There has been much debate as to the cause of acid reflux and whether it is the result of high or low stomach acid. The argument for low stomach acid being that not having enough acid can weaken the muscle between the stomach and the oesophagus, enabling the acidic contents of the stomach to come up into the oesophagus and cause burning.
But it seems that in reality it is less a discussion of the amount of stomach acid and more a question of timing and stress. We are often rushing around and distracted before and during eating, this shuts down the digestive processes and we don’t have the time to produce the gastric juices and enzymes that are needed.
If we are not producing enough digestive juices then the food can take longer to leave the stomach, everything can slow down and the risk of indigestion and reflux (and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) is much higher.
When we lack the digestive juices to breakdown food properly we effectively turn our digestive system into the equivalent of a compost bin where food has to effectively rot down to enable us to absorb what we need. This can lead to symptoms of bloating, flatulence and pain. In some people it can even cause nausea and vomiting.
Taking time to prepare food is an important part of the process as digestion starts in the brain (known as the cephalic response). The physical process of food preparation alongside the smell of food cooking tells the brain to start the process and it takes around 20 minutes for the message to reach the stomach. If we cannot take time to prepare our food we can take time to think about what it is we will be eating and how is smells, tastes and makes us feel. Before eating a meal, we can take a few moments to relax the body using a breathing technique such as alternate nostril breathing. This technique switches the body into the parasympathetic state so that it can produce more acids and enzymes to break down the food more efficiently. Simple things like putting phones and laptops away during a meal and not watching the television can be very effective at supporting the digestive processes and reducing bloating & other IBS type symptoms
