Prevent Acid Reflux Symptoms With An Alkaline Diet

You can prevent acid reflux symptoms with an alkaline diet. This is a common view shared by most naturapathic doctors. Apparently, what you consume can greatly influence the delicate acid – alkaline balance of your body. You need to have the correct acid – alkaline balance to enjoy good health and the proper functioning of the body.

To understand the meanings of acidity and alkalinity, here are some explanations. An acid is a substance that releases hydrogen into a solution and an alkali or base is one that removes hydrogen from a solution. The amount of free hydrogen is measured on a scale ranging from 1 to 14, called ph. Ph denotes the exact level of acidity or alkalinity. A ph value below 7 is said to be acidic and above 7 alkaline.

Many functions of the body occur at a certain acidity or alkaline level. Also, enzymes and chemical reactions in the body work best at a particular ph. A small change in ph can have a significant effect on body function. For instance, muscle contractibility reduces and hormones like adrenaline and aldosterone increased as the body becomes more acidic.

Many of your body functions are involved in regulating the acid–alkaline balance. These functions include respiration, excretion, digestion and cellular metabolism. Your lungs assist in acid – alkaline regulation by eliminating carbon dioxide from the blood. Your kidney also responds to the ph of the blood. If your blood is too acidic, the kidney excretes extra hydrogens into the urine and retains extra sodium. Phosphorus in the form of phosphate is required for this exchange. The body obtains this phosphorus from your bones if it is not available elsewhere.

In the digestive process, acid–alkaline balance is affected by the secretions of the stomach and the pancreas. Thee secretions are absorbed onto the blood stream and effect the rest of the body. When food is eaten, the stomach secretes hydrochloric acid. Your pancreas then secretes bicarbonate which neutralizes the stomach acid so that pancreatic enzymes can work properly.

In terms of diet, what holds true is the saying that “you are what you eat”. You can prevent acid reflux symptoms when you consider the nature and type of the foods that you are eating. Generally, if you consume foods that acidic in nature, your body which absorbs these becomes more acidic as well. Examples of highly acidic foods include instant and highly processed foods such as hot dog, potato chips and cow’s milk, as well as red meats like beef and pork. More stomach acid needs to be produced in order to digest them. However, when this happens, acid reflux can occur because more stomach acids back up your esophagus.

If you consume more alkaline foods, then the production of stomach acids is much less. Highly alkaline foods tend to include more vegetables such as wheat grass, barley grass, alfalfa spouts, broccoli sprouts, cucumber, kale and pasley, as well as certain nuts and oils.

To prevent acid reflux symptoms, you must also give your esophagus a chance to heal. If you refrain from eating foods that are acidic, you would have lessened the impact of irritants to it. You should also avoid anything that relaxes the LES (lower esophageal sphincter). The LES is the muscular valve separating your esophagus and the stomach. It is when this valve relaxes, that stomach acid backs up to your esophagus, causing acid reflux symptoms.

You can also derive other benefits of eating more alkaline foods. When you have an acid overload, your body tends to get weakened and drained of energy. Unfortunately, you need this energy to help fight viruses and bacteria. An acidic body allows germs, yeast, bacteria, molds and fungi to breed and flourish. In an alkaline eco system, they cannot thrive or multiply. By keeping your body alkaline, holistic experts say that that you not only can prevent acid reflux symptoms but also other types of diseases and ailments.

For optimal health, 7.5 ph is said to be the ideal alkaline body level. It is therefore imperative that you select the right foods in order to maintain this ideal acid-alkaline balance. Additionally, to prevent acid reflux symptoms, stick to early dinners, eat and chewing slowly in a relaxed environment and consuming your food in smaller portions.