Heartburn can lead to throat cancer
“Doc, my heartburn is killing me,” may be more on target than you know. A new study reveals that people with frequent heartburn, not just those suffering a severe problem with acid reflux called GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), are much more likely to develop throat cancer than folks who never have heartburn.
And problems with heartburn are spreading like wildfire, possibly because of increased obesity, diabetes and inactivity.
A 2011 study of industrialized nations found that from 1997 to 2009, the number of folks who have heartburn at least once a week soared by 47 percent. So, here’s what you can (and should) do to prevent heartburn before it gets the better of you.
1. Identify and avoid your heartburn triggers: Keep a food diary that tracks what you eat and when you get heartburn. One of the most common food triggers is fatty food. It causes your lower esophageal sphincter, the flap of tissue that keeps stomach acid in the stomach, to get lazy and loose, allowing acid into the esophagus. (Ouch!) Other frequent triggers: alcohol, citrus, chocolate, tomatoes and coffee.
HEALTH ADVICE 2. Lose weight if you need to. Being overweight doubles your chance for heartburn. Losing 10 percent of your body weight can give heartburn the boot.
3. Exercise regularly. Physical activity helps your digestive system work better and promotes weight loss. So, get a pedometer and walk (a few steps more every day) until you’re up to 10,000 steps daily. And go to Realage.com to enjoy our simple, effective and fun walking program. KEEP HEALTHFUL FOODS HEALTHFUL
Great romances — “Phantom of the Opera,” “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” “Wuthering Heights” — prove you can’t always tell what’s inside by looking at the packaging. But who thought that was true for coleslaw or a million other packaged “healthy” foods that fill grocery-store shelves?
Often these so-called healthy foods have as many calories and more sodium and sugar than the standard versions. They can even block health-bestowing nutrients from getting into your body.
Fat-free dressings are an example: They’re lower in calories than dressings with heart-friendly canola or olive oil, but sometimes their ingredients prevent absorption of vitamins and minerals in fruits and vegetables.
Another common mistake: You want to avoid dairy, so you opt for a flavored vanilla or chocolate almond milk and end up with 15 to 20 grams of sugar in a cup — as much as ice cream.
Or, to avoid emulsifiers and additives, you get a standard brand peanut butter’s “natural” version, but it contains saturated-fat-laden, inflammation-causing palm oil. Rule No. 1: Read the labels!
One more “healthy food” trap to be aware of: You think because it’s “healthy” you can eat more, more, more. You end up shoveling in extra calories and heart- and brain-damaging salt and sweeteners! Follow portion-size recommendations — even with lower calorie and healthy foods.