Heartburn is an ailment many of us have experienced. Some sources say that it is associated exclusively with hyperacidity, and that the best treatment is remedies that reduce gastric acid secretion. As it turns out, that is not entirely true…
We will talk about where heartburn really comes from, which will allow us to take the right and, as a result, effective steps to eliminate the problem. As the saying goes: first know your enemy.
Heartburn – where does it really come from?
Do you know that burning sensation in the chest or along the esophagus? This unpleasant feeling intensifies when swallowing, shortly after a meal. If you know what I mean, you may have experienced heartburn. You should know that it can have several causes, e.g. indigestion or inflammation of the stomach.
What is more, heartburn often accompanies reflux disease. Studies confirm that the risk of both heartburn and reflux disease may increase with age. However, it is worth knowing that the unpleasant burning is caused by the backflow of gastric contents together with acid into the esophagus. This can affect healthy people, as well as those struggling with digestive and food-related problems. The mentioned contents, together with acid, irritate the lining of the esophagus, resulting in that burning sensation.
While acid does flow back into the esophagus together with food contents, it is not directly responsible for heartburn. By lowering the acidity of the environment to which the stomach is accustomed and which it needs, we act purely symptomatically, and we may even harm ourselves. One should act on the source of the problem, which will make it possible to eliminate it and also get rid of the unpleasant symptoms.
What, then, should you know? It is about the lower esophageal sphincter, which is part of the esophageal muscles and, under normal circumstances, remains in tension almost constantly, preventing gastric contents from flowing back. The exception is allowing the supplied food to pass through (in one direction), and there it passes on to the stomach. After that, it tightens again so that nothing comes back.
Nevertheless, if the mechanism were perfect, this article would make no sense, because heartburn would have no right to exist, would it? It is worth bearing in mind that it is to some extent dependent on the parasympathetic nervous system, more specifically on the vagus nerve, as well as on the action of certain hormones, such as gastrin or female sex hormones, which may affect the tone of the lower esophageal sphincter.
So it is no wonder that pregnancy is a condition in which heartburn or reflux can often be experienced. Following this line of thought, the best solution is to maintain proper tone of the lower esophageal sphincter and limit the factors that reduce it.
In addition to paying attention to hormonal balance, it is necessary to improve digestive function and optimize pH and gastric acid. Many people have heartburn, but they are struggling not with hyperacidity, but with an insufficient amount of acid and/or enzymes. Therefore, adding agents that lower the acidity of the environment or PPI drugs (which, by the way, have a negative effect on the gut microbiota) will not be a solution; on the contrary. Also remember to take care of the intestines (integrity and bacterial flora). If your problem is too little HCL or enzymes, it is worth considering digestive enzymes. A fairly common approach is to introduce apple cider vinegar (diluted in water) into the diet or supplement with betaine HCL, although here the key is observation, because it is used cyclically, gradually reducing the dose.
Of course, first of all it is worth taking the right nutritional steps, that is, eliminating irritating foods and reducing the share of carbohydrates, which in excessive amounts can have an irritating effect.
Heartburn as a symptom of too low HCL levels may be associated with a deficiency of pepsin, which is important, for example, for digesting ingested proteins. Hypoacidity, of course, is not only problems with processing proteins alone, but also all other food components.
The appearance of heartburn may also be associated with inflammatory conditions and increased pressure in the abdominal cavity, which leads to pushing the stomach contents upwards (towards the diaphragm). What is more, if there is also a problem with the function and tone of the lower esophageal sphincter, food passes back together with gastric acid. The result? Irritation of the mucous membranes of the esophagus.
Heartburn – what to do?
- take care of digestion and eliminate any digestive problems,
- optimize pH and the amount of gastric acid,
- change eating habits gradually,
- reduce the proportion of carbohydrates (especially refined ones) if we consume them in excessive amounts,
- take care of the bacterial flora and intestinal integrity,
- not overeat (control portions) and introduce the so-called food-combining diet,
- consider appropriate supplementation,
- in some cases, for example, flaxseed may help,
- take care of proper hydration and drink between meals rather than during them, so as not to disrupt digestion.
