Heartburn mostly occurs when food or stomach acid comes out into the mouth. It is especially common in people who have irregular eating habits and who are stressed. With drug therapy, you can find a solution to this problem, as well as apply natural methods recommended by experts.
What is Stomach Acid?
Digestion is a process that starts in the mouth and continues in the stomach and then the intestines. In addition to many organs that help digestion, the human body secretes liquids that facilitate digestion. The first of these is stomach acid. The pH level of stomach acid varies between 2 and 3 in healthy individuals. The amount of these fluids in the body is as important as their secretion. An increase in acidity can lead to diseases such as gastritis, reflux, and ulcers. The decrease in acidity also brings indigestion problems. For this reason, stomach acid, which is secreted in the body and helps digestion, must be secreted in an appropriate amount.
What are the functions of stomach acid?
One of the most important functions of stomach acid is its involvement in the digestive process. It undertakes the number one task in breaking down food with its acid feature. It also takes part in activating other digestive enzymes that help digestion. While the digestive enzymes secreted from the pancreas are inactive in the body, they take an active role in the intestines. Therefore, the presence of stomach acid is very important for the digestive enzymes to work properly. In addition, stomach acid controls the intestinal flora. It keeps the level of harmful bacteria under control. Another task is to neutralize pathogens that enter your body through food. If the pathogens that enter the body through food are not neutralized, the body is at risk of many infections. If there is an infection caused by food, it means that the digestive enzymes are not working properly. Stomach acid helps digestive enzymes work properly.
What Are the Symptoms of Stomach Acid?
Sometimes you can find the source of pain or other complaints in your body with the help of specialists. However, it is possible to understand the complaints caused by stomach acid, especially stomach acid, with your own methods. Excessive secretion of stomach acid usually causes burning and pain in the stomach. In healthy individuals, the required pH level of stomach acid is in the range of 2-3. Therefore, the change in the pH level of the acid leads to such complaints in the body. Excess secretion is harmful, as well as low secretion of acid brings some problems. Complaints such as indigestion and bloating, especially after meals, are problems that arise entirely from the low secretion of stomach acid. You can easily understand why such problems you are experiencing are caused by them. If the complaints persist, you should see a specialist. You can be treated after the examination and, if necessary, the diagnosis made as a result of endoscopy.
How Is Stomach Acid Treated?
In the treatment of stomach acid, first of all, the problem that causes the acid level to increase or decrease should be resolved. The methods used in the treatment of the disease also differ according to the type of disease. For example; While antibiotic treatment is applied in a stomach infection caused by bacteria, in stomach diseases such as gastritis or reflux, diet treatment prepared by experts is applied as well as medication. Therefore, it is important to diagnose the cause of the disease. There are 3 different methods applied in the treatment of such diseases originating from the stomach. First of all, patients with complaints such as heartburn and increased stomach acid need to make some changes in their lifestyle. It is important that you eat small and frequent meals. You should stay away from fatty, tomato paste, fried, spicy and acidic foods and beverages that tire your stomach. After eating, you should exercise and avoid lying down for 2-3 hours. You can elevate your head by supporting it with a few pillows while you sleep. With these applications, you can reduce your complaints and start medication if deemed appropriate by the experts. Generally, in complaints caused by increased stomach acid, stomach acid is reduced by applying medication. In patients who do not benefit from drug treatment, surgical treatment can be applied.
What Foods Reduce Stomach Acid?
If you have problems caused by excess acid secretion in your stomach, it is recommended to consume foods high in fiber, especially. Vegetables and legumes, which are high in fiber, help you lose weight along with a long-lasting feeling of fullness. Vegetables such as broccoli, eggplant, artichoke, cabbage are rich in dietary fiber. These vegetables also contain B vitamins, which are necessary for the health of your stomach. In addition, legumes, beans and high protein foods provide your body with the necessary energy, while at the same time regulating the amount of acid in your stomach. Some high-protein, fatty foods increase your acid levels. Spicy, spicy, high in saturated fat snacks are among the foods you should stay away from. In particular, drinks containing caffeine, cola and alcohol trigger an increase in stomach acid.
So what’s good for stomach acid? Excessive production of stomach acid can be prevented by consuming foods with high protein value such as trout, salmon, mackerel, dry beans, and lentils. You can choose fruits with high vitamin and antioxidant value for snacks. However, although some fruits have high antioxidant value, they can harm the stomach due to their acidic properties. For example; Fruits such as oranges, grapefruit, tangerines can increase stomach acid production. Instead, it is recommended to consume fruits such as apple, watermelon, kiwi.