digestive system

Gas, bloating and acid reflux

Gas, bloating and acid reflux can certainly be problematical. Sometimes, one must discuss some of the more “embarrassing” manifestations of an unbalanced body function, in this case, digestion, which can lead to gas, bloating and acid reflux. Sometimes, bloating can be quite painful as it extends the abdomen to unnatural levels and can even feel like a mild heart attack. Gas doesn’t generally hurt, but it sure can be embarrassing, and acid reflux can burn that esophagus.

Digestive Process

Gas, bloating and acid reflux are not by themselves dangerous, but they do indicate that not all is well in the digestive system and some peripheral organs. Generally, the digestive process happens as follows: the mouth starts the whole process by chewing and by alkalizing the food with saliva, the food drops into the stomach, where hydrochloric acid takes over to emulsify fats and proteins, the next step is that food goes into the small intestines where the pancreatic enzymes and bile from the gallbladder mix with the chyme to further break down the food into its absorbable components, thereafter it ends up in the large intestine where the environment is again acidic and much of the nutrient absorption takes place. Any imbalance in any of the digestive processes can make the smooth transition from mouth to colon either difficult or painful. Obviously, something is not well.

When you do not digest food properly, it can literally rot in your body and disorder the bacterial ecology of your intestines, called the microbiome. This microbiome is composed of many bacteria that keep the body in balance affecting food absorption, immunity and mood. Should there be a disturbance in the microbiome, you could experience many symptoms such as abdominal weight gain, skin problems and fatigue in addition to gas, bloating or acid reflux. When food is poorly digested, it inundates the liver and blood stream with undigested food and other toxins, which then puts a burden on the kidneys as well, as it must now filter the toxins the liver could not.

Antacids

I recommend staying away from over the counter digestive solutions like antacids. These are actually harmful as they absorb the stomach acid necessary for proper digestion. Although the acid reflux may be relieved with antacids, they are not the long term solution as they only mask the symptoms. Taking betaine HCL would be a better choice as it will help digest the food rotting in the digestive tract. When in doubt as to how to relieve intestinal discomfort, see a good naturopath that will explain how your particular issues can most efficiently be resolved.

Simple solutions to digestive issues are to eat nutritious foods that are not processed, pasteurized, genetically modified or highly cooked/heated. Eat some raw foods everyday, like fruits, salads, raw veggies, sprouts, nuts and seeds. Eat ginger and/or garlic to soothe the intestinal lining, take betaine HCL for acid reflux, pancreatic enzymes for gas, and a good probiotic for colon health. If a good detox is called for, use calcium bentonite as the first choice, and use aloe vera juice for general cleansing and well being. If taking probiotics daily, make sure that you ingest enough fiber, as it is what the probiotics feed on. Bon appetit,