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I see lots of clients who suffer from what is commonly referred to as acid indigestion-discomfort and a burning pain after eating. The common remedy which is reached for is some form of antacid, designed to lower stomach acid levels, and thus reduce the discomfort – but beware! they may well be having the opposite effect.
If you are 40 and over it is highly likely that the problem is rather one of too little stomach acid, not too much. We produce less and less stomach acid and digestive enzymes as we get older, leading to ever increasing digestive problems. In the elderly this can have the effect of leaving them malnourished, with all the setbacks that brings with it. Too little stomach acid and enzymes means that food is not going to be broken down properly so you can absorb all the nutrients out of it. It leaves you feeling heavy and ‘full’ long after you have eaten, often bloated and can lead to flatulence as the partially digested food starts to ferment. In addition, rich foods may cause you problems, or you may burp and belch after eating. One potential cause of bad breath is food fermenting in the stomach and gut.
There is always the risk that partially digested foods may also seep through into the bloodstream if you have a leaky gut, giving rising to a variety of food intolerances as the body treats the partially digested food as a foreign body. If you have food intolerances, it is always wise to take a digestive enzyme formula such as Proactzyme or Food Enzymes to ensure you are not getting problems from this quarter. And if you like to have a supply of Rennies to hand to pop whenever you feel the need, replace them instead with Papaya Mints. These act as digestive stimulants and contain enzymes which help break down proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Also containing peppermint, they are a good breath freshner as well.
True acid indigestion tends to be a problem encountered in the 20s and 30s age group and is usually associated with a stressful lifestyle. Another potential cause can be a hiatus hernia-a lot of people have these, often undiagnosed. This leads to heartburn, and often acid reflux. There is a simple technique for repairing a hiatus hernia which doesn’t involve going anywhere near the operating table, which has a high success rate, so if you think this might be your problem, give me a call and I’ll let you have details.
Another possibility is that the discomfort is being caused by a stomach ulcer or by a bacterial or fungal imbalance in the gut. If the former, stomach ulcer s are commonly caused by a bacteria called helico pylori bacter. There are two ways to deal with this-the first involves the doctor and strong antibiotics or, if you want to avoid this, a herbal formula called Clove & Pau d’arco, which is equally as successful at killing the bacteria. At the same time I would take some Licorice Root and Marshmallow & Chamomile or Slippery Elm to soothe and heal the stomach lining quickly.
Bacterial or fungal infections in the gut need to be tackled in a different way. These tends to cause problems because undesirable organisms multiply when feeding on food in the gut, causing bloating and a feeling of indigestion. It is best to speak to me if you suspect this to be the case as it is not necessarily straightforward to get rid of. So what if you are suffering and have no idea which of these is the problem? Well, a simple trick is find out whether it is too much acid or too little, is to take a dessertspoon of lemon juice when you get the symptoms. If they get worse you will know that your problem is too much acid, if they improve, it is too little acid.
If this doesn’t do it, come and talk to me and we’ll sort through the other options. So don’t let eating quite literally become a pain-there is a solution!
Saira Salmon
Naturopathic Nutritionist
http://www.lifedesigns.org
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Source by Saira Salmon