The Mediterranean Diet is recognized by the medical community as a healthy, wholesome choice that will
lead to better health outcomes for people who adopt it. A new study just released shows that combining a Mediterranean Diet with alkaline water can do even more: People with Acid Reflux can get relief from their symptoms by switching to the Mediterranean diet and drinking alkaline water. The best news of all? By making the switch to a healthy diet and alkaline water, people with acid reflux can avoid taking dangerous Proton Pump Inhibitor (PPI) medicines entirely!
If you are under doctor’s care: Talk to your doctor before reducing or stopping any medications you are on for acid reflux.
Why you should stop taking PPI medicines for acid reflux
How PPIs work: To understand why taking PPIs can be risky, first you need to understand how PPIs work. PPIs are called Proton Pump Inhibitors because they reduce the production of protons (or hydrogen ions, they are the same thing) in the stomach which are used to form digestive acid. Proton pumps are found all throughout the body. They are present in every cell of your body with the exception of red blood cells. In your cells, Proton Pumps create and push protons across the cell mitochondria where they convert carbohydrates and fats into energy. If these proton pumps are interfered with, it will result in loss of energy.
PPI drugs were designed to interact just with the Proton Pump cells in the stomach. But recent research suggests that they may interfere with other Proton Pumps as well. Scientists now suggest that their interfering with other bodily Proton Pumps may account for the health problems and side effects that are now becoming known in long-term PPI users.
PPIs alter your gut: The microbes in your gut are highly sensitive to changes in pH. Taking PPIs reduces the amount of acid produced in the stomach, and that causes a significant change in the pH balance of the intestines. Stomach acidity protects the intestines from opportunistic infections that result from microorganisms in food. As the amount of stomach acid produced declines, harmful pathogens like Enterococcus, Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, and E. coli multiply in the gut.
PPIs impair nutrient absorption: PPI users also face the consequences of impaired nutrient absorption. PPI users are at risk for vitamin and mineral deficiencies including: Vitamin B12, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, and Magnesium. Drinking alkaline water actually improves the absorption of calcium and magnesium, plus it increases the antioxidant benefit of VItamin C.
There are two reasons PPIs impair nutrient absorption:
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- Pathogens in the intestines compete for nutrients
- Nutrients not properly broken down by stomach acid
Harmful pathogens compete for nutrients in the gut. As mentioned earlier, PPIs alter the pH balance of the gut and allow harmful pathogens to flourish. Those pathogens consume nutrients and release toxins in the gut that further increase a person’s risk of digestive health issues.
Nutrients are not properly broken down. PPI users face a heightened risk of bone fractures from poor absorption of Vitamin B12, Calcium, and Magnesium. The FDA felt that this increased risk was significant enough to warn of increased fracture risk from long-term PPI use. Osteoclasts, the cells responsible for the re-absorption of calcium, are affected by PPIs.
PPIs increase your risk of heart trouble People who use PPI drugs face a significantly higher risk of heart attack than people who use other antacid medications. Taking PPIs interferes with the production of nitric oxide, a substance that promotes the dilation of blood vessels, improving blood flow. Blood vessels are damaged by PPI use, in a study published in May of 2016, researchers found that PPIs caused blood vessel cells to age rapidly, and lose their ability to produce new cells.
PPIs are bad for your kidneys Compared to people using H2 (molecular hydrogen) blockers, PPI users face a 28% higher risk of developing Chronic Kidney Disease, and a 96% higher risk of developing end-stage renal disease. The reason PPIs harm the kidneys isn’t well understood, but some medical researchers suggest that they block the action of Proton Pumps in the kidneys that expel acidity in the urine. If this is true, PPIs may cause an acidic imbalance in the bloodstream.
44% increased the risk of dementia: Taking PPIs could cause you to lose your mind, literally. Research from 2016 found that PPI users face a 44% higher risk of dementia compared to people not using PPIs. Other research found impairment in visual memory, executive function, attention, and ability to work and plan, Communication between brain cells depends on the actions of Protein Pumps within the neurons. Research shows that some PPIs cross the blood/brain barrier, so they can interfere with brain cell function. In mice, PPI use was shown to increase levels of Amyloid β, a protein that causes the brain plaques found in people who suffer from Alzheimer’s.
How alkaline water stops acid reflux
Alkaline water is possibly the most important part of stopping acid reflux naturally because it permanently inactivates pepsin, the enzyme that triggers acid reflux. In fact, alkaline water can have a positive impact on acid reflux all by itself due to its ability to stop the destructive effect of pepsin in people that suffer from acid reflux.
How to use alkaline water for acid reflux
To use alkaline water for relieving the symptoms of acid reflux, you need to know how much to drink, when, and at what pH level. For best results, you need to replace your entire daily consumption of water with alkaline water – especially the water you make your morning coffee or teas with. One store-bought bottle of alkaline water isn’t enough!
How much: You should drink between 2 – 3 liters per day, that total includes your coffee and tea consumption. You don’t need to consume large amounts at once, a glass of alkaline water about once every 2 hours will be enough to reach your 2 – 3 liters goal.
When to drink alkaline water: Start first thing in the morning, with two glasses of alkaline water (or two cups of coffee or tea). Have a glass of alkaline water about a half hour before meals. Wait one hour after a meal and then have a glass of alkaline water. Don’t drink alkaline water with meals as it may interfere with your digestive acids. Plan to drink a larger glass (or sports bottle) of alkaline water while working out. Have a glass of alkaline water about a half hour before bed. This may be the most important glass of the day, because it may save your life: A glass of water, an hour before bed, can help prevent heart attacks and strokes.
When acid reflux strikes: Drink a large, 16-ounce glass of level 4 alkaline water when you feel the burning of acid reflux. Level 4 is the highest pH level your water ionizer can produce. The pH level you get depends on your ionizer. The more powerful the ionizer the better, for example: a Life Ionizers M 15 Series XL can produce a pH level higher than 12. That’s higher than any other competing brand of water ionizer.
What pH level: You must drink alkaline water with a pH of 8 or higher to inactivate the pepsin that triggers acid reflux. The ideal pH level for daily consumption lies between 9 – 9.5, which will be level 2 or 3 on your water ionizer. At the ideal level for daily consumption, Life Ionizers guarantees you’ll get the highest antioxidant benefit possible in every glass of alkaline water you drink! Of course, when acid reflux strikes, go for level 4 alkaline water, so you get the highest pH possible.
Why you need a water ionizer to fight acid reflux without drugs
Trying to follow the guidelines in this article using bottled alkaline water is a terrible idea. First of all, bottled alkaline water is expensive. To drink between 2 – 3 liters per day you’ll spend $8 – $10 a day. Secondly, the bottled alkaline water you buy might not even be alkaline! Tests of Trader Joe’s bottled alkaline water revealed that sometimes, it tested as low as a pH of 5.5. You also can’t adjust the pH level of bottled alkaline water.
A water ionizer will produce better quality alkaline water at the pH of your choosing for just pennies per gallon. You can even finance a water ionizer for less per month than you’d pay for a month’s supply of bottled alkaline water. The best reason to use a water ionizer is that to beat your acid reflux, you will be drinking alkaline water for the rest of your life. The savings you get by purchasing your own ionizer will add up very quickly!
An easy way to try alkaline water: You can actually try alkaline water for up to 75 days in your home to see how well it works on your acid reflux: Life Ionizers offers a 75-day return policy*, so you can see if alkaline water is right for you. 75 days is plenty of time to see if alkaline water stops your acid reflux. If you aren’t completely satisfied, you can simply return the machine and get a refund.
Ready to fight acid reflux and leave drugs behind? Call us at 877-959-7977 for the latest offers on the all-new 2018 Life Ionizers.
* See website for complete details
References
Zalvan, Craig. Hu, Shirley. and et al. A Comparison of Alkaline Water and Mediterranean Diet vs
Proton Pump Inhibition for Treatment of Laryngopharyngeal Reflux. JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surgery. 7 September 2017. Web. 10 September 2017. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaotolaryngology/fullarticle/2652893
Burckhardt, Peter. “The Effect of the Alkali Load of Mineral Water on Bone Metabolism.”
The Journal of Nutrition. American Society for Nutrition, n.d. Web. 26 Mar 2014. <http://jn.nutrition.org/content/138/2/435S.long>.
Abraham, Guy, and Jorge Flebas. “The effect of daily consumption of 2 liters of
electrolyzed water for 2 months on body composition and several physiological parameters in four obese subjects: a preliminary report.” Highbeam Research. Original Internist, 01 Sep 2011. Web. 2 Jul 2013. <http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-269433201.html>.
Koufamn, J.A, and N. Johnston. “Potential Benefits of PH 8.8 Alkaline Drinking Water as
an Adjunct in the Treatment of Reflux Disease.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 1 July 2012. Web. 24 Apr. 2015. <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22844861>.
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