I?ve written about the dangers of antacids before, the fact that they are a cheap shot at satisfying an immediate need for relief. The real problem you should be concerned about isn?t just the unfriendly metals and the long term side effects they cause, but that you are not addressing the simple root causes of acid reflux and heartburn.

I know it?s unpleasant and even alarming to have digestive acids rise up into your throat and mouth. But frankly you could be doing more harm than good popping those little flavored after dinner mints. The cost of what you?re doing is far greater than the money you paid for your quick fix. Fact is there are available to you inexpensive ?quick fixes? that do not contradict your body?s underlying needs.

Your body needs to maintain a precise balance of many things digestive acids are one. The best way to allow this healthy balance is to help your body?s natural pH (potentate of Hydrogen) balance. You can determine your pH yourself by testing your saliva and urine with litmus paper. It is vital your body keep a pH near 7.4, that?s slightly alkaline. Lower than pH 7 is considered acidic.

I?m not referring to your stomach acid . . . pH refers to your blood, body fluids and tissues. Please don?t confuse the two. If your body?s pH is acidic it means you are retaining cellular wastes. This imbalance eventually affects every system in your body, including stomach acid reflux and digestion. The trick is everything you eat makes your whole body either more acidic or more alkaline.

For instance, if you eat a diet rich in minerals found in green leafy vegetables, the minerals (electrolytes) act as electrical conductors in the water making up more than 80% of your body. Either this cellular water is full of life giving minerals, or it is full of disease forming wastes and toxins.

It is interesting to note that yeasts, fungi and parasites as well as viruses and cancers thrive in an acid pH environment. Having too much metabolic (cellular) waste in your system also reduces oxygen levels and raises carbon dioxide, which they also need to thrive.

Knowing which foods to eat can have an impressive affect on your acid reflux as well as over all health. That?s why this is so important to understand that ignoring what seems to just be bothersome heartburn may lead to other serious problems as well.

A healthy pH level will improve your digestive health by allowing good microorganisms to grow. You?ll find these same beneficial organisms in yogurt and kefir as well as other naturally fermented foods. But you need to discover how to help your body produce these good bacteria.

The other thing that confuses many people is that ?certain? highly acidic foods will produce healthy alkaline levels. Citrus fruits are a prime example. Another great example is raw apple cider vinegar. You wouldn?t think so but these are powerful alkalizers.

Did you know that if you eat peeled apples that you?ll probably get heart burn? Yet eating the whole apple can cure it. The reason is simple, you see there exists in nature an ?enzyme? for every thing you eat, there?s enzymes for protein, carbohydrates and sugars.

Without these enzymes you can?t digest your food. The enzymes to unlock the nutritional benefits inside an apple are hidden within the skin of the apple . . . quite ingenious isn?t it?

Millions of people that suffer needlessly from recurrent acid reflux do not have too much stomach acid in truth they have an enzyme deficiency. Your pancreas is an organ that helps the digestion of foods by producing key enzymes and like any organ depends on a balanced pH level also.

Another factor is that poor digestion and diet can lead to a B vitamin deficiency which can cause a hydrochloric acid (HCL) deficiency (low stomach acid). Contrary to popular belief ?low stomach acid? can cause acid reflux, because food is not digested and therefore presses on the Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES), the flap that keeps stomach acid and bile down.

When someone has an HCL Deficiency, their body is deficient in mineral salts (electrolytes) that are needed to produce stomach acid. You see, the good news is minerals like potassium not only support the healthy production of stomach acid but also is also necessary to maintain a balanced pH level of the blood.

I hope now you see that popping antacids is NOT the answer to your acid reflux, heartburn and acid indigestion problem. Addressing the root cause takes some reasoning but it?s worth the effort.

Live well,

Martin Jacobse
Medical Investigator

P.S. To find out more about natural health remedies for heartburn and acid reflux download Barton Publishing’s Reflux Remedy Report.

You?ve heard that antacids can be harmful to your health, but have you ever asked yourself why you thought you needed them in the first place? Like millions of others, you?ve been duped by misinformation that molded your opinion and discouraged you from honestly looking into the true cause of that nasty burning sensation in your throat. An effective treatment for acid reflux will treat the cause…not mask the symptoms.

Is it the white clinical looking lab coat, the Oscar nominated celebrities, the catchy little jingles or the candy like appearance and the easy access that persuaded you to do it? Perhaps you simply fell for the old ?Eat, Drink and be Merry? propaganda that has us all lining up to grab the next Over-The-Counter quick fix gimmick . . . in fact, more than $78 million worth of antacids were purchased in America during the holiday season of 2004.

So stop feeling guilty, you?re not alone on this one.

Apparently when Americans are under stress we eat a lot more food. Being a stressed out culture, we just automatically ?pop? billions of cherry, vanilla or cocoa flavored tummy-tranquilizers like innocent little after-dinner mints. But hey, it?s a painless purchase and that?s what you?re supposed to do, right?

Wrong. First of all, they are NOT a painless purchase, in the long-term. Secondly, for most of us it?s exactly what you do NOT want to do if you suffer from acid reflux. Follow me here and I will explain . . . truth is, every time you do it, you?re spelling I-N-T-E-N-S-I-F-I-C-A-T-I-O-N.

Relief is the word that an addict uses after a fix. Intensification is what happens after the short lived fix wears off, feeding a vicious cycle.

But you say your heartburn is caused from stomach acid, right?

Sorry, but it?s just not true. Would you believe the root causes of? acid reflux, GERD or heartburn is actually from the ?lack of stomach acid?? Well, so much for the multi-billion dollar acid-blocker industry.

Due to dietary, nutritional and/or aging factors more than 25 million Americans experience this problem. Recurring acid reflux, incorrectly referred to as a stomach acid disease, actually has more to do with the Lower Esophageal Sphincter (LES) and the inability to properly digest foods than anything else.

If you would like to learn more about Acid Reflux and alternative treatments, check out the Reflux Remedy Report?, a revolutionary resource report where you can get information, tips, and easy at home remedies for naturally addressing your acid reflux problems.

Acid reflux is something no one wants to go through. It hurts, it is annoying and for many people it is a constant problem. Typically, it will come in the form of heartburn as acid moves up into the esophagus. This causes a burning discomfort behind the breastbone. Other symptoms of acid reflux include coughing, hoarseness, nausea, and voice changes.

Here are Ten Tips of what to avoid if you want to reduce acid reflux:

1. Coffee and alcohol. Taking these before bed can increase evening reflux.
   
2. Antacids based on calcium carbonate can actually increase the acidity in the stomach.
   
3. Foods high in fat reduce lower esophageal sphincter competence and delay the stomach emptying.
   
4. Eating two to three hours before bed can lead to acid reflux.
   
5. Large meals have a risk of acid reflux when compared to smaller meals.
   
6. Soft drinks.
   
7. Chocolate and peppermint.
   
8. Oranges and tomatoes are acidic foods.
   
9. Onions, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, spinach and sprouts.
   
10. Drinking milk within two hours of bedtime can also cause acid reflux.
    

There are many ways to avoid acid reflux, or try to avoid it, including sleeping on your left side. You can also avoid acid producing foods, but when you are trying to eat healthy, not eating cabbage, broccoli, tomatoes, oranges, or spinach can be difficult to do. Milk is also an essential part of our diet, and avoiding it reduces the amount of calcium we get.

So, what else can you do besides avoid those foods to control acid reflux?

You will discover the real secret in our latest Acid Reflux Remedy Report?. This site features a revolutionary acid reflux reduction remedy that shows you a GUARANTEED way to STOP your acid reflux AND to finally cure it without having to use any drugs or medication.

Acid reflux is a serious problem for individuals and it goes far beyond taking a TUMS to help with the heartburn. Recurring acid reflux can actually lead to serious problems, including GERDs Disease (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease) and cancer. Ignoring your problem by covering up the symptoms with drugs or Over-The-Counter (OTC) gimmicks will only trigger complications and increase the risk of disease. By giving natural cures for acid reflux a chance, you increase the possibility of actually curing your problem.

Rather than treating the symptoms or temporarily covering them up, you are actually addressing the ROOT CAUSES of acid reflux and going to the heart of the matter. Here?s a sample remedy that works wonders- If you want to naturally and quickly relieve your acid reflux, simply eat an ?unpeeled? apple before bed and you will be amazed. The enzymes in the skin work with key nutrients in the apple which remedies? the acid reflux, but does not cure it. Keep that in mind. The Cure will be found in the Reflux Remedy Report? itself.