Mailbag! COOL Heartburn Without Meds?
By
Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Posted May 11, 2021
I suffer from GERD, and I feel like I’m always clearing my throat. I’m wondering what you would recommend to get rid of this miserable disease?
–John from Omaha, Nebraska
Hi John,
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a disorder where the contents of your stomach move upwards, causing a burning sensation in your chest. Most people know this as “heartburn.”
But mainstream docs widely misunderstood this common disorder.
Search any medical website and they will tell you that GERD is caused by the failure of your muscle – called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) – that keeps stomach acid in your stomach.
When this muscle fails to stay closed, it causes stomach acid to pour into your esophagus, causing a burning sensation.
But that’s NOT the entire story.
The mainstream handles GERD with acid-blocking drugs. And those drugs are on my list of drugs you should NEVER TAKE.
Why?
Because your whole digestive process relies on stomach acid. Without stomach acid, you won’t properly digest your food, and that means your body will be starved of nutrients it needs.
Acid-blocking drugs have a list of side-effects you don’t want. These drugs can destroy your microbiome, increase the risk of heart disease and dementia, and accelerate the aging of blood vessels.
The first step to fixing your GERD without these drugs is understanding what causes it.
The main culprits are sugars and foods that act like sugars.
When you eat sugary foods, they provide an easy food source for the bacteria that live in your gut. Two things happen when we provide this easy food source:
- Bacteria grow closer to our stomachs (normally, most of the bacteria in your gut are very low in your digestive tract – mostly in your colon).
- Those bacteria eat the sugars and produce gas as a byproduct.
When you have a ton of gas being produced in your gut, it has to escape somehow. The gas moves out of your stomach and rises through your esophagus. And with the gas comes stomach acid and the burn in your chest.
If you want to get rid of GERD, you have to stop the bacteria in your gut from making so much gas.
How do you do that?
Let me show you.
Dr. Scott’s Foolproof Plan to Avoid Heartburn:
- Stay away from soda. Sugary drinks are famous for producing gas (at both ends) and when gas moves up from your stomach, it often carries stomach acid (causing heart burn).
- Do your best to avoid too much sugar. Foods that contain sugar can act exactly like soda and cause gas. These foods are mostly grains and starchy veggies. If you pay attention, you will discover the foods that give you a lot of gas – stay away from them.
- Take a probiotic. A healthy gut microbiome (gut bacteria) can help reduce heartburn.
- Try a digestive enzyme. If you can digest the sugars before they get to the bacteria, then they will have nothing to eat.
- Pass the salt – yes, the salt. Salt helps keep bad bacteria in check as well as produces strong stomach acid (which reduces heartburn).
P.S. Have a health concern that’s worrying you? Click here to submit your questions and get featured in the weekly mailbag!
Written By Dr. Scott Olson, ND
Nearly 25 years ago, failed mainstream medical treatments left Dr. Olson in constant pain – and his health in ruins. And that’s when he did something REVOLUTIONARY. He began his career in medicine – and dedicated his life to uncovering the true, underlying causes of disease.
Through his innovative medical practices in Tennessee and Colorado, Dr. Olson has helped cure countless seniors from across America of arthritis… heart disease… diabetes… and even cancer. All without risky prescription drugs or painful surgeries.
View More Free Articles
Stop Obsessing Over Diet Trends
Can we stop with the endless diet debates already? Every other week there’s a new headline shouting about which diet is best for weight loss, heart health, or diabetes. Paleo, keto, low-carb, high-protein… it’s exhausting. And now, a new meta-analysis is out comparing the Mediterranean diet, the DASH diet, and something called AHEI (that’s “Alternative...
A New Reason to Ditch Processed Junk
If you’ve ever walked the inside aisles of your local grocery store and thought, “This is all just junk,” your instincts were spot on. A new study published in the journal Thorax just added another red flag to the list of dangers linked to ultra-processed food—a 41 percent higher risk of lung cancer. That’s right....
When Being Winded on Stairs Is Serious (And When It Isn’t)
I had an athlete visit me recently because he experienced shortness of breath while climbing stairs. He is in great shape, so he was worried about what it might mean. “Doc,” he said, “I run five miles three times a week. Why am I huffing and puffing after two flights of stairs?” His concern is...
Study EXPOSES Hidden Danger Lurking in Your Car
We think of our homes and cars as safe havens. But according to a startling new study, they may be flooding your lungs with microscopic plastic particles—every single day. Researchers in France recently found that adults inhale an average of 68,000 microplastic particles daily from indoor air alone. To put that in perspective, that’s about...
Mailbag: Is Modern Food Making You Snore?
“What can cause snoring, and is there a way to correct this issue?” —Seeking Silence Hi Seeking, Snoring happens when the soft tissues in your throat relax and vibrate as air passes through during sleep. While several factors can cause snoring—from sleep position to nasal congestion—I want to share one trigger that might surprise you....
Simple Food Swap SLASHES Dementia Risk 28%
Let’s be honest… who would jump at the chance to cut their dementia risk by 28 percent. And no, you don’t need to run marathons, survive on broccoli, or learn to play the zither (whatever that is) to make it happen. All it takes is one easy swap—something that’s probably already in your refrigerator. Researchers...
This SMART Floss Exposes Hidden Health Danger
Scientists have created dental floss that doesn’t just clean between your teeth—it also tracks your stress while you’re flossing. Now, I know what you’re thinking… “Great—now even flossing is going to stress me out by telling me how stressed I am.” But this fascinating new tool from Tufts University could be a game-changer for understanding...
Is This "Safe" Sweetener Damaging Your Brain?
The headlines are alarming… “Popular Sugar Substitute Linked to Brain Cell Damage” and “Erythritol Could Damage Critical Brain Barrier” are just two of the dozens I’ve spotted recently. But before you toss every sugar-free product in your pantry, let’s take a closer look at what this study actually shows—and what it doesn’t. The latest research...
This Summer Threat Could SPIKE Your Blood Sugar
Picture this… It’s another scorching hot summer day. You crank up the air conditioning while watching the weather forecast, which predicts yet another “record-breaking” heat wave. It’s starting to feel like just another miserably uncomfortable summer. But what you might not realize is that—if you have diabetes—those rising temps could do far more damage to...
Move Over Yogurt—5 Foods That Pack MORE Probiotics
Let’s talk about your gut. The microbiome is the collection of trillions of bacteria and other tiny organisms that live in and on your body—especially in your gut—and help keep you healthy. I’ve written often about how vital it is to maintain a healthy microbiome. And you might have dutifully added yogurt to your shopping...