PART 2 from above
Hey Jim,
Heartburn is a common problem and it really sucks! People want relief, so they’re seeking help from their doctors and are spending TONS of money on the acid-suppressing drugs they prescribe.
Do you take Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs)? What about someone you love?
If so, you’re not alone. Check this out…
- Nearly one-third of all U.S. adults experience weekly symptoms of heartburn
- More than 60 million Americans experience heartburn at least once a month
- In 2018, Americans spent approximately $14 billion on prescription acid-suppressing drugs called Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs)
Now I suffered many years of acid reflux, so I don’t blame anyone for wanting to stop the pain.
What I do get mad about is what appears to be willful neglect by western medicine.
Here’s my issue: the vast majority of 95%+ people never have their stomachs tested to prove they have too much acid and therefore need an acid-suppressing drug.
Let that soak in for a second…
In 2018, that $14 billion dollars makes “heartburn” medicines #3 on the list of top-selling OTC medicines in the United States.
Yet there is virtually zero testing being done to ensure this is actually what is needed to help people.
There’s a myth of high-acid out there that is actually costing us way more money, it’s risking our short-term and long-term health.
But before you believe me, first let’s start with the basics.
What are PPIs?
PPI stands for Proton Pump Inhibitor – a class of drugs that are used in situations/diseases associated with our stomachs and their acid production.
The drugs do exactly what their name suggests – inhibit the proton pumps in our stomachs, causing reduced stomach acid production. The PPI inhibits the proton pump by chemically binding to it.
What are PPIs Good For?
The FDA has approved PPIs for the treatment of gastric ulcers, erosive esophagitis, peptic ulcer disease, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
PPIs are also used to prevent ulcers associated with NSAIDs use as well as in the prevention of stress ulcers and to lower potential gastric troubles in those taking blood thinners.
And for many people with the disorders above a short course of PPIs can really help them.
But the FDA only approved these drugs for up to 8 weeks of continuous usage!
But most people I know have been taking PPIs much longer than they have been safely approved for.
This is appalling, especially because these drugs are not harmless, and too many people, doctors included, are ignorant and in some cases turning a blind eye to this.
Health Risks of PPIs
What are the risks of taking PPIs?
PPIs cause significant health risks such as vitamin and nutrient deficiencies, increase in infections risk, and bone fractures.
The short-term issues range from diarrhea to headache in up to 10% of people, but also occasionally cause severe adverse reactions such as hepatic, renal, skin, and bone marrow toxicity and anaphylaxis.
For those who don’t immediately stop PPIs because of the above-mentioned issues, they end up putting their long-term health at a higher risk of:
- Clostridium difficile
- Campylobacter jejuni gastroenteritis
- Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)
- Pneumonia
- Mineral/vitamin deficiencies
- Bone fractures
- Increase in gastric Cancer
- IBS
- Crohn’s disease
- Ulcerative Colitis
- And cause unwanted drug interactions (i.e. Clopidogrel)
But the risks don’t stop there.
The worst part about all these risks is that PPIs and acid-suppressing therapy do NOT actually fix the root problem and open us up to some scary long-term health issues…
If you are on a PPI or other acid-suppressing therapy, and you want a different way to get rid of the pain, there are lots of ways to help these issues.
Betaine HCL has been shown in the research to re-acidify the gut and has been used for over 40 years for this very issue.
foodrevolution.org
drjockers.com
drjockers.com
www.upwellness.com
www.dailymotivation.site
theartofantiaging.com
