Today’s post is about antacids and are they worth it?
First, what is an antacid?
Antacids are a product used to treat heartburn, indigestion or an upset stomach. They are a combination of several compounds, usually utilising various salts of calcium, magnesium, and aluminum as active ingredients. The antacids act by neutralizing the acid in the stomach and by inhibiting pepsin. Many types of antacids are available over-the-counter without a prescription.
When our digestive system goes to work digesting the food eaten, the glands in the stomach lining produce stomach acid and an enzyme that digests protein. This acid is released into the stomach from cells called parietal cells. This helps the nutrients to be broken down so that they can be used by the body for repair, energy etc.
There are different types of ant acids
There are tablets and liquids, some are made for short term relief such as 2 to 4 hours and others are made to act for longer periods, anywhere from 4 to 24 hours.
The most common type is technically referred to as a “PPI” or proton pump inhibitor. This is because all acids contain protons. A PPI inhibits this acid from being released into the stomach.
Generally, most people believe that the sensation of heart burn and other symptoms is caused by an excess of stomach acid. This belief is the reason people turn to using ant acids or P.P.I’s. Unfortunately, the production of excess stomach acid is very rare and quite often the opposite is mostly true, being that too little stomach acid is the cause of these symptoms.
Are there side effects from long term PPI use?
Yes, there several side effects, one of the more serious is kidney damage which can begin from about 6 weeks and this is generally irreversible.
Nutrient deficiencies are, an almost certainty. This is due to the digestive process not happening the way it should because of the reduced production of stomach acid. So, therefore proteins don’t get broken down properly. The body needs protein for almost everything we do, from hormone and neurotransmitter production to muscle growth.
This is just the tip of the ice burg. The human body is a complex machine and those couple of issues lead into so many more problems across the entire body, from hair loss to thyroid function. If you are taking a PPI long term because you believe you have to much acid in your stomach then chances are the medication will become far worse than the problem.
So, it is very important not to self-diagnose. Make an appointment to go and see a health professional. Make sure you have a detailed discussion about all thing’s digestion.
Now to be clear it is my opinion that this class of drug is possibly the most dangerous over the counter drug for sale at the moment. So much so, that a large legal firm recently launched a class action against the manufacturers of a poplar PPI product, due to stomach cancer and kidney damage.
This is just one of several around the world and hundreds of millions of dollars have been paid out by drug companies through the courts. Unfortunately, drug companies consider this the cost of doing business and continue to advertise these drugs.
I guess the takeaway here is – buyer beware and talk to your preferred health professional about your symptoms.
Till the next post,
Live clean n prosper
