Holistic Remedies for Acid Reflux & GERD

Whether you call it acid indigestion, heartburn or acid reflux, you've probably experienced the discomfort of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) at least once in your life. Its symptoms occur when the muscle at the bottom of your esophagus fails to close completely, allowing stomach acids to enter and irritate your esophagus. If you tried conventional medical treatments for GERD and were disappointed with the results, perhaps it's time to give the holistic approach a try.

Conventional vs. Holistic

• If you travel the conventional medical approach to treatment, your doctor will focus on your symptoms of discomfort, trying to find medications or other modes of treatment to end or minimize those symptoms. By contrast, holistic medicine seeks "to transform health care through the integration of all aspects of well-being: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, environmental and social," according to the American Holistic Medical Association (AHMA).

  Conventional treatment for GERD generally consists of prescription medications to suppress your body's production of digestive acids, which cause the esophageal irritation characteristic of GERD. Holistic practitioners see dangers in this approach, according to Healingdaily.com, pointing out that reducing your body's normal levels of digestive acids can cause other problems that in the long run may be more serious than GERD. Upsetting the natural balance of things in your digestive system, in the holistic view, can increase the danger of food poisoning and a wide range of chronic degenerative diseases, according to Healingdaily.com.

Holistic Remedies

• If you consult a holistic practitioner for help with GERD, according to HealthyNewAge.com, you will more than likely be counseled against the so-called proton pump inhibiting drugs that reduce acid production. These are available in both prescription and over-the-counter formulations. Instead, you're likely to be urged to treat digestive problems, including GERD, by supplementing your regular diet with one or more digestive enzymes.

  Viewed collectively, digestive enzymes improve your body's digestive process by helping to break food down into nutrients that can be absorbed readily through the lining of the small intestine. In helping the digestive system to function more effectively, these enzymes make it less likely that you will suffer the discomfort of indigestion or GERD or the lethargy that sometimes follows a big meal. Specific digestive enzymes and the foods they target include amylase (carbohydrates), maltase (converts maltose into glucose), protease (proteins), lipase (fats), lactase (dairy products) and cellulase (fiber).

  To address the symptoms of GERD in as natural a fashion as possible, your holistic practitioner probably will urge that you drink at least a gallon of filtered water daily, along with probiotic capsules to get your digestive system working as effectively as possible. Another natural remedy is garlic, which should be taken on a daily basis. According to Healingdaily.com, garlic optimizes the level of bacterial flora in your intestines and also kills Helicobacter pylori, the bacterium implicated in gastritis and other stomach ailments. Chew at least one clove of garlic daily; alternatively, crush a garlic clove thoroughly with the back of a spoon and swallow with water.