Many people, both young and old, suffer from the sensation of burning in the chest when acid from the stomach flows back up into the eosophagus. Conventional medicine offers medications, such as proton pump inhibitors (PPI), to suppress stomach acid but this only compounds the problem. Stomach acid is needed to digest proteins, kill off harmful microbes and the absorption of nutrients such as vitamin B12 and calcium. Most often people suffering from acid reflux assume they have too much acid so they take an antacid or other prescription medication. However it is more often than not a sign of insufficient stomach acid, leading to the putrification of food in your GUT and the build up of organic acids which cause the burning symptoms associated with heartburn and acid reflux. This incomplete digestion of food can lead to complications such as food allergies, as the partially digested proteins cross through the GUT lining into the blood causing the immune system to respond. Bloating, belching, excess gas, bad breath, alternating constipation and diarrhea, sinus congestion, fatigue, osteoporosis and many more disease states can be associated with low stomach acid production. Food alllergies and parasitic infections are a common cause of acid reflux and heartburn and can be easily identified with Nutrition Response Testing. However there are many other causes too. To correct the problem you need to restore the ability of the stomach to produce the appropriate amount of hydrochloric acid and eliminate anything preventing healing such as food allergies, infections or nutritional deficiencies. To see if your level of stomach acid is too low or too high, you can try the apple cider vinegar test below; The Apple Cider Vinegar Test If you are experiencing heartburn or acid reflux take 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, in a small amount of water; if the symptoms subside then this suggests insufficient hydrochloric acid production. If the symptoms are worse or don't disappear then this suggests excess acid production . To neutralise the burning sensation try a small glass of milk (preferably raw milk), if tolerated, or some bicarbonate of soda in water.

There was a time when I thought that a healthy diet was really all you needed to have optimum health, unfortunately I have learn't this is rarely the case. Today we are bombarded by toxins from food additives, chlorinated & often flouridated water, medications, perfumes & fragrances, makeup, hydrocarbons, metals, plastics etc. Even the fruit & vege's we eat are heavily sprayed with pesticides. We can do a lot to reduce our toxic exposure but we can't altogether avoid it. Also the food we eat today just doesn't have the same nutrition it did a few generations back. Therefore even for someone in relatively good health it makes sense to take a basic maintenance program to stay that way. When people have chronic health conditions a healthy diet alone is normally not enough to resolve the issue. However diet when combined with the RIGHT supplements, that target the underlying cause of ill health, is crucial to regaining health. Quite often clients will turn up with a bag full of supplements they have been taking to try & resolve their symptoms. Often these supplements do not test very well for them or they are taking too many supplements & this overwhelms the body or they are merely trying to address the symptoms but haven't targeted the actual source of their symtpoms. This is where Nutrition Response Testing can make a world of difference. We muscle test all your organs, glands, joints, areas of pain and find out would could be the source of your symptoms. This may include; 1) Food allergies 2) immune challenges - bacterial, fungal, viral, parasites 3) Heavy metal toxicity 4) chemical toxicity 5) Scar - an overlooked source of intereference that often prevents the body from healing. Once the potential source of your symptoms is identified we find the right supplements to specifically address the issue. Therefore you are not wasting money on unnecessary supplements. Another important factor to consider is the quality of your supplements. A lot of supplements are full of synthetic components that the body cannot utilise very well, or as is often the case, make the symptoms worse. Here at The Natural Health Clinic we mostly use Premier Research Lab's and Nutri West supplements that have an excellent reputation for both quality and results.