MAALOX MOMENT? MAYBE NOT

Turn on the television or read the newspaper and you'll see examples of brainwashing. It's the latest health crisis partnered with the latest and greatest of cures. 'They' convince us that our ailments are diseases and desperately need cures. Cures that only 'they' can offer us.

The newest to irritate me is acid reflux. 'They' call it acid reflux disease, or GERD, gastro esophageal reflux disease.

Heartburn is not a disease! It is a condition. Antacids, over the counter as well as prescription, are not cures. They are antagonists to bring the condition full circle in order to keep you purchasing more antacids!

Advertising claims would lead you to believe that any OTC antacid, such as Tums, Rolaids, Maalox or Pepcid, is harmless enough. Little did you know that taking an antacid actually can make your stomach problems worse.

Think about this for a minute. Normally, by design, we ought to put food into our bodies and our bodies ought to use acids to breakdown these foods. But now...We take an antacid BEFORE we eat (like Prevacid or Pepsid). This stops the production of acids. We eat (usually more than we should according to the portion control people). Our food does not get properly broken down and digested and bubbles back up on us. Ouch and Ick! So we take a Rolaid. We fight acid reflux all day until it's time to eat again. Vicious circle!!

You may be surprised to learn that the Daily Health News Contributing Editor, Andrew Rubman, ND, describes stomach acid as a good thing.

Proper digestion takes place as a series of functions, all of which depend on the presence of adequate stomach acid while you are eating. When you take OTC antacids, or even worse, the "more effective" prescription variety, you're cutting down or even eliminating the acid you need at meal times. Without it, your stomach can't adequately break down food into its nutrient components. What's more, inadequate digestion of proteins encourages the liver to increase production of LDL cholesterol, the kind of cholesterol that does the most damageto your body.

An all-too-common result of taking OTC antacids on a regular daily basis is an increase in cholesterol, which is then often treated with yet another drug (a big surprise) to lower cholesterol levels. ('They' are devious!) Not a roller coaster ride I want to be on.

If you stop taking antacids as a favor to your liver, what do you do about your sour stomach? Prevent it in the first place. Make sure you have adequate acid in your stomach during mealtimes, when you need it, and less stomach acid when you don't need it. What we call excess stomach acid is what we should call inappropriate stomach acid.

To make sure your stomach has sufficient acid at mealtimes:

• Stop grazing on snack food throughout the day. Snacking signals the stomach to pump acid rather than saving it for mealtimes.
• Always chew your food thoroughly. Introducing saliva into the food as you chew will get the digestion process off to a good start.
• Don't drink very much liquid while eating a meal. More than a few sips of fluid will dilute the acid in the stomach.
• Try to limit fluids for 30 minutes before you eat and for an hour afterward. The general rule: One fluid ounce of water for every two ounces by weight of solid food.

To avoid acid over-production try a few changes in eating habits:

• Don't overeat. Leave that extra little bit of room for dessert, and then skip it.
• Eliminate refined sugars, such as desserts. Sugars tend to destabilize the stomach, decrease efficiency of digestion, cause fermentation of the foods thereby removing nutritional value and creating gas.
• Avoid caffeine which stops starch digestion and can impair acid production with meals.
• Avoid fried foods which create gastrointestinal inflammation and speed the aging process.
• Don't eat within three hours of bedtime.
  

If you still suffer from a sour stomach between meals or when lying down, put something in it that will quiet it without triggering more acid production. A time-tested remedy, believe it or not, is sauerkraut. In Europe, you can even buy sauerkraut juice for just that purpose. Five or 10 minutes after eating sauerkraut, your stomach will relax and you'll feel great.

Sounds weird, but in fact, the enzymes released during the fermentation of the cabbage as it turns into sauerkraut actually help break down and neutralize the inflammatory components of a sour stomach. Similarly, a teaspoon of vinegar will also work.

Should sauerkraut and vinegar not be for you, sometimes a small glass of whole milk will work, not more than two ounces. Some herbal products soothe and normalize the stomach without suppressing acid production.

Some recommendations are:

Gentian, an herb that comes in tinctures, capsules andfluid extracts. Usually using eight to 10 drops in a little bit ofwater will do the job. Use this as needed rather than prophylactically.

Glyconda, a traditional herbal combination that includes turkey rhubarb root, cinnamon and goldenseal, is another old-fashioned remedy, one that grandmothers in Italy have been giving their families for years. Dissolve 10 to 20 drops in two ounces of warm tea or water, and drink before a meal.

Gastri-Gest, a combination of plant-derived enzymes taken as needed as an antacid substitute. Available from Priority One (800-443-2039, www.priorityonevitamins.com).

Compound Herbal Elixir, a botanical mixture that can be used as needed as a "tummy tonic." Available from Eclectic Institute (800-332-4372, www.eclecticherb.com).

Both of these products also are available at quality health-food stores.

When problems don't resolve, occasionally a more severe stomach problem causes between-meal acid production. This occurs when something in the stomach lining stimulates it in the same way that food does. Typically, the cause is a yeast organism or something similar. Often, the culprit is the same creature found in vaginal or oral thrush. You can avoid it by following the above steps to maintain adequate stomach acid levels during meals.

Caution: Anyone with gastritis that persists for more than 10 days or recurs more than once a month should be tested for the bacterium Helicobacter pylori. It also might be an ulcer, which would require special treatment. Having a gastric or duodenal ulcer is one of the few problems that call for prescription antacids to suppress stomach-acid production just while the lesion heals properly. If your problem does not respond to the natural remedies above within a few days, see your health-care provider to rule out a more serious condition.

When it comes to acid indigestion, don't let the cure be worse than the disease. Healthy eating habits and a strategy to work with the body's natural digestive function will go a long way in calming that grumbling pain.