Hello and

the nutrition divo podcast I'm your host Monica Reinagal and in this show now in its 16th year of publication, I try to help you navigate a sane path through

what can be an overwhelming amount of nutrition information, not all of which is totally accurate or helpful.

If you have nutrition questions that you'd like me to tackle in future episodes on the podcast,

you can send them to me by email at nutrition at quick and dirty tips.com or you can also leave me a

voicemail at 443 961 6206.

Over the past couple of weeks I've gotten a couple of questions from listeners about acid reflux,

sometimes known as GERD, which stands for gastroisophageal reflux disease,

or sometimes just plain old heartburn.

Reflux occurs when stomach acid flows upward

into the esophagus, where it can irritate and damage the cells that line the esophagus where it can irritate and damage the cells that line the

esophagus because they are not built to withstand a very acidic environment.

And this can lead to a range of uncomfortable symptoms, including chest pain, burping, sore throat, asthma, coughing, and bad breath.

And there is an even scarier possibility.

Chronic acid reflux can increase your risk of esophageal cancer.

So little wonder that doctors are pretty quick to prescribe acid blocking medications when their patients report heartburn.

These drugs are usually pretty effective at reducing reflux symptoms,

but of course if you stop taking them, the symptoms tend to come back.

So many people, and their doctors, have simply accepted that the medications will need to be

taken indefinitely.

And you know what?

I'm not sure that's such a good idea.

...