How to beat the burn of acid reflux
IF YOU’RE ONE OF THE MILLIONS OF BRITS WHO SUFFER FROM ACID REFLUX OR HEARTBURN, A NEW FOOD PLAN COULD COMBAT YOUR DISCOMFORT ONCE AND FOR ALL SAYS
MANY of us know the tell-tale signs – a burning sensation in the chest and uncomfortable burping after a big meal. In fact, around 40% of people in Britain endure the agony of heartburn on a regular basis.
And according to a new book, even more people could suffer from a ‘silent’ form of the condition – without the more obvious heartburn symptoms.
Silent acid reflux leads to problems such as difficulty swallowing, a sore throat, nagging cough – and, in the long run, an increased risk of throat cancer.
New York-based ear, nose and throat specialist Dr Jonathan Aviv is one of the leading authorities on the diagnosis and treatment of acid reflux.
Every day he sees patients who don’t fit the ‘overweight middle-aged man’ stereotype of a sufferer.
He says the underlying condition can affect people of all ages – men, women and even babies.
But the good news for sufferers is that by overhauling their diet and ditching acid-triggering foods, Dr Aviv believes they can eradicate the niggling symptoms and reverse the damage to the oesophagus that may increase cancer risk.
Here, in an extract from his new book, The Acid Watcher Diet, Dr Aviv explains why acid reflux is so dangerous – and he reveals the food plan he’s devised to tackle this growing problem once and for all:
WHY DO WE GET ACID REFLUX?
I BELIEVE the reason so many of us are plagued by acid reflux in the first place is down to the food and drink we consume daily.
In the past we used to worry about only the acid that came up from the stomach into the oesophagus – now we know the problem is also the acid from certain foods on their way down.
These foods cause problems in two ways: they loosen the valve at the bottom of the oesophagus, allowing the stomach contents and acid to rise up, or they directly irritate the oesophagus.
Our lifestyle habits also play a part. Smoking, eating late at night, rushing our food and being overweight can all put excess pressure on the oesophageal valve. Stress is also implicated, as it triggers the release of hormones that can increase production of gastric acid.
WHY ACID IS BAD FOR US
THE key lies in pepsin, an enzyme that’s meant to help break down food in the stomach.
Although this is a controversial new area, I’m convinced pepsin presents a very real, lurking danger.
In the stomach, pepsin is inactive until woken up by acidic foods. But once mixed into gastric acid in the gut, it can surge up into the oesophagus, chest, vocal cords and throat, where pepsin molecules can attach to pepsin receptors. This is when the real trouble begins. Once pepsin is planted in your oesophagus, it is activated every time you eat or drink something acidic.
As you may remember from your school chemistry lessons, the pH scale runs from 1 to 14 – anything below pH 7 is considered acidic, everything above that is alkaline. Pepsin becomes most active in an environment with a pH level between 1 and 4.
If there are no food proteins for it to break down (as there are in the stomach), the activated pepsin will instead eat away at the throat and oesophagus, causing problems from inflammation and heartburn to Barrett’s oesophagus (a precursor to cancer) and possibly oesophageal cancer.
A key feature of my Acid Watcher diet is that it keeps pepsin in your stomach, where it belongs.
HAVE I GOT ACID REFLUX?
IF you think you might be suffering from acid reflux, try taking this quick test. Rated zero to five, within the last month, how did the following problems affect you? (where 0 = no problem, 5 = severe problem) Heartburn, chest pain, indigestion Hoarseness or problem with voice Clearing your throat frequently A chronic, nagging cough Difficulty swallowing pills, food or drinks
A feeling of a lump being stuck in your throat Excess throat mucus Breathing difficulties or choking episodes
Coughing after eating or lying down
A combined score higher than 13 strongly suggests reflux.
However, please note if the symptoms are new or over-thecounter medication isn’t working, you should always see your GP to rule out other causes – especially with a new cough that lasts longer than three weeks.
KEEPING IT GOING
AFTER completing the 28-day healing phase, you should experience relief from heartburn, coughing, indigestion, bloating, and persistent food cravings.
More than 4,000 of my patients all found it helped ease symptoms – with many able to stop taking their prescription medication for acid reflux. Many also lost weight.
You can start the maintenance phase, reintroducing some banned foods into your diet and can eat foods that measure pH4. This means adding into your diet peppers, apples, grapes, tropical fruit, soft cheeses and yoghurt.
And you can even enjoy low-acid alcohol such as vodka and tequila. This second phase should last a minimum two weeks, but you can follow it for life.
GIVE FOODS THE ACID TEST
DON’T let calories, carbohydrates or fat dictate whether a food is ‘good’ or ‘bad’. Make choices based on a food’s acidity or pH value.
As a general rule, the more processed a food is, the more acidic it is. Acid is found in carbonated drinks, commercially produced fruit juices and in highfructose biscuits, cakes and ice cream. It’s even high in canned soups and pickled vegetables.
If the label includes citric or ascorbic acid, this suggests the product is acidic.