The cause of heartburn is not too much stomach acid, as is widely believed – it’s not enough. That’s the revelation from Dr. Jacob Teitelbaum, author of the best-selling book “Real Cause, Real Cure.” Those reflux drugs and antacids you’re taking may be doing more harm than good, he tells Newsmax Health.
“Indigestion comes from poor digestion, not too much stomach acid,” he explains. “What you need for digestion is stomach acid and digestive enzymes. That’s what breaks down the food. And when you don’t have enough of either of those, the food sits in your stomach, and sits and sits until after about an hour or so your stomach hits the return-to-sender button.”
The remedy for many people has been to take medications that neutralize or reduce stomach acid. Doing that for a day or two, or even a week can bring relief and is unlikely to cause harm. But using those medications for months and years can lead to serious health problems because the body needs stomach acid for proper digestion. Poor nutrition and even loss of bone density can result.
What’s more, taking calcium antacids can be particularly risky, he says.
“What we’re seeing with calcium antacids is a dramatic increase in heart attack risk,” he says. “Calcium should not be taken by itself and that includes calcium antacids.”
Better choices are antacids containing a mix of calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D.
To help avoid indigestion altogether, take a plant-based digestive enzyme such as Digest Gold with meals, he advises.
The culprit in what Dr. Teitelbaum calls “an epidemic of indigestion” is the food processors, who destroy enzymes which ripen food to prolong shelf life.
“So you look at things like an ear of corn, where the shelf life is five days, or corn flakes, where the shelf life is five millennia,” he says. “So these foods with the enzymes destroyed are indigestible, causing indigestion. So you want to take a good plant-based digestive enzyme with meals, and you’ll find that it’s going to help the digestion a lot.”
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