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Jerry Hickey, Ph. goes in depth on how to detoxify toxins in the body, where the toxins come from and the best ways to get rid of them
Digestive Health Part 12: More Acid
Written by Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND acid
For further questions or concerns email me at carcidiacono@invitehealth.com†
Continuing our topic from last week let’s cover the risk factors for acid based digestive concerns. The number one risk factor for GERD is H. Pylori. In fact, up to 40% of GERD cases is associated with an H. Pylori infection. (1) Other risk factors include gallstones or as we say in the holistic community “sluggish gallbladder,” obstructive sleep apnea, obesity has also been found to be associated with more severe GERD. 13% of changes in esophageal acid exposure is attributable to an increase in body mass index (BMI). (2) A hiatal hernia can also increase the risk of GERD. Holistically, food allergies/sensitivities can also increase the risk of GERD. Pathogens can increase the risk of certain gastrointestinal concerns leading to GERD. Stress has a huge link to the digestive tract and is therefore a big risk factor for GERD. Certain medications including NSAIDs as well as smoking are also risk factors for GERD. Lastly as anyone who has ever been pregnant, the likelihood of GERD is increased. (3)
Stomach Acid
The conditions related to stomach acid are very closely related, so some may sound familiar. Just like with GERD H. Pylori is a major risk factor for peptic ulcers. NSAIDs are a risk factor for ulcers. Stress is such a huge risk factor for peptic ulcers. Ulcers brought on by stress are usually called “stress ulcers.” Just like with GERD, pathogens and food sensitivities can increase the risk of peptic ulcers. IBD, specifically Crohn’s disease, increases the risk of developing an ulcer. Systemic concerns such as vasculitis, Zollinger – Ellison syndrome, certain tumors as well as gastric ischemia. (4)
The risk factors for Gastritis will sound very familiar to you. In addition to the previous risk factors such as H. Pylori, NSAIDs, pathogens and food sensitives, other risk factors more specific to gastritis includes the use of cocaine, long term severe illness, and autoimmune illness. (5)
Last but not least low stomach acid or hypochlorhydria. This can also be caused by H. pylori, a very interesting bacteria that can either increase or decrease the amount of stomach acid produced. Other risk factors for low stomach acid include atrophic gastritis, which can be a result of alcoholism and autoimmune conditions. Pathogens, stress and food sensitives are all risk factors. (6)
Long term complications caused by an increase in stomach acid include but are not limited to cancer. Any time cancer or other serious illness is a possible complication it is important to take this issue very seriously. In some cases this means using certain medications even if it’s only for a short period of time. Other complications for GERD can include Esophagitis, esophageal strictures, and barrettes esophagus. (7) Complications resulting from peptic-ulcers include bleeding, perforation, stomach blockage and in my clinical experience, I’ve seen an increased risk of GERD. Systemically whenever there is bleeding as a complication, there is also the risk of anemia and all of the complications that long term anemia can cause.(8) The long term complications to gastritis also include bleeding and anemia as well as increasing the likelihood of developing both peptic-ulcers and GERD. (9) Last but not least low stomach acid can lead to all the forenamed conditions – GERD, peptic-ulcers, and gastritis! It can also lead to problems digesting proteins and absorption of B12 as well as certain vitamins and minerals. Long term calcium deficiencies can lead to osteoporosis while long term stomach acid deficiency can even lead to next week’s topic – SIBO. (6)
One of the first questions I ask people who have GERD or any of the other concerns mentioned in this blog is have you been tested for H. Pylori?? H. Pylori is a bacteria that I’ve mentioned over and over again in this blog. Eliminating H. pylori is an important step to reducing any symptoms caused by high or low stomach acid. Now on to some things that have been found to help with stomach acid.
- To start with its important to neutralize the acid to both listen the symptoms and reduce any damage/ repair the damage:
- DGL has been found in studies to help reduce the effect of stomach acid and promote the healing of tissues (10). Please see Invite’s DGL, Min acid and GI Maintain!
- Marshmallow has been found to help form a barrier that protects tissue against irritants such as stomach acid. It also has been found to reduce inflammation in the tissues. (11) Please see Invite’s Min acid and GI Maintain!
- Aloe Vera has been found to help with the symptoms of GERD (12) and Ulcers as well as Gastritis. It also helps promote healing of the tissues. (13) Please seer Invite’s Min acid
- Slippery Elm has been found to help soothe and heal the effects of too much or too little stomach acid (14) please see Invite’s Min acid and GI Maintain!
- Other Demulcents are also very helpful but I’ll be concentrating on these 4 since they are the most common.
- Next we want to concentrate on actually healing the tissues:
- L-Glutamine has been found in studies to promote healing in the digestive tract (15) See Invite’s GI Maintain and L-Glutamine
- Nucleotides while not usually a supplement with associate with the gut has been found in studies to be very helpful in working with any sort of wound healing. (16) Please see Invites Nucleotide complex!
- Collagen has been found in studies to help with wound healing. (17). See Invites Collagen Hx, Collagen Tablets, Collagex HA and True Beauty!
- While working on eliminating the signs of too much acid/or too little acid we also want to eliminate any pathogens as well as repopulate the digestive tract with good bacteria. I have covered this topic in detail in the blog regarding diarrhea. Feel free to take a peak!
- In the case of low stomach acid there has been found to be a correlating low level of zinc as well as B vitamins. Correcting these deficiencies will eliminate the underlying cause of the low stomach acid (18). Please see Invite’s Zinc products as well as our line of B vitamins!
- Lastly digestive enzymes can help to break down the food and also help to replace the acid that is missing in the case of low stomach acid. (19) Please see Invite’s Digestive Hx and Prozyme digest.
As sad as it is we are quickly approaching the end of our digestion series. We will be talking about SIBO next week and then a quick overview (don’t worry there isn’t a test) and we will be moving on to our next topic! While I know some people might be asking about topics that weren’t addressed I just wanted to say that in this series of blogs, I wanted to discuss the most common concerns regarding the digestive tract. Feel free to reach out with other digestive health concerns.
Sources
- El-Omar EM, Oien K, El-Nujumi A, et al. (1997). “Helicobacter pylori infection and chronic gastric acid hyposecretion”. Gastroenterology. 113 (1): 15–24. doi:1016/S0016-5085(97)70075-1. PMID 9207257.
- Ayazi S, Crookes PF, Peyre CG, et al. (September 2007). “Objective documentation of the link between gastroesophageal reflux disease and obesity”. American Journal of Gastroenterology. 102: S138–S9. doi:14309/00000434-200709002-00059.
- Sontag SJ (1999). “Defining GERD”. Yale J Biol Med. 72 (2–3): 69–80. PMC 2579007. PMID 10780568.bo
- Lanas A, Chan FK (August 2017). “Peptic ulcer dMayo Clinic Gastroenterology and Hepatology Board Reviewisease”. Lancet. 390 (10094): 613–624. doi:1016/S0140-6736(16)32404-7. PMID 28242110. S2CID 4547048.
- Hauser, Stephen (2014). . Oxford University Press. p. 49. ISBN 9780199373338. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05.
- Guilliams TG, Drake LE. Meal-Time Supplementation with Betaine HCl for Functional Hypochlorhydria: What is the Evidence? (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7238915/) Integr Med (Encinitas). 2020;19(1):32-36. Accessed 6/27/2022.
- “Acid Reflux (GER & GERD) in Adults”. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). 5 November 2015. Archived from the original on 22 February 2020. Retrieved 21 February 2020.
- Cullen DJ, Hawkey GM, Greenwood DC, Humphreys H, Shepherd V, Logan RF, Hawkey CJ (October 1997). “Peptic ulcer bleeding in the elderly: relative roles of Helicobacter pylori and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs”. Gut. 41 (4): 459–62. doi:1136/gut.41.4.459. PMC 1891536. PMID 9391242.
- Varbanova, M.; Frauenschläger, K.; Malfertheiner, P. (Dec 2014). “Chronic gastritis – an update”. Best Pract Res Clin Gastroenterol. 28 (6): 1031–42. doi:1016/j.bpg.2014.10.005. PMID 25439069.
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4928719/
- https://wa.kaiserpermanente.org/kbase/topic.jhtml?docId=hn-2128005
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26742306/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4087681/
- https://wa.kaiserpermanente.org/kbase/topic.jhtml?docId=hn-2167004
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4369670/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3146642/
- https://www.wnyurology.com/content.aspx?chunkiid=21721#:~:text=Other%20sources%20of%20bioflavonoids%20have,symptoms%20as%20compared%20to%20placebo.
- https://www.clinicaleducation.org/resources/reviews/the-role-of-hcl-in-gastric-function-and-health/
- https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/digestive-enzymes-and-digestive-enzyme-supplements
Magnesium: It’s Helpful for a Healthy & Happy Brain- InVite Health Podcast, Episode 585
Jerry Hickey, Ph. goes into depth about the benefits of adding magnesium to your daily supplement routine and how it can help reduce stress
Calcium…Why Is It So Important?
Allie Might, INHC, AADP, ATT dives in to why calcium is an important supplement and how you can add it into your routine to reap the benefits
From Bones to Osteopenia: The Benefits of Calcium- InVite Health Podcast, Episode 584
osteopenia osteopenia osteopenia
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Please see below for a complete transcript of this episode.
From Bones to Osteopenia: The Benefits of Calcium- InViteⓇ Health Podcast, Episode 584
Hosted by Allie Might, INHC, AADP, ATT
*Intro music*
InViteⓇ Health Podcast Intro: Welcome to the InViteⓇ Health Podcast, where our degreed healthcare professionals are excited to offer you the most important health and wellness information you need to make informed choices about your health. You can learn more about the products discussed in each of these episodes and all that InViteⓇ Health has to offer at www.invitehealth.com/podcast. First time customers can use promo code PODCAST at checkout for an additional 15% off your first purchase. Let’s get started!†
*Intro music*
Allie Might, INHC, AADP, ATT: [00:00:41] Welcome to the InViteⓇ Health podcast, where today we’ll discuss the ins and outs of calcium. This is Allie Might, Integrative nutrition health coach and functional medicine coach. Here to go over the benefits of calcium. The discussion regarding calcium seems to be one of the most common nutrients talked about and studied. It’s even widely recommended by both the conventional and natural medical communities. Calcium can be beneficial for a variety of reasons, depending on where we are in our life at any given time. I get asked on a weekly basis so many questions about calcium. How much calcium do I need to I really need to take calcium. Do I need more? If I have osteopenia or osteoporosis, I have a fractured bone, do I need calcium to help heal? What’s the best way to get my calcium? Is calcium enough or do I need other nutrients? The questions can be endless and also important to understand. Let’s break this down question by question.† [00:01:45]
THE SURPRISING BENEFITS OF CALCIUM – INVITE HEALTH PODCAST, EPISODE 365 >> Listen Now!
[00:01:48] How much calcium do I need? Well according to the recommendations set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or FDA, one should get 1300 milligrams of calcium per day. While the food we eat does contain some calcium, I like to encourage someone to typically supplement with a thousand milligrams of calcium. This should have you on target for the FDA’s recommendation.† [00:02:12]
[00:02:15] Do I really need to take calcium? Yes, of course you do. As kids, we were always told to drink milk, one of the sources of calcium, so we can grow to have strong bones. As adults, we want to maintain those strong bones. Strong bones can be less likely to develop signs of deteriorating density, less likely to be injured, and may even have an easier time healing from a potential injury.† [00:02:43]
[00:02:45] Do I need more if I have osteopenia or osteoporosis? Well, the short answer is no. However, consistency is key. Anyone that has been told that they may be at increased risk and or have been diagnosed with bone density test ordered by their doctor, should be diligent about getting the daily calcium they need and every single day. In an instance like this, a variety of other vitamins and minerals may be recommended, as well as a possible recommendation of a prescription from the doctor.† [00:03:19]
[00:03:22] I have a fractured bone, do I need calcium to help heal? Yes. And I’m going to tell you a personal story here. Back in 2016, I broke the humerus bone in my arm. This is the bone between the elbow and the shoulder. It was in a cast and sling for about two months. However, it was anticipated originally that it may take up to three months. During this time, I took the opportunity to read a lot about bone healing and all the research that has been done on the subject. I used a calcium formula like bone food powder along with powdered collagen, like Collagen Hx. I also started reading about the benefits of zinc and vitamin C for healing. So I added these to my daily supplements. I also noticed that I started having intense cravings for fish, which I typically don’t eat. I was curious as to why this craving was happening, so I started doing some research and found a variety of studies showing that fish oil may have on supporting calcium absorption as well as the anti-inflammatory benefits. While all injuries and fractures can be different, this is my personal experience and how I help to manage my at home recovery, including follow up doctor visits and suggested exercises.† [00:04:44]
I KNEED BONE HEALTH TO HELP MY PAIN >> Read Now!
[00:04:47] So what’s the best way to get my calcium? Well, in addition to calcium rich foods, let’s go over the calcium supplements we offer here at InVite Health. Let’s begin with our basic formula. Calcium, magnesium, citrate. This is a simple formula containing of 250 milligrams of calcium and 125 milligrams of magnesium per tablet. I typically recommend taking two tablets twice a day with meals. Be advised that these are very large tablets but can be cut or crushed. Next, we have the Calplex Hx, which is one of our classic formulas. The calcium in this formula is partnered with some vitamin D, phosphorus and boron, which are also helpful for bone health. Just like the calcium magnesium, I also typically recommend two tablets twice a day with meals. While these tablets are a bit smaller than the calcium magnesium, you may still want to add a magnesium supplement with the Calplex Hx. Lastly, as my favorite calcium supplement the bone powder. This is a complex formula consisting of calcium and magnesium, along with vitamins D and K and minerals such as boron and silica. I’m a big fan of powders, so this is easy to take and easily absorbed. This is my go to suggestion any time I talk about bone health. Try adding just one scoop a day to water or plain yogurt. Is calcium enough or do I need other nutrients? While calcium is such a building block for the bones, quite often complementary supplements may be helpful. The most common are magnesium and vitamin D. Usually magnesium is given in a 2 to 1 ratio with calcium. For example, when taking 500 milligrams of calcium, then 250 milligrams of magnesium would be complementary. Vitamin D is also recommended according to the level of routine blood work from your doctor. Collagen can also assist in bone building as it creates bone matrix. Strontium is sometimes recommended as a mineral to be taken on an empty stomach away from other supplements to support bone health and those with osteopenia or osteoporosis.† [00:07:13]
[00:07:15] I hope this has helped you understand the importance of calcium. For more information on all the benefits of calcium and information on bone health, check out my companion blog on our website, invitehealth.com. You can also contact me, Allie Might at our location on Second Avenue and 71st Street in Manhattan, by phone at 212-249-2036 or by email. At amight@invitehealth.com. I want to thank you for tuning into the InViteⓇ Health podcast. Remember, you can find all of our episodes for free wherever you listen to podcasts or by visiting, invitehealth.com/podcast. Please make sure you subscribe and leave us a review. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at InVite Health. And we will see you next time for another episode of the InViteⓇ Health podcast. Until then, stay healthy.† [00:07:15]
