Are you suffering from the pain and inconvenience of heartburn and only able to get through the day by regularly taking medicines, be they prescription or over-the-counter? If so you’re in the right place – we will show you natural ways to treat heartburn!
If you’re still reading, you’re in good company – 2 in every 5 adults worldwide suffer from such functional gastrointestinal disorders of varying severity.
But never fear, help is at hand – the pharmaceutical companies are more than happy in keeping your supply of their products flowing – the global gastrointestinal drugs market size is expected to grow from $71.85 billion in 2021 to a projected whopping $105.51 billion in 2026!
Clearly any better ways to be pain free once and for all are unlikely to be put forward by Big Pharma!
Take heart – I will show you straightforward and inexpensive ways to do just this!
Before I do this, let’s take a look at the underlying causes of these distressing problems and the unsatisfactory solutions put forward by mainstream medicine.
How vitally important to you is a healthy digestive system?
It is an undisputed fact that the absolute cornerstone of overall health is a healthily functioning digestive system.
In today’s society with its fast-paced stressful living, often poor dietary choices and rushed eating, the digestive health of many has never before been under such attack.
This may lead to digestive dysfunction, heartburn, peptic ulcers and, in the worse-case scenario, varying types of cancer.
However never fear the good folks of the pharmaceutical companies claim to have the answer to all of your digestive problems in the convenient form of, yes you’ve guessed right, a pill!
In this article I will use the example of gastric inflammation to expose the lies of these companies and to show you healthy and inexpensive ways of preventing and treating this condition that may lead to other (and worse) disorders.
Why are natural ways to treat heartburn and gastric pain blindly disregarded?
Pharmaceuticals are NOT the answer to these problems. The following facts expose the web of deceit propagated by the pharma companies to sell their wares:
● The true underlying causes of gastric inflammation and pain are not being addressed
● The side effects of drugs prescribed for these conditions are often worse than the original symptoms
● Prescribed medications for these conditions are designed to be taken long-term which is great for the companies producing them and not so good for you
I will cover the above points individually and then show you powerful natural ways of avoiding this situation in the first place.
What are the true causes of heartburn and gastric pain?
Heartburn and gastric pain are generally caused by proliferation and overgrowth of the gut bacteria Helicobacter pyloris (H.pyloris) – so, effectively it is an infection of the gut wall.
This microbe is found in modest numbers within the normal bacterial flora of a healthily functioning gut.
However in certain situations such as a poor diet and/or excessive alcohol consumption, the numbers of the “good” bacteria diminish, H.pyloris may proliferate, causing localised gut wall infections with associated inflammation and pain.
The stomach is maintained with a low acid pH as a normal and essential part of digestion. However, this normal acidity may cause pain as it will aggravate the areas of localised inflammation.
So, the crucial point to remember is that gut wall infection is the underlying problem and NOT gut acid.
Pharmaceutical companies totally miss (or overlook) this distinction and seem to be obsessed with tackling and manipulating the levels of acid within the gut. This entirely loses sight of the obvious fact that stomach acid is essential and is secreted for legitimate reasons.
Who really benefits from the long-term use of heartburn and gastric pain drugs?
Many people taking these pharmaceuticals will continue to do so on a long-term basis as the true underlying causes of these disorders are not being addressed. This in itself may predispose to unpleasant consequences such as:
● hypergastrinemia – high levels of the hormone that stimulates gastric acid production
● hypomagnesemia – very low levels of magnesium
● low levels of vitamin B-12
● acute interstitial nephritis (kidney inflammation)
● dementia
This, of course, is of no particular interest to the pharmaceutical industry.
What are the natural ways to treat heartburn and gastric pain?
For gastric inflammation and heartburn in general:
Probiotics
“Good” bacteria naturally found in the gut will promote good health by supporting your immune function and controlling inflammation. “Good “bacteria also promote:
● food digestion
● the inhibition of the colonisation of bad and potentially harmful bacteria
● the synthesis of certain vitamins, for instance vitamin K
● the support of cells lining the gut and the prevention of ingested bacteria entering the blood stream
● immune system stimulation
● intestinal transit of food
With the loss of “good” bacteria some or all of the above functions are lost or diminished. Particularly relevant is the resultant lack of control of the colonisation of the gut by harmful bacteria – in this instance H.pylori. When this happens, it is essential to replace these lost bacteria through supplements known as probiotics. These contain live bacteria that are beneficial to the human digestive system.
This is such an important area that I have devoted an entire article to probiotics.
Peppermint
This is particularly effective when drunk as a tea.
Apple Cider Vinegar
This acts by maintaining healthy bacteria within the gut. To make it more palatable mix this in water with a teaspoon of honey.
Ginger
Ginger has been used for this purpose since ancient times as it is a natural anti-inflammatory. This may be drunk in the form of a tea however fresh ginger root is particularly effective.
Chamomile Tea
A natural anti-inflammatory, this is particularly effective when taken late in the day prior to sleeping.
Honey
Since ancient times honey has been known for its antibacterial properties. Studies have shown that honey suppresses the growth of H.pylori and acts against this bacteria in a number of ways.
Broccoli sprout
Sulforaphane, which is found in abundance within broccoli sprout, has been clinically shown to kill H. pylori. This natural chemical has also been shown to reduce existing gastric inflammation.
Green tea
Green tea is a particularly healthy drink, containing many nutrients and antioxidants. Additionally it has been shown to inhibit the growth of H.pylori and to reduced levels of gastric inflammation.
Additionally helpful natural ways to treat heartburn are the following:
● maintain fluid balance by drinking plenty of fresh water
● eating plenty of fibre to naturally reduce the time undigested food spends in the stomach and consequently reduces acid production. Great sources of fibre are fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans.
● stopping smoking
● eating smaller meals
● eating/drinking known gastric irritants in moderation – these include chocolate, spicy foods, citrus fruits, coffee and alcohol
● maintaining a healthy weight
It is clear that there a number of ways to maintain a healthy digestive system. Heartburn is just one of a host of conditions where the pharmaceutical companies would have you believe that their products are the solution to the problem, whereas in fact they are at best ineffective and at worst damaging to your health.
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“BE TRULY FREE – BE PHARMA FREE”
Some really good tips here for good digestive health – easy to do with just a few tweaks to my normal diet.