There are an estimated 15-20 million Americans that use acid inhibiting drugs to treat heartburn. Proton Pump Inhibitors are among the most widely prescribed drugs today, with annual sales of about $14 billion a year. This is the case, despite that they were not intended to treat heartburn in the first place.
Research has shown time and time again that PPI’s are overprescribed and causes more harm than good in the long run.
If you suffer from frequent heartburn, there is natural help that can help you eliminate this problem.
PPI’s like Nexium, Priloec, and Prevacid are actually designed to treat a very limited range of severe problems, including:
- Bleeding ulcers
- Zollinger-Ellison Syndrome
- Severe acid reflux, where an endoscopy has confirmed that your esophagus is damaged.
These drugs were never intended for people with heartburn. They also were only intended to be taken for a short time, not for months or years.
It is important to understand that taking the PPI drug to treat your heartburn, you’re treating the symptoms only, and not the underlying cause. Lack of stomach acid makes you more vulnerable to a number of problems, including nutritional deficiencies, food poisoning, and digestive system infections.
Here are the primary causes for heartburn:
- Insufficient amounts of stomach acids
- Helicobacter Pylori Infection
- Hiatal Hernia
- Food Allergies
Here are some drug free alternative options for you to utilize, but again it is always advised to be under the watchful eye of a qualified healthcare practitioner to help you through the heartburn.
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Betaine
- Baking Soda
- Aloe Juice
- Ginger Root
- Vitamin D
- Astaxanthin
- Slippery Elm
- Glutamine
- Folic Acid
- Compound of Melatonin, Tryptophan, B6, Folic Acid, B12 methionine, and betaine.
- Last but not least, reduce all of your stress!!
Of course, every person is different and it is important to know which treatment path is best for your health history. We invite you to schedule your Discovery Day session with the doctors at your local Institute for Functional Health clinic. Learn more about our Discovery Day and how we build a unique health program for you with our Total Health Transformation Program.