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Get to the Truth About The Real Causes Of Heartburn

By: Jeff Martin Notwithstanding the many popular texts that point to aspects of lifestyle and eating particular foods, the real underlying reasons for heartburn encompass a larger selection of factors with genetic, lifestyle and dietary elements. Just like other chronic illnesses, heartburn is a result of overlapping and multiple causes.

Heartburn can be defined as the sensation of burning and of pain in the chest or throat area that is often felt after eating a meal. Although healthy people may experience such a feeling once per week or less, if heartburn occurs twice per week or more frequently, this may be a sign of a more severe medical condition called acid reflux disease, and also known as GERD (Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease).

A sphincter, the LES or Lower Esophageal Sphincter, should normally only open to let food and drink flow into the intestinal system and should not allow stomach contents to flow in the opposite direction. But in reflux situations, the LES is debilitated and stomach contents can reflux into the esophagus, damaging the cells in the wall lining and causing pain. GERD is the result of two physiological issues: the first is excess stomach acidity; and the second is the weakened sphincter (LES) which no longer functions correctly to cordon off the stomach from the esophagus.

As mentioned above, several related factors result in a weakened LES or too high a level of stomach acidity. Amongst these factors are:

1. Characteristics that are inherited genetically.

2. Lifestyles, where habits such as smoking ruins the digestion, attacks the immune system and aggravates Candida multiplication, which then leads to the disease of acid reflux. Stress from lack of sleep, emotional pressure or excess of work also provokes these problems.

3. Infections from Candida. In certain circumstances, Candida microbes grow fast and spread throughout the body. These microorganisms then ferment and cause stomach contents to be rejected back into the esophagus, where inflammation and degradation of the esophageal cells then takes place. Note that Candida is normally present anyway in the human body, including the intestinal and genital areas. Under normal conditions, Candida is balanced out by friendly bacteria with no negative impact to the body.

4. Diet patterns, intake of foods that are fatty or spicy and that debilitate the LES, or nutritive components that make digestion difficult can all boost existing acid reflux. Similarly, the regular and frequent ingestion of foods triggering acid production or levels, such as chocolate, peppermint, citrus fruits and tomatoes, also makes acid reflux more likely.

Whereas conventional medicine has only a superficial action, limiting any effect to purely the symptoms, a holistic, all-natural program focuses on the basic reasons to put in place the only real secure and workable acid reflux remedy. To halt heartburn and halt its return, the basic contributing factors must be addressed and this is what the holistic principles do.