Watch on Youtube.com Welcome to today's episode of Heal Thyself Radio, this is Dr. Eric Madrid. Today we are going to talk about acid reducers and how they may rob your body of essential vitamins and minerals. DISCLAIMER: The material I cover in this video is for informational purposes only and not intended to be medical advice for your unique situation. Consult with your own personal physician if you have questions. As you know, prescription medications and many over-the-counter drugs, that is those medicines which can be purchased without a prescription, can play an important role in symptom management and treatment of chronic health conditions. However, they are not without potential side effects. While the U.S. population accounts for only 4.3 percent of the world’s 7.5 billion people, Americans consume 25 percent of the world’s pharmaceutical drugs. No bueno! This does not mean we are the healthiest! Far from it. Despite the high use of pharmaceutical prescription drugs, citizens of the United States rank 31st in the world with an average lifespan of 79.3 years according to Wikipedia. Costa Rica is #30 and Cuba #32. Japan is at the top of the list, with a lifespan of 83.7 years, while Japanese women live for an average of almost 87 years. Minimizing one’s need for both prescription and non-prescription drugs and choosing better nutrition and a healthier lifestyle should be the goal for all people who want to improve health. Depending on your current health status, acid reducers may be absolutely needed. However, lifestyle changes, diet modification and routine exercise may improve one's acid reflux and overall digestive issues. Lets talk about Acid Reducers- A poor diet is the main reason many develop acid reflux symptoms. Acid reflux is also referred to by some as GERD (gastro-esophageal reflux disease) or heartburn. Both refer to the same condition. Sometimes, a person may have a hiatl hernia, which results in acid reflux, no matter how clean their diet is. Again, this can be very troubling if present. If you have persistent acid reflux, consulting with a gastroenterologists should be done. Ask your family doctor for a referral. The sale of acid-reducing medications has become a billion dollar market industry worldwide. In 2013, prescription acid reducers generated over 10 billion U.S. dollars in sales. Unfortunately, these medications give people “permission” to eat foods they should not eat. These medications frequently block the symptoms which would otherwise notify a person to avoid this food or that food. The FDA originally approved these medications to treat stomach ulcers and symptoms of occasional acid reflux. However, they are supposed to be given for only 4 to 8 weeks. This is all the time it takes to heal a bleeding stomach ulcer, in most cases. Despite this, Many take acid reducers for many months, years and possibly even decades, unnecessarily. Let me be honest, There is sometimes a good reason to take the medications. Those with precancerous changes in the esophagus, a condition called Barrett’s esophagus, should take the medication as long as advised by the specialist. Also, there is a rare condition called Zollinger-Ellison where excess acid is secreted. When present, long term acid reducers are advised. In these situation, the benefits outweigh the risk in these situations. However, I assume in time, even those with Barretts will be told otherwise. There are Two Main Classes of Acid Reducers First, there are Histamine (H2) b
