature that thrives in the stomach after the normal stomach environment is changed.

Role of Proton Pump Inhibitors

When food is eaten, digestive juice (stomach acid) is produced that dissolves and breaks down the food we eat. Special cells that line the stomach produce the acid and then pump the acid into the stomach.

Proton pump inhibitors are powerful drugs that stop this natural process - proton pump inhibitors chemically stop the pump.

This group of drugs creates a significant and pronounced interference with our bodies. These drugs take over normal body functions with long-lasting reduction of gastric acid production.

Proton pump inhibitor drugs have largely superseded another group of drugs called H2 blockers.

Comparison of Proton Pump Inhibitors and H2 blockers

H2 blockers have a different method of interfering with the body - although still very dangerous, they have less permanent and damaging effects than proton pump drugs.

Together, these classes of drugs - proton pump inhibitor and H2 blocker - are among the most widely selling drugs in the world. This is not because they are safe and effective, but as a result of heavy marketing to doctors and to potential users through very successful television advertising campaigns.

Can you help someone? Who do you know who needs this information? Tell your friends.

PPIs target the final step in digestive acid production. Because of this, and "the irreversible nature of the inhibition, the result is a class of drugs that is significantly more effective than H2 antagonists and reduces gastric acid secretion by up to 99%."

Names of PPIs

Losec®, Prilosec®, Prevacid®, Zoton®, Nexium®, Protonix®, Somac®, Aciphex®, Pariet®

The Best Proton Pump Inhibitor

The best proton pump inhibitor is ... none of them.

Proton pump inhibitor therapy is a health disaster waiting to happen. The early problems found so far are similar to what is being seen with people who have had parts of the stomach removed - general malnutrition.

Antacids, H2 blockers, and PPIs all begin working very quickly. Whereas antacids destroy the stomach contents and linger for 2 to 4 hours, and H2 blockers create interference by blocking histamine receptors for 6 to 12 hours, PPIs block stomach acid pumps for up to 3 days or even longer.

Therefore, even though you may be eating during this time,
the food you eat cannot be properly digested because
no stomach acid is being produced - the pumps have been stopped.

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Normal Stomach Function

Our bodies need the nutrients in food to sustain healthy life. Countless processes between enzymes and the food we eat take place in the stomach, where digestion begins.

We use stomach acid to dissolve our food into particles small enough for us to absorb. Digestive enzymes in the stomach only function in the strong acids produced in the stomach. As digestion proceeds, the acidity becomes less and less strong, until digestion in the stomach is complete.

The acid becomes weaker, the enzymes finish their job, and the food is moved out of the stomach into the small intestines, where the nutrients are absorbed into the blood stream.

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Severe GERD? MUST DO!
Sensitive Digestion Formula
Help your gut begin to function normally,
from the first bite of food to the efficient elimination of waste,
as nature intended.

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Proton Pump Inhibitors Side-Effects and Consequences

Side Effects of proton pump inhibitor use: headache, nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain, fatigue, dizziness, rash, itch, flatulence, constipation.

You may notice how many of these have to do with a digestive system that doesn't work, and the toxic build-up of waste.

Using these drugs interferes with normal acid production.

It doesn't matter when these drugs are taken, because of the intense, long-lasting effect.

After a meal, the stomach is filled with food. The food stays in the stomach for a while.

Because there is no acid to dissolve and digest it, the food is not properly prepared to be absorbed, and it is passed into the gut to be eliminated as waste.

Because it is not digested, it putrifies and spoils inside the gut, leading to other toxic problems.

Recently it has been observed that people using H2-receptor antagonists and proton pump inhibitors are associated with an increased risk of pneumonia. They suspect that acid suppression results in insufficient elimination of pathogenic organisms.

Worse, and more likely, is the possibility that the entire immune system is compromised from malnutrition.

Proton Pump Inhibitors and Osteoporosis

PPIs interfere with normal absorption of the minerals we need to be healthy. For example, we need calcium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, and other minerals in order to build strong, healthy bones.

Without these minerals, we can develop other serious health problems, such as colon malfunction, the bone loss of osteoporosis and osteopenia, nerve system and muscle disorders, etc. It is clear that proton pump inhibitors and calcium are not good partners - PPIs create a true calcium deficiency leading to the bone loss of osteoporosis and possibly fractures of hip and other potentially deadly consequences.

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Acid indigestion or gastric reflux may be related to a
digestive system that is clogged and doesn't work right.
Don't Suffer Any Longer!
It makes sense to get your digestion system working properly
BEFORE using harmful anti-digestion drugs.

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Malnutrition

If proton pump inhibitor therapy is used long-term for GERD, acid reflux, heartburn, gastritis, dyspepsia, general indigestion symptoms, whether mild or severe, the consequences can be dangerous.

Eating becomes a waste of time and money. The basic building blocks of life are not available to the body, and imbalances occur from these types of GERD treatments. Symptoms can be handled in most people with easy-to-find natural GERD remedies.

For example, calcium, zinc, and other minerals require normal stomach acid in order to be taken into the body. Our muscles and nerve system rely on proper balance of minerals in order to function; mineral imbalances cause other symptoms, like memory loss, visual problems, muscle weakness, etc.

Calcium that should be available for bones is not there, and bone loss - osteoporosis - can result. Our bodies begin to malfunction, and our immune system becomes weak.

Doctors are telling patients to take (over-the-counter) otc proton pump meds as therapy 'for prevention'. This is the height of 'foolishness-for-profit'.

Masking symptoms while ignoring the cause allows the body to become really sick as time passes. This approach makes no sense, but the drug manufacturers are reporting record profits from drug sales.

I have heard that doctors are 'forced' to prescribe these drugs, or face malpractice claims for "not practicing according to currently accepted community medical standards."

This is hogwash. Safe, natural approaches that improve the normal function of the gut are effective, without side effects.

Perhaps the doctors have forgotten part of their oath -
"First, cause the patient no harm".

Can you help someone? Who do you know who needs this information? Tell your friends.

Protection From Invaders

Normal stomach acid is strong enough to kill bacteria that enter our gut through our esophagus. The stomach is a first line of defense against these germs. The stomach is where invaders are supposed to be stopped, and it is the stomach acid that stops them.

Without normal stomach acid to defeat them, bacteria such as h.pylori and other invaders have an open door into our bodies.

Destruction of Normal, Helpful Bacteria

Interfering with the normal digestive functions removes many of the 'good-guy' bacteria that are supposed to be in the gut. This can lead to constipation and other problems.

PPIs are more dangerous than simple antacid products

Antacids such as Alka-Seltzer or Tums neutralize the acid that has been created, bringing relief to the symptoms. And while antacids disrupt the normal digestive process as well, the effects are not as long-lasting.

Although some doctors are telling their patients to take 1 or 2 Tums with every meal as a 'calcium supplement' to prevent osteoporosis, the antacid prevents calcium from being absorbed. The outcome is similar to using proton pumps, and leads to the same kind of malnutrition.

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GERD Guidelines: Alternative To PPIs

Some doctors recommend esophageal sphincter surgery for GERD. Surgery complications can create a new beginning, not the end, of the problem.

The best medicine for GERD is probably no medicine at all.
Natural remedies are effective and safe.

These dangerous drugs are not 'GERD cures'. They may give short-term relief, but the long-term side-effects are essentially unknown, although those that are being seen now appear to be dangerous.

Learn about simple home remedies for GERD. Natural treatment - and relief from GERD - begins before and during your meal.

Try to plan a 'GERD diet'. Foods to avoid? You know already what they are.

Slow down, chew your food, drink water instead of any other beverage, smaller meals, less fat.

Symptoms of GERD and gastritis would not require medicine or an alternative to medicine if the problem could be prevented.

Can you help someone? Who do you know who needs this information? Tell your friends.

Common PPIs

Proton pump inhibitors are available over-the-counter (OTC) or by prescription. Familiar names, each one ®, include Losec, Prilosec, Prevacid, Zoton, Nexium, Protonix, Somac, Aciphex, Pariet

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