(03-07-12) Avoid the dangers of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and treat your acid reflux naturally

by Jonathan Benson, staff writer

(NaturalNews) Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), also known as acid reflux or "heartburn," is a digestive disorder that affects millions of Americans, many of whom have been hoodwinked into taking dangerous proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and other gastric acid inhibiting drugs that only make the problem worse, and cause other deadly side effects down the road. But little do most people with GERD know that the condition is fully curable through simple dietary changes, as it is directly linked to poor diet and chronic nutrient deficiencies.

A recent report by the New York Times (NYT) explains how PPIs, which include popular heartburn medications like Prilosec or Zegerid (omeprazole), Prevacid (lansoprazole), Aciphex (rabeprazole), Protonix (pantoprazole), Nexium (exomeprazole), and Kapidex (dexlansoprazole), essentially block nutrient absorption, which as we all know leads to disease. It also highlights how artificially inhibiting stomach acid, which is naturally responsible for maintaining bacterial balance and processing food, eventually cascades into a death sentence for patients taking PPIs.

"Studies have shown long-term PPI use may reduce the absorption of important nutrients, vitamins and minerals, including magnesium, calcium and vitamin B12," says the report. "Other research has found that people taking PPIs are at increased risk of developing pneumonia; one study even linked use of the drug to weight gain."

Many people who take PPIs not only suffer from more chronic health problems than the average person, but they never actually cure their acid reflux in the process. Without making the proper dietary changes necessary to balance stomach acid and restore a healthful digestive rhythm, those who take PPIs consistently, and for long periods of time, will progressively become more and more unhealthy.

Since PPIs are the third largest category of drug sales in the U.S., representing nearly $14 billion in annual revenues for Big Pharma, efforts to bury these inconvenient facts about PPIs have been repeated and persistent from the mainstream media machine. Pharma-backed doctors also continue to defend the use of PPIs, claiming that their supposed benefits somehow outweigh their risks.

This is obviously not the sentiment of the many people who have been injured by PPIs, though, some of who have joined together to petition the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to put a black box warning on PPIs. (http://www.pharmalot.com)

PPIs are not only addictive, but they also have the unintended effect of actually causing the stomach to produce more acid-producing cells to compensate for the decreased acid levels. This means that when people stop taking PPIs, their acid reflux symptoms can intensify to unprecedented levels because of too much acid, which can cause serious harm and potential death.
Change your diet and cure GERD naturally
Some simple solutions for curing GERD naturally, however, include adding foods like organic apple cider vinegar, simple baking soda, and cayenne pepper into one's diet. Avoiding refined carbohydrates and sugars, which promote bacterial overgrowth and digestive upset, and eating plenty of whole, raw, and fermented or cultured foods will also help to naturally settle the stomach and prevent leakage of acid back into the esophagus, without the need for drugs. (http://www.naturalnews.com)

Chris Kresser, a licensed acupuncturist and practitioner of integrative medicine, has created a helpful, and amazingly thorough, series on how to cure GERD without drugs that includes reducing the factors that promote bacterial overgrowth and improper levels of stomach acid; replacing them with factors that promote balanced levels of stomach acid, enzymes, and other nutrients vital for proper digestive health; and restoring beneficial bacteria and a healthy mucosal lining through diet.

You can read his amazing report here: http://chriskresser.com

Also, be sure to read Kresser's entire GERD series, Part I of which can be found here:
http://chriskresser.com

Sources for this article include:

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com

http://chriskresser.com/heartburn

http://ppi-lawsuits.blogspot.com/

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