In the esophageal reflux is excessive stomach acid, food and heart have been introduced: esophageal reflux, heartburn is not too much stomach acid, but is likely to be too little stomach acid; insufficient acidity leads to the valve between the stomach and the esophagus (cardia sphincter) function is impaired, the cardia can not close normally, so that the chyme in the stomach (including semi-digested food residues, pepsin and stomach acid, etc.) retrograde upwards, burning the esophagus, throat and oral mucosa. Many mammals, such as cats and dogs, also have esophageal reflux problems, and they cannot digest and spit out after overeating, or their stomach acid flows upstream and feel uncomfortable. How they solve the problem also deserves our attention.
Although people with esophageal reflux, after taking drugs that inhibit stomach acid, are really not so uncomfortable. But this intervention does not solve the problem, and in the long run it will make the situation more serious. Although it feels that retrograde chyme is less harmful to the esophagus, insufficient stomach acid leads to poor sterilization and pH rise leads to a decrease in the efficiency of pepsin work, such as long-term indigestion, stomach and esophagus and small intestine bacteria overproliferation.
So is there any food or can diet be used to enhance stomach acid function, improve digestion, and improve esophageal reflux? The answer is, of course, yes, and this issue will introduce several dietary methods that enhance stomach acid function.
1. Chew carefully and swallow slowly after eating
The digestion of food begins in the mouth, full chewing can not only grind food, but also allow food to undergo initial digestion (such as salivary amylase digestion), reduce the digestive burden of the stomach, stimulate the release of other digestive enzymes, and improve the digestion capacity of people with insufficient stomach acid.
Due to impaired gastric sterilization function, people with too little stomach acid tend to be accompanied by excessive proliferation of gastric and intestinal bacteria. Chewing slowly can not only promote the digestion and absorption of protein, but also promote the digestion and absorption of carbohydrates, avoid carbohydrates from being used by bacteria to increase gastrointestinal pressure, thereby inducing esophageal reflux.
Some researchers have calculated that if 30 grams of carbohydrates in the food you eat are not digested and absorbed by the human body, you can be fermented by intestinal bacteria to produce 10 liters of hydrogen, and the power can be imagined. Therefore, people with acid reflux, indigestion, gastrointestinal bloating, must chew carefully and swallow slowly when eating.
2. Limit processed foods and sweets
A balanced, varied, low-processing diet increases stomach acid levels, while processed foods (such as finely processed carbohydrates), sweets, and high-fat foods can weaken stomach acid activity, reduce digestion, and induce esophageal reflux. At the same time, long-term consumption of these foods will further disrupt the gastrointestinal flora, causing excessive proliferation of unhealthy bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract and inducing the risk of other diseases.
3. Eat traditional fermented foods or probiotics
Studies have found that supplementing probiotics can regulate the intestinal flora, increase intestinal beneficial bacteria and inhibit the excessive proliferation of harmful bacteria, improve gastric acid function, and improve gastrointestinal immunity. Why? Because most people in the population (60-80%) have Helicobacter pylori in the digestive tract, Helicobacter pylori is the microorganism with the most product and the most obvious impact on people in the entire human digestive tract. In order to survive in the strong stomach acid, they rely on the continuous production of large amounts of urease. Because urease is an alkaline protein, helicobacter pylori becomes safe and comfortable after it is wrapped in Helicobacter pylori and can proliferate in large quantities in this harsh environment. If we eat a healthy diet and maintain the minimum number and most basic functions of Helicobacter pylori, they do not have extreme conditions such as causing stomach cancer and mental disorders in the human body. This is also the reason why Helicobacter pylori has evolved with humans for hundreds of thousands of years. But when our living habits change, and the type and amount of our diet does not promote the stability of gastric juice, Helicobacter pylori has become the driving force for reducing stomach acid. Consuming large amounts of beneficial microorganisms inhibits the microbes that create alkaline environments in proportion to their numbers.
In addition to direct supplementation of probiotic products, we can also obtain probiotics by eating fermented foods.
Additive-free traditional fermented foods, such as yogurt, sour soy milk, sauerkraut and spicy cabbage, are natural high probiotic foods, and long-term consumption can also obtain similar effects of eating probiotics, such as enhancing stomach acid function, reducing inflammation, inhibiting the growth of harmful bacteria, etc.
4. Drink apple cider vinegar
Additive-free apple cider vinegar is also a fermented drink, which contains not only beneficial microorganisms, extremely high acidity, but also microbial digestive enzymes. Drinking additive-free apple cider vinegar before meals can promote gastric acid secretion and inhibit acid reflux. However, due to the high acid, it is best to dilute it with water before drinking, so as not to damage the tooth enamel, oral and esophageal mucosa from too strong acid.
5. Eat some ginger
Ginger has good anti-inflammatory properties that help reduce inflammation in the stomach. Although there is no sufficient evidence that eating ginger can enhance stomach acid function, there are traditional remedies for eating ginger to alleviate nausea, stomach pain and indigestion in many parts of the world.
6. Drink some ice water
In addition to the above methods that require a little effort and some money, we are interested in the practice of cats and dogs. After cat and dog esophageal reflux occurs, they swallow the food that comes back and drink cold water to solve the problem. This is also a good tip. Drinking ice water may promote esophageal contractions and repair the damage of reflux, feel better, recover faster, may wish to try. The tips that animals give us in such small things in life are very important, they can't talk about it, they don't have the help of a doctor in time, and the instinctive solution opens our eyes.
7. Don't eat too much carb for dinner
Most people's esophageal reflux occurs at night, and according to foreign studies, it may be related to excessive finishing of carbohydrates for dinner. So in addition to chewing and swallowing slowly, can we get better results if we pay a little attention to the proportion of carbohydrates in dinner and the way we eat them? Do not drink a lot of beer and drink carbonated drinks for dinner. In fact, most people drink at night and go to work during the day. These are things worth trying.
Thousands of people eat, there are certainly no two people in the world whose intestinal state is exactly the same, so many conditions will be different. But the results of studies of both esophageal reflux and causes are the same, with low stomach acidity, not high. But the mechanism and reason have not yet been perfectly asserted. As the study of the gut microbiome and the second brain moves into our sights, it feels like the answer to this question is likely to focus more on some or more digestive tract microbes. Before the truth is revealed, can we continue to summarize experience and observe in our own diet, under what circumstances our esophageal reflux is, whether it is accidental or frequent, whether it is a severe burning pain or a slight irritation, when we pay careful attention and experience, plus records, we can become like the venerable protagonist Odone in Lorenzo's oil, becoming the master of our own health and destiny.
Food and Heart Tips:
In addition to increasing the above dietary methods that can enhance stomach acidity, it is equally important to avoid reducing stomach acidity and increasing stomach pressure. Like what
Do not eat too full when eating, otherwise it will not only increase the volume of the stomach, but also increase the pressure in the stomach and increase the risk of acid reflux, especially for people who have esophageal reflux, it is best not to exceed seven points of fullness per meal;
Since the valve (pyloric sphincter) between the stomach and small intestine of the human body closes after eating, it promotes the digestion of food in the stomach. It is best not to drink too much soup and soup water when eating, so as not to increase the volume of the stomach, reduce the concentration of stomach acid, and weaken the digestive ability;
Do not drink alcohol. For people with esophageal reflux, alcohol can directly damage the gastrointestinal mucosa, reduce digestion, promote bacterial translocation and overproliferation, and make symptoms more severe.
When you go to bed at night, put a glass of cold water next to the bed, and occasionally drink a cold sip when you have a stomach acid production, you may not need to go to a doctor. Acid returned to the mouth and throat is harmful to your teeth, drinking cold water can stimulate esophageal contractions, clean the mouth, is a beneficial and harmless practice.
Do not lie down immediately after meals, and do not do abdominal bending exercises (such as sit-ups) to avoid increasing the risk of esophageal reflux.
Below we continue the breakfast series, Food & Heart will introduce several fast breakfasts that can provide us with calories and protect the microbiota, for your reference.
Day 1. Lactic acid bacteria whole wheat lamb spicy cabbage pie + capers milk + cheese + almonds + apples
Day 2. Steamed corn + capers milk + eggs + walnuts + kiwifruit
Day 3. Lactic acid bacteria whole wheat lamb grilled bun + soy milk + cheese + almonds + peaches
Day 4. Lamb roast wheat + yogurt + cheese + almonds + kiwifruit
Day 5. Lactic acid bacteria whole grain activated charcoal five-kernel cake + soy milk + egg + almond + apple
Day 6. Steamed corn + soy milk + cheese + walnut kernels + red grapefruit
Day 7. Steamed sweet potatoes + capers + cheese + almonds + bananas
Serious friends may find that these breakfasts have a lot in common, mainly essential protein foods (yogurt, soy milk, capers, eggs and cheese), staple foods (lactic acid bacteria activated charcoal cake, lactic acid bacteria pie, lactic acid bacteria baked bun steamed corn, steamed corn, steamed sweet potatoes and lamb roasted wheat), fruits and vegetables (apples, kiwis, peaches, red grapefruit and bananas), nuts (walnuts and almonds). Protein strengthens your body's immunity, carbohydrates fuel your mind, and crude fiber allows your gut bacteria to enjoy highly diverse conditions of survival. Tip: Yogurt is still done well by itself, eliminating the intake of additives and sugar. It is not recommended to use commercially available yogurt instead (which contains sugar and additives), and can be replaced with homemade multigrain porridge or grain soy milk, but at the same time it can reduce staple food intake and increase protein intake. The yogurt used in Food & Heart is all homemade NS8 yogurt.
Nuts and fruits can be eaten for breakfast or in part as a healthy meal in the morning.
Don't eat too much! Eating too much is counterproductive, which will reduce your work efficiency in the morning, induce drowsiness, and may even bloat and exhaust, affecting the mood of yourself and those around you.
Food and heart has always been very concerned about everyone's feedback, welcome friends to leave a message after the article to discuss, food and heart will reply regularly, representative questions food and heart will be answered in depth in the article.
Reference materials
1. https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-increase-stomach-acid
2. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/how-to-increase-stomach-acid