Dr. John Briffa, a London-based physician and author, recently wrote in the news source that, "stomach acid is a key component in the proper digestion of food." As such, low levels of digestive acid can be a detriment to proper digestion, and potentially cause indigestion, gas and reflux.

Many people who suffer from this problem experience feelings of extended fullness after eating, even the next day after a large meal. In order to combat this problem, many physicians recommend that individuals supplement their diets with a low concentration of hydrochloric acid, which is the type of acid found in the stomach.

ProHealth.com reports that the stomach requires an acidic environment because acid is crucial for the digestion of protein and it is necessary for the stomach to empty correctly. Additionally, acid is required to kill "bad" bacteria that may be ingested.

According to Reuters, researchers studied 39 people with GERD, along with nine healthy adults. After monitoring the participants overnight, scientists found that 90 percent of GERD patients woke up at least once during the night, compared to 78 percent of the healthy comparison group.

In addition, they found that just 16 percent of sleep disruptions in GERD patients were caused by heartburn symptoms.

GERD is a chronic digestive disease that occurs when stomach acid flows back into the food pipe. Symptoms include heartburn that occurs more than two times per week.

Among some ways to combat heartburn include avoiding acidic and other foods known to trigger symptoms, cutting back on portion sizes, eating slowly, avoiding eating within a few hours of going to sleep, raising the head of the bed on an angle, adding living enzymes to the diet and wearing loose-fitting clothing.

The Mayo Clinic reports that among the natural remedies believed to treat GERD are herbal remedies including licorice, slippery elm, chamomile and marshmallow, as well as acupuncture and practicing relaxation techniques.

CNN reports that brand name proton pump inhibitors such as Nexium^®, Prevacid^®, Prilosec^®, Zegerid^® and Protonix^®, as well as over-the-counter versions of some medications are involved in the warning.

The FDA warning was prompted after the agency reviewed several studies reporting that individuals using these medications had a higher risk of certain fractures.

Drug companies will also be required to change the drug labels to reflect the side effect.

"Because these products are used by a great number of people, it’s important for the public to be aware of this possible increased risk and, when prescribing proton pump inhibitors, healthcare professionals should consider whether a lower dose or shorter duration of therapy would adequately treat the patient’s condition," said the FDA’s Joyce Korvick, M.D.

Among the ways to combat heartburn naturally include avoiding acidic and other foods known to trigger symptoms, cutting back on portion sizes, eating slowly, avoiding eating within a few hours of going to sleep, adding living enzymes to the diet and wearing loose-fitting clothing.

Researchers studied the irritants in coffee by exposing cultures of human stomach cells to a variety of different coffee preparations, including regular, dark-roast, mild, decaffeinated, and stomach-friendly. They then identified several substances that appeared to trigger chemical changes associated with increased acid production. These substances include caffeine, catechols, and other ingredients.

"Our data show, for the first time, that caffeine, catechols and N-alkanoly-5-hydroxytryptamides are those coffee components that stimulate molecular mechanisms of stomach acid secretion in human stomach cells," said lead researcher Dr. Veronika Somoza.

They also unexpectedly found that one of the coffee components, N-methylpyridium (NMP), seems to block the ability of the stomach cells to produce hydrochloric acid and could provide a way to reduce or avoid stomach irritation. Since NMP is generated only upon roasting and not found in raw coffee beans, darker-roasted coffees contain higher amounts of this stomach-friendly coffee ingredient.

Estimates suggest that up to 40 million people in the U.S. either avoid coffee, or cannot drink as much as they like, due to stomach irritation.

In addition to avoiding foods that cause stomach irritation, medical experts say digestive health supplements containing hydrochloric acid may help fight acid reflux, heartburn and other digestive problems.

First of all, it’s important for people to know what causes their heartburn. According to WebMD.com, common food triggers include chocolate, orange juice, coffee, tomato-based sauces, wine and high-fat foods. Eliminating reflux-causing foods and cutting back on portion sizes can help reduce the occurrence of heartburn. Eating slowly can help too.

Sufferers should avoid eating late at night. Eating at least two or three hours before lying down is recommended to give the stomach time to digest and empty some of the acids that can cause pain. Individuals who have heartburn at night are advised to raise the tops of their beds with blocks or to prop themselves up with pillows.

Losing weight can help manage acid reflux as well, as can quitting smoking and wearing loose-fitting clothes, according to WebMD.com.

Kevin Trudeau, author of Natural Cures They Don’t Want You To Know About tells NaturalNews.com that eating raw, organic foods and adding living enzymes to the diet can eliminate heartburn. He also says drinking a tablespoon of raw apple cider vinegar before meals will stop acid reflux.

The most common symptoms of acid reflux are chest pain and heartburn. It may also result in stomach acid and contents rising in the back into your throat, and ejecting through your mouth, or regurgitation. It may be followed by a bitter taste in your mouth and a burning pain in your throat.

Since these symptoms often rear their heads at night—lack of sleep, exhaustion and low energy levels are common problems that result from the condition.

And over time, the digestive acids can begin to eat away at the lining of your esophagus, possibly leading to esophageal cancer—a disease that kills about 13,000 Americans each year.

What you need is a proper balance of stomach acid levels. You need your stomach to produce acid during meals… not between meals. And the “good” stomach acid you need is called hydrochloric acid (HCl). In fact, you need about two grams of HCl to digest a simple meal—but by age 50, many of us are lacking about 85 percent of the HCl that we need!

And scientists have also discovered that the prescription and over-the-counter drugs intended to neutralize and kill the bad acids in your stomach are also destroying the necessary good levels of HCl.

Another possible cause of your acid reflux could be a lack of critical digestive enzymes—they break down the foods you eat so they can get absorbed into your body. Unfortunately, as you get older, you produce fewer digestive enzymes, which can cause acid reflux.

So what is the solution? Many suggestions have been offered—don’t smoke… don’t overeat… avoid alcohol and high fat meals—all very sensible advice for overall health.

But you may have been told to avoid your favorite foods and beverages… sit upright for an hour after eating… or prop up the head of your bed to help you sleep. What a pain!

I suggest you take an all-natural supplement to give you the needed levels of good HCl during meals, and to help stop too much “bad” acid production between meals. And for this, I highly recommend my True Health™ Ultimate Digestion Formula™.

I read your article “For A Deeper Cleanse… Try This” about fasting and I want to fast for all of the reasons you stated. However, I suffer from hypothyroidism and take Synthroid® everyday. Is it safe to do a liquid or water fast under this condition? Would it be safe to stop this medication during a fast? —Kathy L.

Dear Kathy,

The liquid fast (where you drink only water for an average of three to 10 days) will only improve your thyroid condition, not hurt it. Here are some of the effects you can expect with a water fast:

• Weight loss with little or no hunger.
• Detoxification, breaking down fat reserves and mobilizing stored toxins to be eliminated.
• Digestive system is allowed to rest.
• Resolve inflammatory processes, including painful arthritic conditions.
• Relief from allergic reactions, such as asthma and hay fever.
• Relief from abnormal fluid accumulations such as leg edema.
• Helps restore blood pressure to healthy levels.
• Clearer skin, and revitalized taste buds.
• And much more…

All the while, you are preparing yourself and your stomach for a lifestyle change to whole, natural foods.

However, keep taking your thyroid replacement medication. It has a gradual effect on metabolism. Only reduce the amount when you are feeling you need less, but please don’t forget to follow-up with a TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) level test with your doctor.

For more questions and answers like this one, check out my monthly newsletter, Easy Health Options™, by visiting www.easyhealthoptions.com.

All the best!
Michael Cutler, M.D.