Labor Day is seen as the close of summer…
…the last hurrah before turning the page to autumn. So hopefully, you’re soaking it all in, jumping in the pool, laying in the sun, relaxing with friends, and grilling up all the good stuff this afternoon on the BBQ.
Somewhere between 30 minutes to 3 hours after you’ve finished the hot dogs, hamburgers, tri tip, BBQ chicken, and potato salad…
the gut bomb and heartburn set in. Ugh!
For most people, this means it’s time to bust out the Tums. If this is you…keep reading.
What do the Tums do?
Tums is an antacid tablet which neutralizes the acid in the stomach so it can feel better. Spoiler alert – just because it feels better doesn’t always mean it’s working better.
But why the gut bomb in the first place?
Sometimes, yes, it’s literally just too much food for the size of your stomach (which is only as big as your fist). However, most of the time the reason for the gut bomb, heartburn, or sour stomach is not due to too much acid in your stomach.
Rather, it’s because you don’t have enough stomach acid.
Yes, it seems totally counterintuitive. Our stomachs require acid to digest the food we put down there. In order for our stomach to work properly, the acidity level in our stomach needs to be pH 1-2. This is very acidic. [short course: The pH scale ranges from -1 to 15 with lesser number indicating more acidic nature whereas higher number indicating more basicity (alkaline). pH 7 is neutral, lemon juice and vinegar are pH 2-3, ammonia is pH 11-13.]
The high acidity in our stomach does three critical things:
Breaks down and digests our food, especially the protein.
Allows for absorption of minerals into our stomach lining, specifically calcium.
pH of 1.5 is required to open the pyloric sphincter between your stomach and small intestine, so your stomach can empty.
If you’re following the logic, you’re on it. Less acidity is not better.
But you’re probably still wondering, then why the heck do I get heartburn, gut bombs, or a sour stomach? Great question. Your stomach isn’t making enough acid to digest your food so the food (gut bomb) sits in your stomach and ferments creating it’s own acid (heartburn). Gross, right?
So what’s the solution?
More acid.
Yes. You read that correctly. More acid. In 95% of the heartburn & gut bomb cases I encounter, the person needs MORE acid, not an antacid. The solution is supplementing the stomach with the acid it needs to do those three important responsibilities described above. I prescribe the person a specific acidic supplement to take with meals. Once they do this… magic. No more heartburn. No more gut bombs. No more sour stomach.
Here are a few stories:
John had stomach troubles for years. His biggest disappointment was he couldn’t coffee with breakfast because it gave him heartburn. He started on the acid supplement with meals. Magic. He was surprised and elated to be able to drink coffee again.
Cheryl was taking Pepcid AC for months for heartburn, even though the max is 7 days in a row. It stressed her out to keep taking it, but the heartburn was so bad she couldn’t not take it. After just a few days on the acid supplement, no more heartburn, no more Pepcid AC. After 6 weeks, no more need for the acid supplement, her digestion was back to normal. She was relieved to not be dependent on the Pepcid AC.
Personally, when I enjoy a large meal, I often take the acid supplement right after to just give my stomach a little boost for easy digestion. This supplement is a staple in our house.
Today we say goodbye to summer and hello to a season of many holidays. Holidays are a time to celebrate, and they can be both happy and healthy.
Heartburn and gut bombs are no fun, but they also don’t have to be a downer for the holidays, nor be a consistent part of your life.