Permanent Cure Of Heartburn

The human stomach contains an acid called "hydrochloric acid." The primary function of this acid is to help the body break down the foods we consume. Stomach acid, also known as gastric acid helps to kill off any harmful bacteria that have entered the stomach cavity.

Stomach acid is also needed to digest protein. The acid activates an enzyme, called pepsin, which breaks down the protein in the foods we eat. If a person has insufficient amounts of stomach acid, they may feel tired and weak. Even your hair, skin, and nails can become weak and deficiencies of vital hormones, enzymes, and neurotransmitters can result.

Stomach acid also stimulates the pancreas to produce digestive enzymes. When stomach acid mixes with the food we consume the resulting acidity concoction triggers your pancreas to release the digestive enzymes called lipase (which digest fat), amylase (to digest carbohydrates), and protease (to further digest protein). If there is hypochlorhydria, (deficiency of hydrochloric acid of the gastric juices in the stomach) Digestion of fat and carbohydrates may also become impaired, resulting in bloating, (increased stomach pressure) indigestion, and deficiency of fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. in your body.

The stomach pH (potential of hydrogen) of your stomach acid is around 2 to 3, on a scale of 1 to 14. With a reading of 1 being very acidic, a reading of 7 being neutral and 14 is being too alkaline.

Ever wonder if your body is too acidic or overly alkaline and the condition is causing many of your health problems? If you experience a feeling of being unwell have stomach bloating, burping or belching, heartburn and experiencing flatulence more than normal then it is advisable to check your pH levels.

There is a simple home test you can do with litmus paper and then you will know. The following will help you check your own pH levels.

CHECKING pH LEVELS

You can purchase some "Litmus Paper" at the health food store, to check the "acidity of your saliva" which is an overall indicator of just how acidic you have become. Being too acidic is the major cause of disease such as heart disease and cancer so it is important to keep your pH levels in an alkaline state. A body that is in an acidic state means that all of your organs have to work much harder, which is going to cause even further health problems.

INSTRUCTIONS

You fill your mouth with saliva a couple of times and then spit into a container. Tear off a little piece of the "Litmus Paper" and dip it into the saliva. Leave it there until it changes color. (Approx 5 to 10 seconds) Then match your test paper up with the color chart on the package that the paper came in and you will see a value or a number. Your reading should be around 7.3 to 7.4; values lower than these are acidic and should be corrected. Do the test in the morning when your stomach is empty and then again in the evening before you retire and then you will have an average reading.

You can also check the pH of your urine. The reading should be 7.0. This test is best taken just before meals. Whether you check the pH of your saliva or urine it is advisable to keep a record of the test results so you can compare them against future tests.

Having a balanced pH system will improve the acidity of your body, and you will be amazed at how much better you feel.

Acid reflux has become one of the most common medical conditions in today's society. This condition mostly results from modern unhealthy lifestyles people are living and the inappropriate diet. Demanding careers have made it impossible for people to eat healthy meals. Takeout joints and fast food chains have become common to the working population. This trend has triggered the manifestation of this condition in a large portion of the population.

In acid reflux, the victim always experiences long pains in the abdomen caused when the stomach contents regurgitates into his esophagus. Many people will not think of any serious repercussions due to this condition and many of them end up ignoring it. What they don't know is that it can cause esophagitis or even esophageal cancer if it is left untreated.

Drugs are often prescribed by doctors to patients suffering from this ailment but often, these drugs do not cure the ailment. All it does is to alleviate the visible symptoms. This being the case, the condition is bound to re-occur and again people run to take prescribed medication. These drugs suppress acids in the stomach which is not a good thing because are critical in fighting microorganisms in the digestive pathway. In this respect, the drugs are more harmful than helpful to the patients that take them. Other acid reflux remedies are now available for sufferers of the ailment.

Natural methods are the simplest and safest ways to cure ailments. They not only cure the ailments completely but they also go a long way in preventing further re-occurrence. The most effective acid reflux remedy is the consumption of a balanced diet on a daily basis. The first step is to eliminate any foods that may cause the stomach walls to be inflamed. Spices, caffeine, citrus fruits and fatty foods are the biggest culprits. Another step towards achieving this end is limiting the intake of alcohol and cigarettes.

One of the most common natural cures for acid reflux is the apple cider vinegar. Most doctors claim that vinegar is corrosive and may corrode the stomach walls but this is not the case. To maximize its effects, it needs to be consumed while eating. It is a natural cure which soothes the stomach and helps to reduce the amount of digestive juices secreted by the stomach. With this in mind, you can take measure towards improving your lifestyle, reducing the stress levels and eating a healthy diet.

There are many people who suffer from either too much or too little stomach acid. Both of these conditions can cause stomach problems including stomach bloating, burping, belching and flatulence more than normal. While everyone sometimes has to deal with digestive problems when they are chronic or severe you need to find assistance. The most common way that people try to deal with these problems is by taking proton pump inhibitors.

Proton Pump Inhibitors are designed to cut off the acid production in your stomach which reduces stomach pressure, and therefore you experience less reflux and the resulting heartburn. The problem with this course of treatment is the drug actually stops your body from absorbing calcium from the foods you consume, in order for your body to function properly.

Your body needs calcium and if it can't get the required amount from food to function properly, your body will leach the calcium it requires from your teeth and bones. Several different medical studies have proven that lack of calcium leads to osteoporosis, a condition where your bones become porous and brittle and you could suffer a fracture.

Besides that horrible side effect, the drugs stop our indigestion from digesting our foods in a timely fashion, and the longer your food stays in your stomach the more stomach pressure and problems you will have. Although there are many different conditions that can cause stomach acid problems the most common cause is being overly acidic.

Stress, anger and frustration are factors that lead to acidity and so is our diet. If we consume an acidic diet like meat and grains and not enough fruits and veggies our body will become acidic. Spicy foods can also negatively affect the digestion process and cause the stomach over-produce acids which can lead to gastritis and be very painful.

The first place you should start when trying to stop stomach acid is to check your pH levels. This can be accomplished by purchasing some "litmus paper" at the health food store and doing a test at home which will tell you your acidic levels. Even though the test is very easy to do, doctors for some reason never do it.

Your test result should be around 7.3 to 7.4 which is slightly alkaline. The test should be done in the morning when you get up and again in the evening before you retire.