Comment by randerson
3 months ago
What isn't mentioned is that bananas and other potassium-rich foods are alkaline, and so can neutralize stomach acid reflux. Acid reflux is a common source of poor sleep quality. So that could be one explanation for the fewer sleep disturbances.
Reflux is solved by MORE acidity or promotion of stomach acid. Lower stomach acid PH means the LES doesn’t close properly. Seems counter intuitive but took me 8 years of symptoms to discover.
Not every case of reflux is caused by the same things. Some people's esophageal sphincter (such as mine does) just... decides to let go at random times. For me, that I can tell, the frequency of that happening isn't really affected +/- by the PH of my stomach acid, but the PH sure has an effect on the consequences.
I am assuming the best thing I can do for it is lose weight, but that's easier said than done.
If you've tried the traditional diet and exercise and couldn't stick to it, don't let the stigma around glp-1s keep you from taking to your doctor about them. They are a powerful tool. Really helped me
Look into vitamin K2.
I think this is true for a long term solution, but the standard treatment to alleviate symptoms of reflux is to consume antacids, so I think parent's point is still valid.
> Lower stomach acid PH means the LES doesn’t close properly
I don't think that's correct. Lower stomach acid pH makes the LES close more tightly, with a max around pH==3.
When I said lower stomach acid I meant in quantity, not acidity, you're right!
So hard to teach this to people, even those who've moved past basic understanding. I keep acid/digestive pills near the bedroom in case I have problems with a late meal
So proton pump inhibitors don't work? Nah
They have long term health consequences and reduce your stomach acid quantity enough that the acid doesn't make it's way back up the throat. So it's masking the root cause. The knock-on effect of taking PPIs or H2-blockers is that you end up with lower acidity which means worse food digestion which means being more prone to bugs and bacteria in food not being wiped out before it gets to the small intestine where it can cause bigger issues like SIBO.
Having the right amount of stomach acid and low PH is crucial to keep the whole digestive system, gut motility and more running properly.
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Bananas have a pH of around 4.5 for unripe bananas to 6 for ripe bananas, so are acidic.
Huh. I am admittedly neither a doctor nor chemist, but I was told this by a doctor, and anecdotally bananas seem to help me with reflux. Looking on the web, there does seem to be conflicting advice.
I'd heard claims like that before and I was curious so I googled a bit more.
It sounds like there's this thing "PRAL" or "potential renal acid load" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potential_renal_acid_load where the affect on stomach acid can be different from a food's pH. But again, the wikipedia article links to some random people's blogs and a single research article from 2019. I'm not sure if this is well supported by research.
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They are high in fibre and can thicken the fluid in the stomach. Maybe that's how they help.
It depends. There are varieties of bananas & plantains that are high in latex, and can cause reflux and allergies for some people.
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Whenever I see discussions of GERD I like to bring up this paper (and the reedit discussion around it) where they basically tried a supplement with every likely helper and it worked 100% of the time: https://www.reddit.com/r/GERD/comments/adt6vh/regression_of_...
| The aim of this study was to investigate if a dietary supplementation containing: melatonin, l-tryptophan, vitamin B6, folic acid, vitamin B12, methionine and betaine would help patients with GERD,
| All patients of the group A (100%) reported a complete regression of symptoms after 40 days of treatment. On the other hand, 115 subjects (65.7%) of the omeprazole reported regression of symptoms in the same period
If reflux is the issue follow these tips:
1) Don't drink while eating or exercising, drink 30min before or 2 hours later.
2) Don't lay on your belly while sitting, use your back to support your upper body.
3) Drink just as much water as your body asks, but not more.
4) Right before going to bed, don't drink and try using the bathroom.
I'm having trouble understanding point 2. What does it mean for one to lay on their belly while sitting? That doesn't seem possible.
Slouching forward, crunching up your stomach and resting your weight on it.
In other words, good posture.
How about digestive bitters?
Alcohol is bad in general no matter the ailment
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Acid reflux is due to too low stomach acid (too high pH). The lower esophageal sphincter closing as a response to acid (pH) is documented in the literature.