Got Heartburn? Reach For This Instead Of Antacids

When we feel that warm burn in our esophagus and that sour twinge in our stomach, we describe it as “heartburn” or “acid reflux.”

Commercials for pharmaceuticals that claim to alleviate these conditions tell us that we’re feeling the results of eating spicy or acidic foods and that this excessive acid has to be eliminated before we’ll feel better, but is that really what’s going on? 

I’d like to think that I’m a fairly healthy eater, limiting processed foods and doing my best to focus on vegetables, protein and healthy fats. So when I started to experience a weird feeling in my esophagus that literally kept me from sleeping at night, I was immediately worried.

I headed to see my primary care physician, telling him all about the weird “lump in my throat” feeling when I swallowed, the urge to burp even though I didn’t need to, and most importantly, the shortness of breath I was feeling at night.

He said that in someone of my age and level of fitness, these symptoms pointed to excessive stomach acid that was making its way above my diaphragm. His recommended treatment? Using an over-the-counter medication like Prilosec or Zantac to manage it. 

I was astonished. Always skeptical of medications meant to deal with symptoms instead of root causes, I decided to do a little investigating before heading to the pharmacy. And boy am I glad I did.

The Real Cause Of Heartburn and Acid Reflux

Acid reflux is not caused by too much acid in your stomach—it’s usually a problem with too little acid, reports Dr. Mercola, pointing to research that shows a decreased level of stomach acid creates the perfect environment for Helicobacter pylori. This bacteria has been shown to cause chronic low-level inflammation of your stomach lining, and is responsible, or at least a major factor, for producing many of the symptoms of acid reflux.

The Vicious Cycle Of Antacid Treatments

Not understanding that heartburn is caused by a lack, not glut, of stomach acid, we typically take medications that promise to suppress our stomach acid further. This kickstarts a vicious cycle that ultimately increases our pain instead of easing it, however.

“When the stomach is lacking in acid, it must churn violently to make the best use of its limited acid. This in-turn causes pressure and back flows of the existing acid. The combination of the back-flows into the esophagus and the stomach’s cramping action is what causes pain,” explains Thomas Corriher for HealthWyze.org.

Suppressing the stomach’s natural acid production also makes it even harder for the body to fight off any helicobacter that might be lurking in the digestive system, increasing your acid reflux symptoms instead of eliminating them.

Likewise, “when our stomach is producing adequate acid, then the valve at the top of the stomach is signaled to close tightly, preventing the acidic contents from leaking into the esophagus. This heartburn remedy helps signal the stomach to close this valve,” explained EmpoweredSustenance.com.

THE CHEAP, EASY WAY TO GET HEARTBURN RELIEF

Whether it was a natural lack of acid or an overgrowth of bacteria, it appeared to me that the answer for my heartburn was actually to give my body more acid instead of less. But how? The answer was already sitting in my kitchen cabinet.

Multiple different sources instructed me to add a couple tablespoons of raw, unfiltered, organic Apple Cider Vinegar to about eight ounces of filtered water and chug it down.

It smelled like I was drinking salad dressing, but I decided to give it a try…within minutes, my heartburn was noticeably less severe. I took a dose of this tonic once a day, typically in the evening when my symptoms were the worst, for around three days. And you know what? My heartburn totally disappeared.

Why You Feel More Tired When You Sleep Late

It all depends on which stage of sleep you wake up in, says a sleep expert. 

In a typical night, you cycle through five stages of sleep several times, explains Michael Breus, PhD, a Los Angeles–based psychologist and sleep specialist. Sleeping longer than normal means you may wake up during one of the deeper stages, when your body is still producing high volumes of the sleep-inducing hormone melatonin. This can leave you feeling groggy.

“If you wake up at a stage-three or stage-four sleep,” Breus says, “you have that logy, exhausted feeling, which we often call ‘sleep drunkenness.’”

And it’s more than just a feeling, he adds. It can impair your judgment and clarity for up to four hours. You can avoid this condition, known as sleep inertia, by getting up at the same time every morning, no matter when you went to bed.

“Consistency is key here,” Breus says. “The more consistently you wake at the same time, even on weekends, the more likely you are to wake up at a lighter stage of sleep.”

This practice eventually trains your body to become tired at the same time every night. Then it’s easier to go to bed earlier — and at a consistent hour. Soon you’re getting your optimal amount of sleep routinely and not confusing your biological rhythms by sleeping in.

Pediatric Organization Finally Admits Food Colors Damage Children’s Health

Before adding food color to your child’s next birthday cake or rewarding them with that neon-colored baked good from the local bakeshop, you might want to reconsider. After decades of research linking food colors and dyes to harmful health conditions in children, finally the American Academy of Pediatrics admits food colorings are not the harmless stuff most people consider them to be and may actually be dangerous to children.

In a new study published in their journal Pediatrics, the organization outlines some of the issues. Food colorings have been linked to a whole host of health problems, including attention deficits, memory problems and even cancer. I’ll explain the best ways to avoid food colorings and why it is essential to keep kids off them.

There are currently 9 artificial food colors approved for use in the United States, including: Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Red 3, Red 40, Citrus Red 2 and Orange B. Their use has increased 500% between 1950 and 2012 and are often used in baked goods and candy that is marketed to children—the people who are most at risk of suffering from their health effects.

Blue dye 1 may cross the blood-brain barrier—a protective mechanism in the body to protect the brain from harmful chemicals. However, if toxic chemicals gain access to the brain they may cause inflammation or act as excitotoxins—chemicals that literally excite brain cells to death. Insufficient research has been done on the effects of blue dye in food. 

While the admission of the dangers of food colorings is a step in the right direction, it has been a  lengthy delay that may have resulted ADHD or other health issues in many children. The American Academy of Pediatrics’ study follows decades of other studies that showcase the many harms of food dyes and colors. A study published in the medical journal Prescrire International found that artificial food colors are linked to hyperactivity in children.

Another study published 24 years ago in the Annals of Allergy found that artificial food colors are a direct link to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)—a condition that sadly now affects 6.4 million children aged 4 to 17. The situation has reached epidemic proportions and has risen by a whopping 42 percent between the years of 2003 and 2011.

The condition is characterized by difficulty concentrating or focusing, difficulty remaining still, having trouble being organized and being forgetful of tasks. It often coexists with other health conditions including: learning disorders, bedwetting, antisocial behavior, substance abuse, among others. While it can affect any children, ADHD is four times more likely to be diagnosed in households where English is the primary language as households where English is the second language.

While there are many possible factors involved in ADHD, clearly ingesting food colors is a serious threat to children. Yet, regulators continue to do almost nothing to stop the rise in serious health conditions linked to food colors and other additives. The government currently allows 10,000 chemicals to be added to food in the United States under the 1958 Food Additives Amendment to the 1938 Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act.

Over 93 percent of these chemicals have never been tested for their potential dangers to humans. Instead, the government has used a system whereby chemicals are classified as GRAS or generally recognized as safe, when indeed few of the chemicals added to foods have ever even been explored for their safety.

That’s a complete failure on the part of regulators, whose job is to protect the safety of people, especially the most vulnerable—children. Allowing the use of toxic and potentially toxic chemicals in the food of children whose brain, nervous system, reproductive system and immune system are vulnerable during the formative years, is nothing short of child abuse. That’s simply unacceptable. It’s time the current government take action against the chemicals allowed in foods, particularly to those foods and prepared foods that are mainly targeting children.

Toxic Teeth: The Most Popular Dental Practice that’s Making You Very Sick

Did you know that dentists perform 1,000 of root canal procedures daily in the United States? And most of these people believe they are safely and permanently fixing their problem. I hate to break this to you, but there is nothing harmless and safe about root canals.

Although your dentist will tell you this is rubbish, and root canals are perfectly safe, there have in fact been studies connecting RCT teeth with ‘inexplicable’ degenerative diseases since the early 1900’s. 

5 Main Reasons to never get root canal procedures

1. Root canals can cause chronic degenerative diseases such as  arthritis, heart disease,  joint diseases
2. Recent studies have pointed out strains of “streptococcus,” “staphylococcus,” and “spirochetes” which exist in root canals. Root canals harbor all kinds of dangerous bacteria.

3. Root canals collect toxins which can not be ejected because there is no vascular system in the tooth to do so.
4. Bacteria collected in the root travels to other parts of the body through the bloodstream. Contrary to modern dental wisdom, antibiotics can never fight and kill the bacteria in your root canal. Since the dead tooth does not have blood being supplied to it, the antibiotics can not reach the inside of that tooth.
5. Every time you eat something, toxins accumulated in the root canal  travel into the blood with open access to any location of the body with weak spots. 

If the tooth can’t be saved, then a root canal with a material called “Biocalex” should be performed. “Biocalex” gets rid of most of the harmful bacteria and will cause way less complications. If this does not work, extracting the tooth might be necessary.

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Human gut study questions probiotic health benefits

Probiotics are found in everything from chocolate and pickles to hand lotion and baby formula, and millions of people buy probiotic supplements to boost digestive health. But new research suggests they might not be as effective as we think. Through a series of experiments looking inside the human gut, researchers show that many people's digestive tracts prevent standard probiotics from successfully colonizing them. Furthermore, taking probiotics to counterbalance antibiotics could delay the return of normal gut bacteria and gut gene expression to their naïve state. The research publishes as two back-to-back papers on September 6 in the journal Cell.

"People have thrown a lot of support to probiotics, even though the literature underlying our understanding of them is very controversial; we wanted to determine whether probiotics such as the ones you buy in the supermarket do colonize the gastrointestinal tract like they're supposed to, and then whether these probiotics are having any impact on the human host," says senior author Eran Elinav, an immunologist at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Israel. "Surprisingly, we saw that many healthy volunteers were actually resistant in that the probiotics couldn't colonize their GI tracts. This suggests that probiotics should not be universally given as a 'one-size-fits-all' supplement. Instead, they could be tailored to the needs of each individual."

While past studies have investigated similar questions, they have all used patients' excrement as a proxy for microbe activity in the GI tract. Instead, Elinav, his colleague Eran Segal, (a computational biologist at the Weizmann Institute), and their teams spearheaded by Niv Zmora, Jotham Suez, Gili Zilberman Schapira, and Uria Mor of the Elinav lab collaborated with Zamir Halpern, Chief of Gastroenterology at the Tel Aviv Medical Center to measure gut colonization directly.

In the first study, 25 human volunteers underwent upper endoscopies and colonoscopies to sample their baseline microbiome in regions of the gut. 15 of those volunteers were then divided into two groups. The first group consumed generic probiotic strains, while the second was administered a placebo. Both groups then underwent a second round of upper endoscopies and colonoscopies to assess their internal response before being followed for another 2 months.

The scientists discovered that the probiotics successfully colonized the GI tracts of some people, called the "persisters," while the gut microbiomes of "resisters" expelled them. Moreover, the persister and resister patterns would determine whether probiotics, in a given person, would impact their indigenous microbiome and human gene expression. The researchers could predict whether a person would be a persister or resister just by examining their baseline microbiome and gut gene expression profile.

They also found that stool only partially correlates with the microbiome functioning inside the body, so relying on stool as was done in previous studies for many years could be misleading.

"Although all of our probiotic-consuming volunteers showed probiotics in their stool, only some of them showed them in their gut, which is where they need to be," says Segal. "If some people resist and only some people permit them, the benefits of the standard probiotics we all take can't be as universal as we once thought. These results highlight the role of the gut microbiome in driving very specific clinical differences between people."

In the second study, the researchers questioned whether patients should be taking probiotics to counter the effects of antibiotics, as they are often told to do in order to repopulate the gut microbiota after it's cleared by antibiotic treatment. To look at this, 21 volunteers were given a course of antibiotics and then randomly assigned to one of three groups. The first was a "watch-and-wait" group that let their microbiome recover on its own. The second group was administered the same generic probiotics used in the first study. The third group was treated with an autologous fecal microbiome transplant (aFMT) made up of their own bacteria that had been collected before giving them the antibiotic.

After the antibiotics had cleared the way, the standard probiotics could easily colonize the gut of everyone in the second group, but to the team's surprise, this probiotic colonization prevented the host's normal microbiome and gut gene expression profile from returning to their normal state for months afterward. In contrast, the aFMT resulted in the third group's native gut microbiome and gene program returning to normal within days.

"Contrary to the current dogma that probiotics are harmless and benefit everyone, these results reveal a new potential adverse side effect of probiotic use with antibiotics that might even bring long-term consequences," Elinav says. "In contrast, replenishing the gut with one's own microbes is a personalized mother-nature-designed treatment that led to a full reversal of the antibiotics' effects."

Segal adds, "This opens the door to diagnostics that would take us from an empiric universal consumption of probiotics, which appears useless in many cases, to one that is tailored to the individual and can be prescribed to different individuals based on their baseline features."

7 Surprising Health Benefits Of Eating Dates

Dates are  probably one of the oldest cultivated fruits in the world called  dabino in Hausa.  Commonly found in the Northern part of Nigeria, dates known to be packed with several amazing health benefits. A typical date fruit is a drupe where the outer fleshy part surrounds a shell of hardened endocarp with a seed in it. Dates which are oblong in shape comes in varying kinds which includes soft, semi-dry and dried dates, categorized on the basis of sugar content.

The health benefits of dates includes: Boosts Heart Health: research has shown that dates contain a crystalline compound known as isoflavone, which are effective in reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Date contains  antioxidants, which helps to prevent atherosclerosis,  a condition where the arteries become narrowed and hardened due to a build up of plaque around the artery wall. These antioxidants activates the removal of cholesterol from the artery cells.

 Contains Nicotine: the nicotine content present in dates are thought to be beneficial for curing intestinal disorders. Taking it consistently helps to inhibit the growth of pathological organisms which in turn helps stimulate growth of friendly bacteria in the intestines.

 Prevents night blindness: A lot of people tend to struggle with their sight under poor lighting conditions even if their eyes seem to physically be in good shape. There are many causes of night blindness, but one of the most common causes is the deficiency of vitamin A. Dates help to delay the macular degeneration of the eyes which is usually caused by ageing.

 Improves Bone Health: dates are packed with a rich amount of minerals. Minerals such as selenium, manganese, copper and magnesium which aids in strengthening the bones and curing diseases like osteoporosis.

 Promotes Healthy Skin: Vitamin C and D aids in protecting skin elasticity and  helps in maintaining a smooth skin. People suffering from skin issues, can add dates to their diets as it’s packed with anti-ageing benefits.

Dental Health: Fluorine can be found in dates, it is an important chemical element that fights against tooth decay by shrugging off plaque and also strengthening the tooth enamel.

 Promotes Brain Health: studies have shown that dates provide protection against inflammation and oxidative stress in the brain. Consistent consumption of dates helps to lower the risk of neurodegenerative diseases and improves cognitive activities in older individuals.

What These 8 Oral Problems Say About Your Health

We all know that flossing every day and going for regular dental checkups are essential for maintaining optimal oral health. However, you can have poor oral health even when you’re taking good care of your mouth.

Sometimes, poor general health ruins your oral health. Knowing how general health affects your oral health can help you spot conditions before they worsen.

Below are oral problems that indicate poor health.

1. SMOOTH TONGUE

Using dentures can make your tongue smooth, but a smooth tongue can also be a sign of vitamin B12, iron and folate deficiency, according to Stanford medicine. Vitamin B12 deficiency also makes the tongue sore and red in color. 

Keep in mind that vegans and vegetarians have a higher risk of vitamin B12 deficiency. This is a good primer on how to get enough B12 without eating animal products.

2. INFLAMED GUMS

Inflamed gums could mean that your body has chronic inflammation. This is something you should take seriously, since chronic inflammation is linked to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, dementia and heart disease.

3. PERSISTENT LESIONS

Lesions that don’t go away could be a sign of oral cancer. Research also shows that oral lesions are a common sign of HIV.

However, don’t panic every time your mouth is sore. It could be canker sores, which usually dissolve after a week or two. Get checked if the lesion lasts for more than two weeks.

4. GEOGRAPHIC TONGUE

A geographic tongue is terrifying but most times, it’s harmless. It is marked by patches, discoloration, and hairlike projections on the tongue.

According to Mayo Clinic, a geographic tongue doesn’t increase the risk of health conditions, but it causes anxiety because of its appearance.

5. BURNING SENSATION

Do you have a burning sensation in your mouth for no reason? This could mean that you’re allergic to the toothpaste you’re using or you’re postmenopausal.

Research shows that the hormonal changes that occur during menopause cause the burning sensation in the mouth.

6. PALE-COLORED TONGUE

Your tongue can be pale due to poor oral hygiene. Bacteria and dead cells can cause a white coating on your tongue.

If you take good care of your mouth and your tongue is pale, it could be a sign of iron deficiency or anemia. In this case, you’ll need to increase your intake of iron-rich foods.

7. BAD BREATH

While it’s true that most people with bad breath have poor oral hygiene, sometimes it’s a sign of a much bigger problem. Kidney failure can make your breath stink because of waste buildup in the body.

8. RECEDING GUM AND TOOTH LOSS

It’s normal for teeth to become loose as we age, but tooth loss is usually a sign of osteoporosis. Osteoporosis causes bone loss in the jawbone, which can make your gums detach from your teeth and loosen them.