Do you take any of these proton pump inhibitors?

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/video/dangers-proton-pump-inhibitors-10608185

One of the most commonly prescribed drugs for heartburn and acid reflux are proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) or drugs that VERY effectively block your stomach’s ability to produce acid.  While that may sound like a good thing, in most cases it is the absolute worst approach possible for the problem as typically your stomach is producing too little stomach acid.

Here, a series of five studies on proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) indicate that drugs like Nexium, Prilosec and Prevacid are severely overprescribed and misused and hurt far more people than they’re helping.  One of the explanations for this is that when you suppress the amount of acid in your stomach, you decrease your body’s ability to kill the helicobacter bacteria. So it actually makes your condition worse and perpetuates the problem.

“Modern” Medicine is Not Serving You Well When They Treat Your Heartburn and GERD

If you’re taking a PPI drug to treat your heartburn, you’re doing two things, but neither of them is actually beneficial to your health:

• You’re treating a symptom only; you’re not addressing the underlying cause, and
• By doing so, you’re exposing yourself to additional, and potentially more dangerous health problems, courtesy of the drug itself

Let me provide you with a simple yet powerful analogy. If you were driving your car and your “check engine” light came on in your dashboard, what would you say if you brought your car to the mechanic and all he did was remove the light bulb from your dashboard? You would probably call him a dangerous fool as he only removed the warning mechanism for a potentially far more serious problem, and you would likely seek to have him fired for incompetence.

Well this type of approach is precisely what is happening with many conditions “modern” medicine treats, and heartburn certainly qualifies as one of the most outrageous examples.

SOLUTION? PROBIOTICS

Ultimately, the answer to heartburn and acid indigestion is to restore your natural gastric balance and function. One of the first things you’ll want to do is to make sure you’re consuming enough probiotics.  This will help balance your bowel flora, which can help eliminate helicobacter bacteria naturally. It will also aid in proper digestion and assimilation of your food. Ideally, you’ll want to get your probiotics from fermented foods. One of my favorites is natto, but there are many other food products that are excellent choices for natural probiotics, such as fermented vegetables, and kefir, a fermented milk drink made from RAW milk and yogurt.  Just be sure and avoid most commercial products and get good ones from the health food store, as most conventioal brands are loaded with sugar. Another option is taking a high quality probiotic supplement.

FROM WWW.MERCOLA.COM

To read the whole article click here:

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/06/05/natural-ways-to-relieve-heartburn-symptoms.aspx

RICO’S COMMENTS:  More evidence of doctors either not knowing what the heck they are doing or just ignorant. Either way they are hurting the patients they took an oath to help! Educate YOURSELF! I recently had a doctor order me a catscan.  I looked at him and said “Doc, no way I’m getting the equivalent of 500 X-rays of radiation going into MY body” My body, my choice. CT scans and X-rays and mammograms and MRI’s are HUGE money for hospitals and that’s why they are prescribed like candy at the drop of a hat.  We have got to get rid of the common thought process in this country………..got a problem??  TAKE A PILL. Pills are drugs: they are all acidic and they all have tons of side effects and ONLY MASK THE SYMPTOM AND NEVER CURE THE CAUSE! If you nourish your body with proper nutrition, supplementation and exercise most of your problems disappear. Why? The body when given proper care heals itself. It’s called nature. Start making the correct choices when it comes to eating and exercise and you won’t be needing pills anymore!