Issues with GERD

Isn't raspberry acidic?

Someone asked about bitteers. Here is what I found out on Internet. It is good for low.stomach acid.

What To Know Before You Try Digestive Bitters
They could help with digestion.
“Bitter” isn’t typically a glowing descriptor, but the benefits of digestive bitters might make you reconsider the word. Long used in traditional Chinese medicine, it’s pretty much exactly what it sounds like: tinctures (a medical substance in an alcohol carrier) of bitter herbs said to aid and improve your digestion.

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You may already be familiar with bitters (liquor flavored with pungent-tasting plant extracts) added to fancy cocktails, and digestive bitters are actually pretty similar. Registered dietitian Beth Czerwony, RD, LD, explains what these herbal elixirs can (and can’t) do for your digestive health.

What are digestive bitters?
The basic idea behind bitters is that they stimulate your taste buds to create more saliva (spit), which in turn jumpstarts your digestive system. You might not realize it, but saliva is one of the keys to digestion, contributing to the breakdown of starches and fats.

Herbs commonly used in digestive bitters include:

Artichoke leaf.
Bitter melon.
Burdock root.
Dandelion.
Gentian root.
Licorice root.
Wormwood.
Think about it: Cocktails that contain bitters (like negronis, Aperol spritzes and Sazeracs) are known as apéritifs, beverages you drink before a meal to rev up your digestive system.

Digestive bitters do the same thing — you just don’t need an entire glass of them. And you wouldn’t want one, either, because in their pure form, they’re much more bitter than the cocktails that sometimes contain them.

The benefits of digestive bitters
There aren’t yet enough conclusive studies that delve deep into the benefits of bitters. But the biggest reason to try them is that they may give your digestive system a boost.

“Some people have gastrointestinal issues due to the fact that they don’t have enough stomach acid. In these cases, bitters can help create some of that extra juice to help break down food,” Czerwony says. “They increase the amount of gastric juices in your stomach, which ultimately helps with digestion.”

Can digestive bitters help you lose weight?
Though some people believe bitters can help with weight loss, the evidence itself is slim. “Some bitters do stimulate the production of hormones in our stomach that suppress the appetite,” Czerwony says. “For the most part, though, the level of acid in bitters just kills your appetite because they don’t taste great.”

How much should you take?
Amounts vary by product, so follow dosage instructions on the packaging. Typically, though, you’ll place a few drops (or sprays, depending on the format) onto your tongue about 15 minutes before a meal. This gives them time to kick in before you eat.

Unfortunately, there’s no way to avoid the taste of bitters, as the impact of bitterness is the whole point. “If it doesn’t taste bitter, you’re not going to get the results that you’re looking for,” Czerwony notes.

3 possible side effects of digestive bitters
Bitters aren’t for everyone. Czerwony weighs in on who should avoid them — but first, she offers a bit of blanket advice for anyone who’s considering them.

“Like supplements and vitamins, bitters aren’t regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, so you can’t know for sure what the concentrations are,” she says. “You should always check with your doctor before adding something like this into your repertoire.”

Here’s what to know about the possible risks of taking digestive bitters:

1. They can cause tummy troubles
If your gastrointestinal tract is working well on its own — or if it’s already working overtime — consuming bitters may actually backfire. Bitters create more gastric acid in your stomach, which can actually contribute to digestive issues in people who are predisposed to them:

Acid reflux.
Bloating.
Cramping.
Heartburn.
Nausea.
Upset stomach.
“If you’re already prone to these things, bitters aggravate them by making your digestive tract a little bit more reactive,” Czerwony cautions.

2. They can interfere with medications
Think about bitters like you would any other supplement or vitamin — that is to say, they can interact negatively with medications you’re already taking. And again, you should always check with your doctor before giving them a try.

“Bitters can react with blood pressure medications, insulin, hypoglycemics and other medications, so it’s really important that you be cautious and talk to your doctor before taking anything them,” Czerwony advises.

3. They can worsen existing conditions
Skip the bitters if you have any of the following conditions:

Diabetes.
Gallbladder disease.
Gastritis.
Hiatal hernia.
Kidney stones.
Liver problems.
Peptic ulcers.
It’s also important to remember that bitters are made with alcohol, so you shouldn’t take them if you’re pregnant or nursing, or if you’re in recovery.

Can’t bear bitters?
It should be no surprise that bitters taste, well, particularly bitter — after all, that’s the whole point. If you find that the taste just isn’t worth the potential payoff, there are still other ways to lend your digestive system a hand.

“Bitters definitely aren’t the only option,” Czerwony says. “These ingredients are found in nature, and you can work some of them into your diet pretty easily.” Foods that can aid in digestion include:

Arugula.
Brussels sprouts.
Cacao.
Cranberries.
Dandelion greens.
Kale.
Radicchio.
“Instead of turning to bitters for digestive benefits, you can just work them into your diet in the everyday normal route,” Czerwony advises. The bonus there? For the most part check with ryour doctor.

I don't know about my LES or how my Barrett's Esophagus is doing. I know I had anemia so bad that I couldn't walk a city block and that iron supplementation was ineffective because I wasn't absorbing any. I had to have iron transfusions (2 were sufficient rather than usual course of 4). My blood is back to normal and I can't tell you how well my digestion is doing but it is long, many part slog. You have to also improve your gut barrier: zinc carnoseine; bone broths. You have to improve your gut microbiome: Yogurt, Kefir, Kimchi, Bio Gaia Gastrus for Optimal Gut Health (two strains of lactobacillus which studies have shown to improve things. For Goodness Sake no added sugars or artificial sweeteners. Cut out all alcohol until you are better and then very moderately. Eat earlier in the day and then STOP. At least 4-5 hours before bedtime.
I now not only can eat things like jalapeños but crave them.
I am healthier in everyday than I have been in decades and have lost and kept off 40 pounds...slowly by eating during a much smaller time window each day. But eating to satiation, with a lot of nutritive variety per meal. Start the day with protein. It will keep you fuller and far less hungry for the next meal.

Good luck. Let me how it goes. If you are on PPIs wean yourself off slowly or there will be hell to pay. all those desperately created acid pumps that keep trying to make enough acid for your digestion and failing will spring into action ALL AT ONCE.

Thank you, ese, for solid advice!

Black raspberry powder not raspberry. But so what? I am convinced after decades of GERDS, which I have finally healed, that the underlying problem is NOT too much acid but insufficient stomach acid to handle food digestion properly. If you have been reading my other posts on the subject of how I managed to heal GERDS while PPIs, prescribed long term by multiple doctors, not only made it worse but destroyed for a time my ability to digest nutrients properly and gave me severe anemia, which could not be remedied with oral iron because my capacity to absorb nutrients was so shot.

To take away the acidity of coffee, put 1/8 teaspoon of baking soda in your coffee. You will not taste it and it neutralizes the acid.

Or just add almond milk as a creamer which does the same thing.

How did you find out you had low acidity?

I bought from Swanson drops to lower acidity.

Trial and error. My reaction to Apple Cider vinegar. Love it. Morning coffee. Love it. Reaction after a high protein or even carb heavy meal if I don't take digestive bitters before I start meal and Betain HCL Pepsin as I begin eating just awful often.