Why your go-to antacid could be destroying your brain

And how to kick heartburn without it!

I have to hand it to the Journal of the American Medical Association. At least they’re not complete shills for Big Pharma.

In fact, just a few months ago, they published a study exposing one of the biggest rackets in this country. I’m talking about prescription heartburn drugs. Most notably, PPIs—proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) like Prilosec, Nexium, and Prevacid (just to name a few of the most common brands). And researchers found that the “little purple pill”—and its cousins—raise the risk of vitamin B12 deficiency by a whopping 65 percent.¹

In the study authors’ own words: “Left untreated, vitamin B12 deficiency can lead to dementia, neurologic damage, anemia, and other complications, which may be irreversible.”

The emphasis is mine. But the entire sentence speaks for itself.

The worst part? This isn’t the first study to expose the serious health risks of heartburn drugs. Other research has implicated antacid use in problems ranging from osteoporosis and hip fractures to greater risk of infections.

Yet heartburn drugs are still among of the most common pharmaceutical crutches in the country.

It’s a farce of catastrophic proportions. Because if you’re dealing with reflux, reducing stomach acid is usually the last thing you want to do.

Too much acid? Try not enough

It’s a contradiction worth considering. Gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) disproportionately affects older people. Yet, this same portion of the population has significantly lower levels of stomach acid—not higher.

In fact, hydrochloric acid (HCl) production can plummet as much as 75 percent with age. And the symptoms of this drop in gastric acid should sound very familiar: indigestion, bloating, and heartburn.

But that’s not all. Low HCl also interferes with your body’s ability to fend off harmful bacteria. And it impedes vitamin absorption and protein digestion. Which can result in deficiencies in a number of key bone- and blood-building nutrients, including iron, calcium, magnesium, and—you guessed it—B12.

Prescription acid-blockers only make things worse. Much worse.

Let’s be very clear here. The link between antacid use and serious conditions likeinfection, anemia, and osteoporosis is not a coincidence. It’s the tragic byproduct of a woefully misguided approach to dealing with one of the chief symptoms of a very common medical problem. And that problem is hypochlorhydria, or low HCl.

Does that mean low HCl always the culprit behind GERD? Of course not. Excess stomach acid absolutely can cause chronic heartburn.

But especially in older patients, hypochlorhydria is far and away the more common problem. So knowing the difference—and treating it accordingly—is crucial.

Putting your stomach acid to the test

There are a few tests designed to assess a patient’s HCl status. But the gold standard is the Heidelberg pH test.

Basically, you swallow an electronic capsule on an empty stomach. (Usually after an overnight fast.) Then you drink a sodium bicarbonate (just plain old baking soda) solution. And a transmitter records the pH of your stomach in response.

The main benefits of the Heidelberg test are that the results are both detailed and definitive.  But in addition to being invasive, it’s also fairly expensive. And insurance often won’t cover it.

Fortunately, in my experience, HCl testing really isn’t necessary. Because I’ve found that instinct is usually a much better guide when it comes to treating heartburn effectively.

It’s hard to distinguish between excess HCl and low HCl based on symptoms alone, because on the surface, they’re very similar. (Which is probably why so many doctors get it wrong.)

Tell-tale signs of too much acid are exactly what you might expect—burning, acid feelings, constant reflux, and even just a nagging cough. But if a patient is also having problems digesting food, feeling undernourished, or dealing with vitamin deficiencies, that’s usually a strong indication that they need more, not less, HCl.

Twin protocols for two very different problems

As you might expect, my treatment protocols are different for cases of excess stomach acid and low HCl.

1. If you are producing too much stomach acid, my first recommendation is to follow an alkaline diet. I described this approach in detail back in the July 2013 issue. So you can refer back to that article for a more detailed discussion on the topic. But, in general, an alkaline diet is heavy in vegetables and light on grains. (In other words, it’s the way everyone should be eating anyway.)

In addition to that, I also recommend:

• Dr. Ohhira’s probiotics—chew one (or break open a capsule to take it) thirty minutes before each meal
• Aloe vera leaf extract—250 mg thirty minutes before each meal
• Marshmallow root—500 mg thirty minutes before each meal

2. If you have low stomach acid (a much more common culprit in cases of GERD),

the protocol I most often recommend for heartburn relief encourages greater gastric acid production instead. This includes:

• Betaine HCl—500 mg immediately before each meal
• Deglycyrrhizinated Licorice (DGL)—The DGL I use is a standardized herbal extract of about 380 mg per capsule and I recommend taking one thirty minutes before each meal.
• Dr. Ohhira’s probiotics—one capsule (again, chewed or broken open) thirty minutes before each meal

My best advice for anyone who struggles with chronic heartburn is to kick antacid drugs as soon as possible. Because whether you’re dealing with excess acid or not enough, a prescription isn’t going to get to the root of your problem. And in the long run, it will almost certainly make it worse.

Clean up your diet and experiment with the protocols above. Chances are, one of them will work for you—without stripping your body of critical vitamins and minerals in the process.

SIDEBAR

Another hidden cause of heartburn most doctors don’t check for…

There’s no question that a poor diet is a major culprit behind heartburn. But even if you’re eating right, you could still be eating wrong.

Let me explain…

A recent study of GERD patients found that an elimination diet completely reversed symptoms in 64 percent of the subjects. And delivered significant improvements for 78 percent of them.

Researchers zeroed in on milk, soy, eggs, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, and shellfish. And in this study, at least, 60 percent of the GERD patients were wheat sensitive. And half the patients reacted to milk. (Nuts, eggs, and soy were less reactive, affecting between 5 and 10 percent of the patients each.)

This elimination diet tackled all the top food allergies. So the impressive results weren’t all that surprising. But if you want my opinion, this research only scratches the surface.

I always screen my patients comprehensively for food sensitivities in addition to outright allergies. And I always use the ALCAT test.

You can order the ALCAT testing kit yourself either online at www.alcat.com or by calling 1-800-872-5228. They’ll arrange for a blood draw and set you up with a practitioner who can discuss the results of your test with you.

I recommend the “100 Food Panel” at the minimum—though if you can afford it, definitely consider a more comprehensive test. If you suffer from chronic heartburn, it really is one of the smartest investments you can make.

Sources:

1. “Proton pump inhibitor and histamine 2 receptor antagonist use and vitamin B12 deficiency.” JAMA. 2013 Dec 11;310(22):2435-42.