Dr. Nancy Turner

Doesn’t it seem that more and more people are developing acid reflux?  When I was growing up, I would rarely hear about someone who had indigestion (the term reflux was not yet in vogue back then!), and the remedy of choice would be an Alka Seltzer pill, which would be fun to watch dissolve with all it’s bubbles.

Nowdays, in my practice, it seems that every third person has acid reflux, or GERD (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease), and even children are being diagnosed with this disease. The pain caused from acid that comes up from the stomach (often after a meal) into the esophagus can be quite severe, even mimicking a heart attack.

Acid reflux can evolve into Barret’s esophagitis, where the tissue of the esophagus hardens after constant contact with stomach acid, or even esophageal cancer…so it is important to reverse this condition.

One medical approach is to take one of several drugs designed to inhibit acid production in the stomach, thereby lessening the amount of acid that seeps upward into the esophagus. But in exciting new research by Dr. Robert Young, a pioneer in  testing the pH (acid/alkaline) balance in the body, the true cause of reflux is not in excess acid production, but a deficiency of alkalinity in the stomach, and the entire body. Young claims that when the body is deficient in alkaline minerals, from years of eating and drinking acidic food and drink, any and all disease can result. Young recommends “To prevent nausea, acid reflux, ulcers and cancerous cells, eat, drink and take supplements that are alkalizing.”

The foods and beverages that are the most acidifying are meats, poultry and most fish, anything containing sugar or dairy products, coffee and alcohol. Even most types of water are acidic. Alkaline foods include most vegetables, especially the dark green ones, sour fruits, raw nuts, salmon, lemon and lime, avocadoes, cucumbers and uncooked tomatoes. Beans and grains are mildly acidic.

Because it is difficult to eat a diet that is exclusively alkaline, the water you drink becomes an important factor. If that water is alkaline, it can buffer, or neutralize the acids from years of accumulation in the tissues. There are drops that can be added to produce alkaline water, but some people object to the taste. There are machines that alkalize and ionize tap water, transforming the water into a powerful agent to correct an acidic condition.  I recommend these highly, as the type and amount of water you drink daily is the most important factor in getting and staying healthy.

Other factors that cause or aggravate reflux are weight gain, food allergies, and improperly combining foods, which can also create gas and bloating.

It is not hard to get on a track of eating and drinking alkalizing foods and beverages, as the results can be immediate ….relief from the frightening pain of reflux.

Dr. Nancy Turner practices in Dillon, at Auth Chiropractic Center. She teaches seminars on pH, utilizes NAET allergy elimination treatment, and Chiropractic Care.

Samples of water from an Alkalizing, Ionizing Water Machine are available at Auth Chiropractic Center.

www.drnancyturnerdc.com • 970 262 7929 • dr.nancy@earthlink.net