Cristi

Sally · Post by **Sally** » Sun Jul 23, 2006 2:35 pm

OK, here's a question for you. If acid (a certain amount) is good for the stomach, what is acid reflux? I guess that what is good for the stomach is not good for the esophagus. I'm going to look this up.

Love,

Sally

Here's what I found. I guess if you have GERD drinking vinegar would not be such a good idea.

"GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) is caused when the opening between the esophagus and the stomach becomes looser or relaxes at the wrong times. Normally, this opening allows food to travel only from your esophagus into your stomach. A muscular valve, called a sphincter, normally keeps stomach contents, including stomach acid, in the stomach.

"When the sphincter between the stomach and the esophagus becomes loose or relaxes at the wrong time, the stomach contents can flow up from the stomach into the esophagus. This irritates the esophagus, which doesn't have a special lining to protect it from acid like the stomach does. Studies have also shown that if you lie in bed, the protective effect of gravity can become lessened."

Post by **tex** » Sun Jul 23, 2006 2:43 pm

Sally,

Stomach acid is very concentrated, so no, stomach acid is not good for the esophogus, or any other body part, besides the stomach. Here's a calculation showing the concentration of hydrochloric acid in the stomach. It's obviously very potent stuff, but it has to be, to properly begin the digestive process.

http://www.madsci.org/posts/archives/au ... .An.r.html

The article that you cited is not exactly correct, in that the constriction that helps to keep the stomach contents in place is not really a valve, it's merely a sphincter.

Also, it does not necessarily follow that drinking vinegar will cause reflux problems. Actually, a high acid level in the stomach is necessary to help prevent reflux action. Acid is what encourages the sphincter to remain closed. If one is deficient in stomach acid, then drinking vinegar is more likely to reduce GERD, rather than to make it worse.

Love,
Tex

Sally · Post by **Sally** » Sun Jul 23, 2006 2:56 pm

I was just reading another article about GERD and they suggested eating garlic or using a garlic supplement. Do you know what it is in garlic that would help with acid reflux? Apparently drinking LOTS of water helps the sphincter work more efficiently, also

No, I don't have GERD, but I am thinking about the vinegar treatment. Does it have to be apple cider vinegar? I LOVE balsamic vinegar!!!

Love,

Sally

Post by **tex** » Sun Jul 23, 2006 3:32 pm

Sally,

Actually, there is a flap valve below the lower esophogeal sphincter, (LES), that malfunctions in many GERD patients, that may add to the problem of the LES failing to properly hold the pressure.

http://www.barrettsinfo.com/content/info_2b1_les.htm

This site recommends garlic as a natural remedy for acid reflux, but it contains a serious error, so the recommendations have to be taken with a grain of salt. They say,

Garlic is one food that you should be eating every day. It has a wonderful ability to optimize bowel flora and kill pathogenic organisms such as H. pylori. H. pylori is the only bacterial organism in the stomach that cannot be killed by hydrochloric acid.

However, H. pylori is not the only bacterium that cannot be killed by hydrachloric acid. E. coli is another that comes to mind, and there may be others that I can't think of right now.

http://www.healingdaily.com/conditions/acid-reflux.htm

Garlic seems to be a tricky item. Check this site, which features a list of GERD-friendly foods, and a list of GERD triggers:

http://www.drgourmet.com/gerd/extrasdesserts.shtml

There are entries such as:

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes - The garlic may be a GERD trigger, although roasting it may help for some with reflux symptoms.

That's kind of confusing, and there are other garlic entries with similar warnings. ???

Love,
Tex

Post by **tex** » Sun Jul 23, 2006 3:46 pm

Here's an interesting observation:

It is estimated that 80 percent of patients with food allergies suffer from some degree of impaired hydrochloric acid secretion in the stomach.
Unfortunately, one of the difficulties associated with hypochlorhydria is that it is often misdiagnosed as the opposite—as having too much stomach acid.

This comes from:

http://www.factbites.com/topics/Stomach-acid

How about that?

I would assume that this whole acid deficiency issue is why some of us find calcium citrate to be so beneficial. The calcium citrate is designed for people who have insufficient stomach acid, whereas calcium carbonate, (such as Tums), on the other hand, is an acid buffer.

Marsha, any thoughts on this?

Love,
Tex

cludwig · Post by **cludwig** » Sun Jul 23, 2006 6:56 pm

Hi Sally and Tex,

Tex's expaination is the same as the book and what the Dr. told me. The valve responds when there is enough concentration of acid in the stomach...by closing. When there is not enough acid the valve doesn't think it needs to close...there by letting some stomach acid escape up the esophogus. It takes very little acid to feel the burn from the escaping acid. So it feels like there is too much....but if there was more acid the valve would close better and prevent any escape....that's the theory anyway.

Love,
Cristi

kate_ce1995 · Post by **kate_ce1995** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 7:56 am

So does eating gluten reduce the acid in the stomach? Or is the "valve" (I can't spell the other word without looking it up) pushed open from the gas and bloating? Gluten causes me acid reflux (non-diagnosed).

Katy

Post by **tex** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 8:21 am

Hmmmmmmm. That's an interesting observation. Most grains are classified as acidic, from the standpoint that they tend to cause the pH level of urine to shift toward the acidic end of the scale. Now I'm beginning to wonder how gluten interferes with the normal workings of the LES.

At first glance, it would appear that the gas might be a factor, but if that were the case, then we should be doing a significant amount of belching during an episode, rather than accumulating gas. Evidently, virtually all of the gas accumulation occurs below the stomach, where belching is not an option. Hmmmmm.

Tex

barbaranoela · Post by **barbaranoela** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 8:42 am

and I luve Garlic------some of the info is a bit confusing---but~~~~~
the garlic is chopped and boiled with my potatoes and then mashed with a great flavor---

Barbara

Sally · Post by **Sally** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 10:26 am

Well, here is an observation with no scientific facts whatsoever to back it up. For about two months now I have been drinking San Pellegrino water at least once a day. A big glassful. It is bubbly. After I drink if I burp alot and have felt a definite lessening of the "bloats." I have been able to go down one jeans size!!! I have no idea what this has to do with acid/alkiline stomach contents, but it is a big relief.

Too bad about garlic. I love it, too, and will keep eating it as I do. Just not therapeutically.

Interesting discussion.

Love,

Sally

starfire · Post by **starfire** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 10:43 am

Kate - you said "Gluten causes me acid reflux (non-diagnosed)."

I feel comfortable making the same statement.

Love, Shirley