Ditch the Rolaids and Prilosec and try a spoonful of apple cider vinegar for heartburn and acid reflux!
Contrary to popular belief, heart burn and acid reflux are almost always the result oftoo little stomach acid to breakdown and digest your food efficiently, as well as overgrowth of the bad type of gut bacteria from a diet too high in carbs. Over-the-counter drugs and medications that neutralize or decrease the production of stomach acid help the symptoms, but actually make the underlying condition, too little stomach acid, worse. Too little stomach acid interferes with the body’s ability to absorb nutrients and over the long term can lead to deficiencies in B12, folic acid, calcium, iron and zinc.
There are many things that can be done to stabilize the digestive system naturally and get rid of chronic heartburn and acid reflux, but a healthier way to deal with the symptoms is to take a spoonful of apple cider vinegar when symptoms start. Apple cider vinegar has a lower acidity than stomach acid, but won’t neutralize the environment of the stomach and cause the side effects that drugs do. (Remember to choose organic apple cider vinegar because apples have the highest levels of residual pesticides of all conventional produce.)
Yours in Health,
Dr. Erin O’Maley
