Help for heartburn with natural options

By Mike Ventresca, Vital Choice Healthstore

Do you suffer from heartburn, or have you been diagnosed with GERD? If so, you have likely taken an acid neutralizer. Makes sense, right? If you have acid indigestion then you must have too much stomach acid, right? Yes and no.

It is estimated that approximately 40% of people over the age of 40 may suffer from hypochlorhydria or low stomach acid secretion, while only 20% of people have excess stomach acid. Yet, most of the attention (and OTC medications) are geared towards reducing stomach acid.

The confusion is due to the symptoms of too little and too much stomach acid being virtually the same. Today, I’d like to share some natural options for both too little and too much stomach acid. But first, how do you know?

While hardly scientific, one at-home test that many use is the vinegar test. The idea is to try some vinaigrette or apple cider vinegar and see how you feel. If you quickly feel discomfort or burning, then you may have too much acid, otherwise acid may not be the culprit of your heartburn.

For too much acid, a great option is DGL. DGL is a special preparation of licorice that has been shown to relieve symptoms of heartburn and repair stomach lining without elevating blood pressure. Enzymedica’s Chocolate DGL Gummies are a perfect option. For too little acid, we have had great results with a product called Superzymes. Superzymes combines digestive enzymes with Betaine HCL to enhance digestion and increase stomach acid. For more information or to further discuss your digestive needs, please stop in.

Mike Ventresca is the owner of Vital Choice Health Store, 9243 Sprague Road in North Royalton’s Timber Ridge Plaza. Call 440-885-9505 or visit VChoice.com. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.