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| By Dr. Ronald Hoffman
Baby boomers use a lot of antacids to deal with many different types of GI problems. The old-fashioned Rolaids commercials with the “drip-drip-drip” and the claim that it “consumes forty times its weight in excess stomach acid” is our model solution for any GI problem. It’s a model that has successfully sold billions of dollars of over-the-counter antacids. Now, baby boomers who fear osteoporosis are exhorted to take Tums, giving new life to the old remedy. Today, powerful acid blockers that were formerly obtained only by prescription are available over the counter.
The fact is, however, that most upset stomachs are caused not by too much stomach acid but by the wrong food or too much food. If the culprit is identified or destructive eating patterns are changed, the problem can virtually always be corrected without antacids.
The other problem with using antacids for an upset stomach is that they don’t work. “What?!” you say. “I can tell the difference after I take it!” Actually, unless you have an ulcer, this is probably a placebo effect. Antacids were clinically proven ineffective by a Swedish study in 1986. In fact, antacids will sometimes cause your stomach to produce more acid—a condition called acid rebound, which worsens your GI problem. Also, antacids change the pH environment of the gut, potentially causing an imbalance of friendly flora and putting you at risk for infection by the unfriendly types. Some believe that antacids may even help set the stage for infection with Helicobacter pylori, the bacterium that causes ulcers.
Overeating
We are a nation of overeaters. “All you can eat” dinners and smorgasbords were the dining rage of middle America as we grew up, and they typify the erroneous philosophy that more is better. Even in our supposedly health-conscious age, statistics have shown that our average yearly food intake actually increased during a recent ten-year period. Overeating leads to a host of GI problems: abdominal pain, bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation, hemorrhoids and overnutrition. How many of us have not suffered from one or more of these consequences at some point when we’ve overindulged on that special occasion? Many of us should ask ourselves whether we are overindulging regularly and experiencing these symptoms all the time. If you combine chronic overeating with your food allergies, you can imagine why you’re miserable!
In the absence of purging or bulimia, obesity is the most obvious complication of overeating. Commercial weight-loss programs are a billion-dollar industry in this country. An estimated 34 million Americans aged 20 to 75 weigh more than the recommended figures for their age and height—a startling 26 percent! Of these, a high percentage are food addicts. According to medical experts, an increase of just 20 percent above ideal body weight is considered a bona fide health hazard.
Chemical ills: Caffeine, alcohol and smoking. In addition to eating too much, Americans bombard their systems with non-foods that are nothing but pure mood-changers.
Caffeine: Some people pour huge amounts of caffeine into their GI tracts. Caffeine is highly addictive stuff, with distinct physiological withdrawal symptoms, including headaches. Besides coffee and tea, many popular soft drinks have a high caffeine content. Other sources of hidden caffeine are chocolate and cocoa products, pain relievers such as Anacin and Excedrin, and many over-the-counter cold remedies. (Make sure you read the ingredients on the labels!)
As a drug, caffeine stimulates gastric secretions, thereby increasing appetite. It also overstimulates the normal rhythmic contractions of the bowels, causes malabsorption of nutrients—especially calcium and magnesium—and blocks prostaglandin production.
In addition to caffeine, the oils contained in coffee—even decaffeinated coffee—can have powerful effects on the digestive tract, acting to increase acid production in the stomach. This can contribute to a host of GI problems including ulcers and irritable bowel syndrome, also known as spastic colon. People vary widely in their tolerance for caffeine. Some can drink two or three cups a day with no ill effects; others would be well advised to swear off it completely.
A word of caution about quitting caffeine: taper it off slowly over several days. Gradually switch from caffeinated to decaffeinated beverages. Cut the caffeine beverages back one-half cup a day, replacing them with decaffeinated. (If you drink three cups of coffee every day, go to two and a half cups the next day, then two cups, then a cup and a half, etc.) If you start to get headaches, taper it even more slowly.
Alcohol: Although alcohol can deliver some health benefits in small quantities, in excess it acts as a dangerous toxin in the human body. Excess alcohol can inflame the lining of the esophagus, stomach and intestine; and it can sterilize the gut by killing bacteria and normal intestinal flora, leading to indigestion and diarrhea. Alcohol also impairs digestion by reducing stomach acid and digestive enzymes. Because it contains calories, alcohol consumed at high levels can act as an appetite suppressant, though generally it relaxes you and promotes appetite. Finally, excess alcohol use leads to nutritional deficits as well: It is the number-one cause of malnutrition in otherwise healthy people.
If you have digestive difficulties that may be related to alcohol use, try cutting back and see whether there’s improvement. If you’re unable to cut back or stop drinking, consult your physician and/or Alcoholics Anonymous.
Cigarettes: Cigarette smoke contains more than 150 poisonous gases, one of which is nicotine—a very powerful stimulant that is highly addictive. Why mention cigarettes here? Because smoking contributes to indigestion or heartburn by increasing the amount of acid produced in the stomach and decreasing the amount of bicarbonate produced by the pancreas. This bicarbonate is essential to neutralize stomach acid. Consequently, smokers are more prone to gastric and duodenal ulcers than are non-smokers. Smoking also accelerates gastric emptying and intestinal motility.
An unsettled age
The factors outlined above are the major causes of gastrointestinal distress for the healthy individual. It is possible to completely eradicate most GI complaints by avoiding cigarettes and excess coffee or alcohol, improving the diet, reducing the amount of food eaten and stopping the use of antacids. There are some additional remedies for the common gastrointestinal symptoms, including indigestion, constipation, diarrhea and flatulence.
Indigestion
Constipation
Diarrhea
Flatulence
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