What Really Causes Heartburn?
I think we have all enjoyed a big meal only to find ourselves suffering a while later with gas, bloating, or even that burning sensation we have come to know as ‘heartburn’. When that happens, I would venture to guess that you reach for one of those over-the-counter medications that is supposed to stop the burn. Now that may provide a temporary feeling of relief, but did you know that you are actually inhibiting the digestion of all that food you just ate?
Television ads have led us to believe that the reason we have those uncomfortable feelings after we eat is because our body has made too much stomach acid. And when you think about it, that would seem to make sense. However, the reason you’re feeling so stuffed, gassy, or have that burning sensation is because you need more stomach acid, or it needs to be stronger so it can actually break down the foods you eat. Without enough stomach acid, the food sits in your stomach too long, waiting to be broken down, and can end up fermenting. That is what causes the bubbling up of the acid you do have. You might be wondering why your stomach acid is too weak or the levels are too low. Simply, it is just one of those things that happens as we age. Our stomach acid is at it’s strongest when we are 25 years old. That’s why most young people can seem to eat anything without any problems. By the time we hit 35 years old, we have about 50% of the stomach acid we had 10 years before. For every 10 years that follow, our stomach acid reduces by another 50%. If we do the math, by the time we reach retirement age, we have about 6.25% of the stomach acid we had when we were 25.
There are some simple things that will help with the digestive process and hopefully stop you from reaching for that over-the-counter product and making a bad problem even worse:
1. Stop drinking cold beverages with your meals. Think of it like this. The stomach acid must be hot, like a campfire, and when you drink something cold it is like pouring a bucket of water on that campfire. All you have left is wood and steam.
2. Take a digestive enzyme about 5 minutes before you eat and another about 5 minutes after you finish your meal. Look for a digestive enzyme blend that has Lipases to break down the fats you eat, Amylase to break down carbohydrates, and Protease to aid processing proteins. You will be pleasantly surprised at how much better you feel.
3. If you must have something to drink with your meal, make it a warm drink, no more than 8 oz. If you can, wait about 15 minutes after you finish eating to allow time for your food to get a head start breaking down.
4. Betaine is an amino acid that can help increase stomach acid. Betaine can be found in many different foods, including wheat bran, quinoa, beets, spinach, and amaranth (Levy, 2020). Consider these as weekly food staples to support healthy digestion.
5. Slow down when you eat. Make yourself a promise that you will stop eating in your car or trying to stuff a full meal into your 30 minute lunch period. If you are able to prepare your lunch at home and you can spend the full 30 minutes relaxing while you eat and chewing your food thoroughly, you will be doing your digestive tract a big favor.
If you’ve had your gall bladder removed, like I did back in 1990, and you thought, like I did, that the gall bladder served no real purpose. You might be surprised to find out that the gall bladder acted like a storage vessel for extra bile produced by the liver. The bile along with the enzymes, created in the pancreas, work together to break down the food you eat into small enough particles so the nutrients can be absorbed in the small intestines. Without the bile, the enzymes may come up short in their ability to break down the foods you eat and that can lead to nutrient deficiencies. What is the point of spending good money on healthy, organic foods if your body is unable to remove the nutrients from them? Adding digestive enzymes will most certainly support your body’s gastric processes. It’s time you fed your body the nutrients it needs every day. You may feel better than you ever thought you could. You’re worth it.
References
Levy, J. (2020). What is Betaine? Benefits, Signs of Deficiency, and Food Sources. Retrieved from the Dr. Axe website at https://draxe.com/nutrition/what-is-betaine/
Liposomal Supplements: Bioavailability, Benefits, & More (2019). Retrieved from the Seeking Health Optimizing Life website at https://education.seekinghealth.com/liposomal-supplements/
Price, A. (2016). Lipase: The Digestive Enzyme that Fights Major Diseases. Retrieved from the Dr. Axe website at https://draxe.com/nutrition/lipase/
Wolfson, D., Olmstead, S., Meiss, D.E., & Ralston, J. (2008). Making Sense of Digestive Enzymes. Retrieved from the Energetic Health Institute class website – HNC203 – Lesson 3 – Enzymes, Probiotics and Parasite Herbs at https://our.energetichealthinstitute.org/course/1378835025/materials?f=104877001
