Be careful what you pop in your mouth to settle your heartburn as it may end up burning out your brain. A new study in Germany just found that a popular class of heartburn drugs, proton pump inhibitors, may raise the risk of seniors getting dementia.
If you haven’t taken them yourself, most likely you have heard of some of these from their commercials. Nexium, Prilosec and Prevacid all work by lowering the amount of acid produced in the stomach. In the study, German researchers followed more than 70,000 and found that people 75 or older who regularly take the medications had a 44 percent increased risk of dementia, compared with seniors not using the drugs.
While it would seem that the solution to stop heartburn is to suppress production of acid, that’s exactly the opposite of what needs to help heartburn. The real reason people get heartburn is because they actually aren’t producing ENOUGH stomach acid. The result is that food sits in the stomach as it’s not broken down. I think we all know that rotting food will start to ferment or produce gas which will then rise and cause that burning sensation that is labeled as acid reflux.
Now, if you take a proton pump inhibitor as instructed and once in a blue moon, it probably wouldn’t do much damage. Most people probably don’t realize that on the box the instructions warn consumers not to take the medication for longer than 2 weeks and minimum every 4 months. However, I have lots of clients who have been taking their PPIs for years!
What happens when you keep taking PPIs that suppress your body’s ability to produce acid? It makes it more and more difficult to break down the food and for the body to absorb vital minerals. You see, minerals are like rocks and can only be broken down by, you guessed it, acid! This is why these meds may lead to serious nutritional deficiencies that affect every part of your body. There is even a warning to monitor magnesium deficiency, which is truly crucial as most heart attacks stem from magnesium deficiency. Magnesium is a mineral. Do you see a pattern yet? It’s really no wonder that these drugs have been tied to heart attack, weakened bones and now brain problems.
There are alternatives that are much safer to consider. Turmeric can help protect your stomach and even adding magnesium can provide relief for heartburn and stomach acid problems. It’s also crucial to take a good quality probiotic to help unclog your gut and boost your immune system. Read your labels and work with your body to nourish it back to health.
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All material in this newsletter is provided for information only and may not be construed as medical advice or instruction. No action or inaction should be taken based solely on the contents of this publication;instead readers should consult appropriate health professionals on any matter relating to their health and well-being. The information provided has not been approved the Food & Drug Administration and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any illness or disease.
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“It is our choices that show what we truly are
far more than our abilities.” 
Live well and love more,
Jill Gordon
CHHC, HHC, CNHP,
Digestive Health Specialist
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