The Phenomenal Marketing of Antacids
Eat a meal….. Feel bloated… Tummy hurts… Take an antacid… or two….. or three Tummy sort of feels better… Tomorrow, start all over again…
How much would you pay to possibly never have to take an antacid tablet again? Do you think that is not possible? Are you just living with the condition, after all it’s a fairly common condition with a lot of people? Do you take an OTC or has it gotten to the point of using a prescription? Commercials make you think that indigestion is the cause and antacid products are the answer. That is so far from the truth, it can be dangerous to your health in the long term. Antacids can mask or cover-up some real life threatening medical conditions. There is an answer! Let’s look at the real reasons for your stomach feeling bad after a meal. Food sensitivities are a real possibility for your feelings. Due to intolerances some foods are not digested properly and as a result cause the gas, bloating and burning. Eating foods that are very acidic or alkaline can cause the upset feeling. One way to find out if you have too much acid or not is to take a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar. If the burning goes away the cause is not enough acid. If the burning increases the cause is too much acid, providing you don’t have inflammatory conditions. This is how the antacid works. If your stomach has too much acid, the alkaline (usually calcium and other chemicals) in the preparation will neutralize the acid and you will feel better. On the other hand, if there is not enough acid the antacid will neutralize all the acid in the stomach which then sends an emergency signal to the brain demanding hydrochloric acid immediately. The stomach then responds by turning fully on all the acid pumps. This cascade of acid will in a few minutes relieve the pain. If the pain does not go away, then there are other issues to look at. Some foods can irritate your stomach, if you already have inflammation, like an ulcer. Here is a suggestion to try. Chew your food very well; eat foods that are alkaline like vegetables and keep sugar to a minimum. Wolfing down fries and a burger with a soda is a recipe for trouble. Food not chewed will creates a lot of work for your stomach. The stomach is like a washing machine, churning the food until it is a liquid paste. Like a washing machine, you can overload your stomach with poorly chewed food and the foods will not digest well, leading to what we commonly call indigestion. Taking antacids is a poor substitute for proper eating. In the long run, the washing machine will break down when you least expect it. When this occurs, all kinds of symptoms will emerge. Not only will you have the common stomach problems but now included are intestinal and colon problems, allergies, food sensitivities, autoimmune symptoms, GERD, and possible precancerous conditions. Don’t just try to eliminate the indigestion feeling by taking a shortcut. Take the time to eat correctly and your body will thank you for years to come. To help food be correctly digested you need enzymes to breakdown the food completely and probiotics in the intestines and colon to finish the digestion and aid in assimilation. I suggest Natural Labs Digestive enzymes, a full profile product. Body First is my probiotic of choice. For complete coverage I recommend Complete (Apex Health), a full-profile, liquid vitamin/ mineral plant based nutritional supplement. With the above three, you are taking the first steps of improving your overall health. |