GERD treatment: Diet vs. drugs
I’m looking for anyone that is successfully treating their reflux with diet or supplements instead of drugs. In reading about the drugs used to treat reflux disease, I’m reading that they play a role in bone destruction. I have osteoporosis so I’m reluctant to start any drugs prescribed for reflux. Any suggestions would be most appreciated.
Bonnie
Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Digestive Health Support Group.
i went to 5 surgeons and none of them would do any kind of surgery they said i would only get worse.
Hello @debiobrien,
Thanks so much for taking the time to post the list of acidic/alkaline foods - I know that many fellow members will appreciate it too. You mentioned that, “...this info below came for the MAYO CLINIC website...” would it be possible to provide a link to the website? That would be really helpful, and it’s always a good idea to offer some supportive data - thank you again.
With regard to the myriad diets out there, I have to note that since they are mainly "observational studies” rather than well-conducted, controlled trials, their results need to be interpreted with caution.
The alkaline diet is based on the premise that “acid-producing” foods such as meat, fish, dairy products, sugar, caffeine and grains make the body too acidic, which can lead to weight gain, diabetes, cancer, heart disease.
But, how can dairy be considered acidic? It seems when certain foods are broken down, they produce metabolic waste or “ash” that can make your blood acidic (or alkaline). If acidic, you are more vulnerable to disease.
Unfortunately there is no scientific study to prove this. https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/147/2/272/4585036
According to the American Insitute for Cancer Research:
The Claim: Acidic foods can alter the body’s pH balance and promote cancer.
The unsubstantiated theory is based on lab studies that suggest cancer cells thrive in an acidic (low pH) environment, but cannot survive in alkaline (high pH) surroundings.
The Research: While these findings are accurate, they apply only to cells in an isolated lab setting. Altering the cell environment of the human body to create a less-acidic, less-cancer-friendly environment is virtually impossible. https://www.aicr.org/patients-survivors/healthy-or-harmful/alkaline-diets.html
I thought you, and other in this discussion, might also be interested in reading these (short) articles from Mayo Clinic:
– Boiling down the dietary guidelines https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/dietary-guidelines/art-20045584
– Is alkaline water better for you than plain water? https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/expert-answers/alkaline-water/faq-20058029
@debiobrien, I’d like to hear your thoughts on this, and I sincerely look forward to reading more from you.
Thank you for the list. For me the most difficult thing to refuse is coffee. The biggest compromise I made for myself is low acid coffee. Surprisingly there are a lot of decent brands. Now I drink Tieman's Fusion.
I also live with Gerd. As a substitute for coffee, you might try “Caf-Lib”, the uncoffee. This is a grain beverage with Chicory. It comes in both regular and organic. All natural ingredients - extract of roasted malt, barley and roasted chicory. I live in Canada and available at large chain grocery stores here but also at Amazon
I have a hiatal hernia plus gastroparesis. I take 40mg of lansopresol before breakfast. I have tried diets and OTC heartburn meds with no luck. If I even forget the med one morning, I know by evening that I did. It’s a quality of life issue for me to stay on the drug.
I used to use Teeccino as my coffee substitute for GERD issues. It has a great coffee taste plus offers various flavored 'coffees' - available at Whole Foods and online @ Amazon. It also has chicory in it which I have since learned is an ingredient that aggravates my digestion for another reason b/c it is a high FODMAP ingredient.
I control GERD by diet. I watch what I eat and don,t eat after7PM
Great!! Hoping that always works for you!!
thank you
What kind of fruit do you eat