If you are one of the millions who often suffer stomach pain after eating and have yet to figure out the reason, you’re not alone.
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Many people fear the worst, but stomach pain after eating can be as a result of easily-fixable issues, as well as medical reasons, according to MSN news.
If you’ve ever experienced a burning feeling in your chest that lasts for a few minutes or even several hours and seems to happen when you finish a meal — watch out: It may be chronic heartburn.
Heartburn, which is a symptom of acid reflux or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), occurs when stomach acid moves up into your esophagus. It can bring a lot of discomfort to those who experience it. It may also come with other symptoms, such as sore throat, long-term cough and voice hoarseness.
Most acid reflux cases are related to insufficient amounts of stomach acid, food allergies, Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) imbalance and/or hiatal hernia. Gallbladder disease can also be mistaken for heartburn.
Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) like Nexium, Prilosec and Prevacid are designed to treat a very limited range of severe problems, yet as many as 20 million Americans take them for an upset stomach or heartburn.
PPIs have been linked to a heightened risk for a number of serious health problems, including chronic kidney disease, pneumonia, osteoporosis, hip fractures, dementia, heart disease and heart attacks.
Instead of taking these drugs, try eating unprocessed real food and probiotic-rich fermented foods, along with supplemental digestive enzymes. Foods such as papaya, pineapple and ginger can also help.
If you have insufficient amounts of stomach acid, try swapping out processed table salt for an unprocessed version like Himalayan salt. That will allow your body to make sufficient amounts of hydrochloric acid (stomach acid) naturally.
Fermented foods like sauerkraut or cabbage juice are among the strongest stimulants for your body to produce stomach acid, providing valuable bacteria to help balance and nourish your gut. Have a few teaspoons of fermented cabbage juice from sauerkraut before your meal and it will do wonders to improve your digestion. Fresh raw cabbage juice can also be taken to heal resistant ulcers.
One reason why suppressing stomach acid is so ineffective is that when you decrease the amount of acid in your stomach, you suppress your body's ability to kill the H. pylori bacteria. While H. pylori can be part of a normal healthy gut, it can cause problems, including symptoms of acid reflux, if there's an overgrowth of it, which typically is a result of poor food choices.
Taking a betaine hydrochloric supplement (available in health food stores without prescription) not only will improve digestion, it also will help kill the H. pylori, thereby normalizing your symptoms.
A majority of cases of acid reflux or upset stomach stem from one or more of the following conditions:
- Insufficient amounts of stomach acid — There are many ways to eliminate heartburn or acid reflux without drugs, starting with eating real food and probiotic-rich fermented foods.
- Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) imbalance — When you decrease the amount of acid in your stomach, you suppress your body's ability to kill the helicobacter bacteria. Taking a betaine hydrochloric supplement (available in health food stores without prescription) not only will improve digestion, but also will help kill the helicobacter, thereby normalizing your symptoms.
- Hiatal hernia — If you have a hiatal hernia, physical therapy on the area may work, and many chiropractors are skilled in this adjustment.
- Food allergies — If you think food allergies are a contributing factor to acid reflux, try eliminating caffeine, alcohol and nicotine.