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From: Doug The WorryWort
Remote Name: 24.81.60.152
Date: 09/15/02
Time: 10:34:30 PM
Got info from this link.
""Most people with chronic heartburn, especially those over the age og 50, have LOW levels of Hydrochloric acid (HCL), the main digestive acid in the stomach. The most common symptons of a stomach acid deficiency show up after eating, in the form of heartburn, belching, bloating, or a heavy feeling. If you feel that most of your meal is still in your stomach more than 45 minutes after eating a normal meal, your stomach is working inefficiently. One way to stimulate your digestive juices is to drink a glass of water half an hour before eating. Other people swear by a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in one-third cup of water before a meal. Vinegar is highly acidic and may provide your stomach with enough acidity for quick, easy digestion."
"The most common triggers for indigestion and heartburn are too much fat or fried food, processed meats with nitrates or nitrites in them, too much sugar, alcohol, chocolate and drugs (especially antibiotics), and stress. If your digestive tract is already irritated, substances such as coffee, citrus fruits, tomato based foods, and spicey foods will only irritate it more. If you have heartburn you may be able to cure it by simply eliminating coffee."
"If you have heartburn, please do not reach for antacids; they will temporarily suppress the symptoms for an hour or so, but in the long run they will make matters worse. You may even become dependant on them. Antacids also contain aluminum, silicone, sugar, and a long list of dyes and preservatives, none of wich will help you and may even harm you. And no matter what the new advertising strategies are, I definitely do not recommend you get extra calcium by chewing on antacid tablets! The side effects of the antacids far outweigh any advantage you might get from the calcium, which is in a poorly absorbed form. "H2 Blockers such as Pepcid, Zantac, and Tagamet, which the FDA has allowed to be sold over the counter, are even worse. They suppress the secretion of stomach acid, and in many people create a distressingly long list of side effects. They interfere with the absorbtion of nutrients, especially calcuim. Tagamet, one of the best selling drugs in the United States, has the worst side effects: It can cause breast enlargement in Men because it interferes with estrogen metabolism and excretion in the liver. Tagamet enhances the effects of many drugs, which can have deadly side effects. There is absolutely no reason I know of for anyone to take these drugs. They are largely irrelavent in the treatment of ulcers and have way too many side effects to justify theit use in something as easliy preventable as heartburn. Your stomach acid is also one of your frontline defenses against harmful bacteria. Suppress it, and the rest of your systems have to wotk overtime to protect you"