The Digestive System, the Gallbladder, Acid Reflux and the Antacid Debacle

The human digestive system is nothing short of miraculous. Its intricacy and amazing detail is beyond anything that has been designed by the human scientist. It takes diverse food groups, chews and kneads them to a pulp, subjects them to extremely acid conditions and then alkaline conditions. It pulses, contracts, expands and pours out enzymes, hormones and other digestive juices. Then a highly selective. constantly changing proactive membrane called the Intestinal Lining lets in only the digested foods and prevents the other particles form invading the body. In addition the Gastrointestinal System (GI system) has the highest amount of nerve cells in the body after the brain.

Sometimes things go wrong with this system and we try to fix it by blocking acid production with drugs or cutting out gall bladders or parts of the intestine. All of these are the sad result of our incomplete understanding of the human body. But we really don’t even have that excuse because what is discussed here has been know for decades but not implemented. Why? Topic for a different day!

Acid Reflux happens when the gastroesophageal valve whose job it is to prevent stomach acid from going back up the delicate esophagus is not completely functioning. So acid irritates the comparatively vulnerable cells of the esophagus and causes discomfort. The typical allopathic response to this ailment is to prescribe acid blockers. This is what I did too for many years even though deep inside my love of physiology told me there was something wrong with this approach. It was not till I worked with Dr. Jonathan Wright in Seattle that I realized how severe the consequences of such an approach can be. After all the acid phase of digestion is critical for absorption of Vitamin B 12, breakdown of proteins and assimilation of most minerals and trace elements. Some individuals have to live with a genetic condition where they are unable to make hydrochloric acid. These individuals are at a higher risk of various diseases including esophageal and stomach cancer, stomach polyps, infections of the gastrointestinal tract, osteoporosis and autoimmune diseases. Imagine what we are doing by producing a drug-induced state of absent hydrochloric acid. You guessed it the same problems as the person who cannot genetically make them.

Even the Wall Streeet Journal caught on to the dangers of using todays strong acid blockers. In their issue of October 10th, 2005 is an article titled “The Hidden Dangers of Heartburn’, Tara Pope talks about the dangers of using the modern ‘Proton Pump Inhihibitor’. She points out a five fold increase in cancer of the esophagus since the widespread introduction of acid blockers in the medical system. Acid blockers may help the symptoms of reflux but does not alleviate the cause of the reflux itself.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19513836

So what do you do if you have reflux or digestive issues? It turns out quite surprisingly that more than 3/4ths of patients with Reflux have low stomach Acid!! (Number based on my clinical experiences). The weak acid production in turn decreases the stimulus for the valve to shut and hence causes reflux. So the problem in what has often been termed hyperacidity could be actually decreased acid production? Crazy as it initially sounds – in 3 out of 4 cases of reflux the cause is decreased production of hydrochloric acid. Other important causes of heartburn are unhealthy and excessive diets, food allergies and high intakes of caffeine.

My advice to anyone with reflux or other digestive problems is to go to a health care professional with a holistic outlook. Possible causes of low stomach acid like infection with a bug called Helicobacter pylori will be ruled out. (This seems to be one reason probiotics can help heartburn.) There are ways to assess acid production and the integrity of the stomach mucous lining to withstand acid production.. Once those things are squared away they will help you look at how to replace the acid that you should be making. Chances are not only will your reflux go away, but the biggest benefit of all is that your digestive system will be able to function normally. And that is imperative for a Happy Ending!!

As tragic as the use of Acid Blockers, is the often unwarranted surgeries that are done on the gall bladder. While there are situations where surgery is indicated and helpful, the vast majority of gall bladder surgeries are preventable and can do more harm than good. This is specially when there are no actual stones in the gall bladder but based on a test called a HIDA scan, you are told your gall-bladder is not functioning and ejecting out as much bile as it should. This problem can be addressed by cleaning up the diet, adding essential fatty acids like olive oil and eliminating food allergens.

I was sitting in a plane flying to Seattle once and next to me sat this young Mexican guy who had just moved to the US and dutifully taken up the American fast food lifestyle. He had been experiencing fatigue, pains in his gut and had been told that he needed his gall bladder taken out. Having nothing much else exciting to do in the air, I explained to him in detail what he could do to turn the situation around. He took my card and about two months later I got a happy, relieved and grateful e-mail from him on how not only his problems had resolved but he felt better than he had in a long time.

I have to add the usual disclaimer that the FDA does not necessarily endorse my views and that this is not intended to be medical advice, but information you can use to find your way to optimum health.