5 Tips to Relieve Heartburn and Prevent GERD

We all know someone who has it and that someone may be ourselves! Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is the chronic condition that arises from acid reflux, the burning sensation in your chest that causes so much discomfort. More commonly known as heartburn, if you experience regular weekly bouts of acid reflux, you may have GERD.

November is National GERD month. With between 20-30% of adults in America suffering from GERD, it has likely touched your life.

Personally, I have friends and family with GERD including my 96-year-old mother and my oldest friend’s husband, whose case was so severe that he had to have part of his esophagus removed. It’s caused me to give GERD and its relief considerable thought!

I’d like to share with you 5 tips that will help you or someone you know relieve acid reflux to prevent GERD. And guess where it starts…yes, you guessed it. Eliminating caffeine and coffee!

Caffeine and coffee aggravate GERD

When the acid contacts the tender esophageal cells, it causes the burning we think of as heartburn ~ even though it has nothing to do with the heart.

‘Stop drinking coffee’ is one of the primary dietary recommendations that doctors give their patients in order to reduce acid reflux. Coffee and decaf are both highly acidic. Caffeine adds to the acidic effect of coffee beans, but decaf is made from more highly acidic beans so it can be just as difficult for people with acid sensitivity. Coffee drinking alone can be the culprit behind acid reflux.

Since habitual coffee drinkers become dependent upon its stimulating effects, they believe they can’t live without it. So many people would rather swallow antacids rather than quit coffee. As a result, Americans spend $5 billion a year on antacids while they keep on pouring caffeinated acidity into their stomachs!

The Side Effects of Antacids

Antacids reduce the acidity of your stomach but in order to properly digest protein and absorb vitamins and minerals from your food, you need your stomach acid. Normally our stomachs have a pH of 2.2, which both kills pathogens like bacteria and viruses and neutralizes toxins. Antacids raise the pH of the stomach to 6 or more, leaving you without your first line of defense and lacking vital nutrients.

Antacids also come with a variety of side effects. Using them for occasional heartburn after a big meal with lots of fatty or spicy foods is one thing. Taking them frequently, however, can lead to constipation, kidney stones, stomach cramps, and diarrhea. Other more serious side effects include malnutrition, increased allergies and risk from exposure to carcinogenic toxins. You really don’t want to be dependent on antacids!

Healthy actions you can take to prevent GERD

Here are five tips that help reduce acid reflux and thus prevent GERD:

1. Eat digestive enzymes with meals. As we age, our stomachs produce less acid, which you’d think would help relieve acid reflux. Unfortunately, it doesn’t because we aren’t digesting our food effectively. Our liver, pancreas and stomach produce the digestive enzymes that efficiently digest our food. However, age and digestive imbalances affect their production. Supplementing with digestive enzymes during or just after a meal can correct imbalances, positively affect your entire digestive tract right down to the colon, and even support a healthy immune system.
2. Drink aloe vera juice. Aloe vera is a type of succulent with a thick mucilaginous gel inside its leaves. The gel is soothing to the digestive tract and has anti-inflammatory properties. It is increasingly thought that GERD may be attributed more to inflammation than to acidity.

   A 2015 study of 79 people found that after two to four weeks, aloe vera relieved eight different measures of GERD without any side effects. When tested against prescription drugs, aloe was a bit slower to relieve symptoms but the acid-blocking drugs produced intolerable side effects in a number of the study’s participants.

   There are a variety of aloe vera concentrates on the market. However, when buying aloe vera products, look for the certification seal from the International Aloe Science Council to be sure you are really getting the pure product.

   My recommendation is a drink marketed by Alo from Thailand. My favorite flavor is called “Expose” made with honey. Drinking aloe vera has stopped my aged mother’s problems with swallowing, which is another acid reflux symptom, especially in older people.

3. Sleep on a slanting pillow wedge. They really do help keep your stomach acid in your stomach while you sleep. After your acid reflux has calmed down, you’ll be able to sleep on normal pillows again, but when you have an attack, these pillows are great. I recommend this one as it seems to be just the right height for prevention without making you feel too upright: Amazon Link
4. Take Prebiotics that help relieve acid reflux. Research is ongoing but preliminary results show that prebiotic oliogosaccharides help relieve acid reflux. In fact, one prebiotic company got funding from the National Institute of Health to begin a major study on the effect of their prebiotic on acid reflux because they were able to show how many of their customers had experienced relief.
5. Wean off of coffee and drink Teeccino. Like I said before, quitting coffee is where you need to start to get control of acid reflux. I often hear from people that it is the last thing they do after they’ve tried everything else. We get questions all the time from people who don’t believe that drinking Teeccino could really make a difference. I steer them to the many testimonials we have from former acid reflux and GERD sufferers. Here’s a typical one:

Check out these new Teeccino blends:

Teeccino Prebiotic SuperBoost™ blends contain 3 oligosaccharides that support good digestive health. Brew them like coffee or steep them like tea. Enjoy Mango Lemon Balm at night to receive the stress relieving effects of lemon balm that helps you relax into deep sleep. For a stimulating brew, drink Dark Chocolate with antioxidants from cacao. Sip a comforting cup of Macadamia Nut for a warm, nutty brew with slight sweetness to soothe your sugar yearnings. All three will give you an effective dose of prebiotics to help restore your gut balance.