©2005, Elizabeth Walker, RDH, BS, DC

• Multivitamin/mineral, antioxidants and EPA/DHA – 2packets/day w/ meals (See "Please Read First") containing Corydalis Yanhusuo Tuber, Astragalus Root, Ginseng Root, Zhejiang Fritillary Bulb, Chines Licorice Root, Gambir Leaf and Stem, Brown’s Lilly Bulb, Bletilla Root and Cuttlefish Shell, 2 tabs, 3x/day, 20 – 30 minutes before meals
• Standardized Herbal Support for Healthy Stomach Function
• Zinc Carnosine 75 mg, 1 tab, 2x/day between meals
• Lactobillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium lactis (7.5 million live organisms each) in a powdered form mixed with water twice per day. Allowing these probiotic organisms to be swished around the mouth helps to inoculate the mouth with healthy bacteria to inhibit growth of bad germs
• Broad Spectrum, Plant-Based Enzyme Formula, 2 tabs, 3x/day with meals
• Arabinogalactans (1,500 mg), with D-Mannose, D-Xilitol, Green Tea Leaf Extract, Cinnamon Bark, Plantain Fruit and Apple Fruit Powder, 2 level tablespoons in water or juice, 1 – 2x/daily
• L-Glutamine (3,500 mg), Deglycyrrhized Licorice Root (500 mg) and Aloe Leaf extract (50 mg) – Two to three times per day. A powdered form of this can be mixed and taken together with the probiotics.

Please note:  Product names used by Dr. Walker are listed below.

       In dentistry we often encounter clients with heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). These conditions can impact dental health because hydrochloric acid from the stomach may in some cases reach up to the mouth. Some people with GERD may also have a history of bulimia, which causes severe damage to the enamel of the teeth. Another consideration with GERD is that inflammation of the upper gastrointestinal tract may impact inflammatory conditions of the oral cavity.

        Healing of the GI tract can be greatly enhanced with the use of nutritional products in conjunction with the clients’ prescription and over-the-counter medications. However, some “natural” products, especially certain digestive enzymes such as hydrochloric acid and pancreatic enzymes, can actually cause damage to this area and greatly increase the clients’ symptoms, to the point of hospitalization. Therefore, enzyme therapy with strictly plant-based enzymes should only be used under the guidance of a competent healing practitioner.

       Antacids and acid blockers are the traditional mode of therapy for heartburn and GERD. Sometimes, acid stomach conditions are actually due to a lack of digestive enzymes or the dilution of digestive enzymes due to the consumption of large amounts of liquid (especially cold) with meals. With inadequate exposure to digestive enzymes the food goes through a decomposition similar to rotting, which results in the formation of harmful acids, which irritate the stomach and esophagus and are mistaken for excess stomach acid.

       Asians typically precede their main meal with soups to warm up the digestive tract and enhance secretion of digestive enzymes. Many Europeans consume room temperature wine with the meal and hot liquids such as coffee or tea after the meal. The consumption of cold salads before the main meal and the copious drinking of cold beer, wine, mixed drinks, soda and ice water with meals is typical in America and it is one of the primary reasons we have so many digestive problems.

       Often clients will ask what to “wash down” their food with if they do not drink with the meal. A good explanation is, “Saliva.” What a concept! Remember that science class we all took in high school where we learned that mixing food with saliva in the mouth was the first phase of digestion? A quart of soda pop certainly does not enhance this process.

       One of the main therapies for ulcer patients in hospitals is to have them suck on ice chips to decrease hydrochloric acid secretion. This is a great example of how health treatment is often disconnected from every day health habits. Clients with GERD or gastritis often notice improvement when they quit drinking cold beverages (especially soada pop) with their meals.

       Of course there are many other factors that contribute to GERD and gastritis. These are outlined very well on my other website, www.VitalityDr.meta-ehealth.com. Click on Conditions and select Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease and Gastritis. 

       In my health coaching practice, I have had great success helping people with heartburn and GERD using a variety of natural remedies. One excellent herbal formula (listed above under EPA/DHA) has been used by over 50 healing institutions in China for several years with great success.

       Zinc carnosine is another product that has been used successfully by healthcare practitioners in Japan since 1994. The gastric benefits have been documented in over 20 published studies. It has been found to provide 92% - 100% relief of mild heartburn, nausea and bloating in just 8 weeks.

       Our healthy gut flora, primarily Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacteria, are often killed off by antibiotic usage (including those found in dairy and meat products), chlorinated water, and medications such as antacids and gastric acid inhibitors. Healthy gut bacteria, also known as probiotics (the opposite of antibiotics!), often need to be supplemented on a steady basis, especially when using drug therapies for GERD. People who were never breastfed as a baby often have a much more difficult time getting healthy bacteria to persist in their bodies. Such people should supplement probiotics on a regular basis for life.

       In addition to immune function, these healthy bacteria also aid our digestion, detoxify the intestines, prevent the manufacture of carcinogenic compounds, manufacture vitamins and essential fatty acids, reconjugate hormones and help maintain healthy cholesterol levels. Healthy levels of probiotics are essential to good health.

       Arabinogalactans and its cofactors help the stomach lining get thicker and stronger by promoting the growth of stomach mucosal cells and the protective gastric mucin layer. This is very important for people who have problems with heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux.

       The main nutrient to heal and nourish our intestines is an amino acid called L-Glutamine. This amino acid is also used by our skeletal muscles and brain. Some of the manifestations of L-Glutamine deficiency are an intolerance to exercise (sore muscles), irritable bowel syndrome and anxiety disorders. L-Glutamine is used to make GABA, a neurotransmitter that tones down excitatory neurotransmitters that create anxiety. Deglycyrrhized Licorice Root and Aloe Leaf extract also support the integrity and optimal function of the gastrointestinal lining.

       Although I have listed quite a few products above, this is a condition where you should start out with a blitz of everything needed to enhance healing and then you will quickly be able to decrease many of the products in two to three months. Being free of needing acid blockers every time you eat will be worth the effort.

       Also, restoring stomach acid secretions of hyrdrochloric acid and pepsin is absolutely essential for good health of the entire intestinal tract and your entire body. In addition to helping us absorb important nutrients such as vitamin B-12, stomach acid is one of our first lines of defense for killing harmful bacteria and parasites found in our food and water. Plus, chronic GERD is a huge risk factor for cancer of the stomach and esophagus.

PLEASE NOTE:  If you appreciate the information on this website, please support it with purchases from our Online Store. You must register your name and email address to access the online store. The names of products listed above are (in order) Wellness Essentials, Ulcinex, Ultra Flora Plus DF powder, Endefen, Glutagenics and Spectrazyme .  For more product information go to the product categories and select Multiple Vitamin/Mineral formulas, Fatty Acid Formulas, Digestive and Enzyme Formulas and Probiotics and Intestinal Support Formulas.

If you are confused about nutrition, you are not alone. It is a complex subject! For a FREE vitamin consultation, email Dr. Walker with a few bits of information listed under the Health Coaching tab at the top of the page. She will gladly help you make the most effective and economical nutrition purchases.

 For articles regarding the influence of nutrition and lifestyle on GERD and heartburn, please go to the vast nutrition database available through the home page of the online store.  Click on Conditions and select Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease and Peptic Ulcer.