Each year, millions of Americans suffer from both acid reflux and poor digestion.  In fact, as we age, the body becomes more susceptible to developing an acid reflux condition.  Many health experts claim that this is a normal part of aging process and that an anti-acid should be used in order to combat the condition.

However, this is not true.  Anti-acids will only make the problem worse in the long run.  Despite popular belief, an acid reflux condition is not because of too much stomach acid, but too little.  The more stomach acid that you produce, the better your digestion becomes.  In fact, the stomach should have a PH of 2.0 and lower.  Raising this PH with anti-acids in hopes to improve and facilitate digestion can have disastrous health effects on the body.

Also, many are unknowingly suffering from bacterial and fungal overgrowth’s such as candida.  This fungus modifies the gut microbiome in a negative way and can hinder digestive capabilities dramatically.  Those suffering from a candida overgrowth almost always have low stomach acid levels.

As a result, those suffering from acid reflux need to focus on rebuilding and re-balancing the gut, inhibiting the growth of candida, and raising stomach acid levels.  When this done, poor digestion and acid reflux will be a thing of the past.

Stomach Acid and Acid Reflux

Somewhere along the line the medical community made the claim that indigestion and acid reflux was a sign of too much stomach acid.  Soon after, anti-acids were released onto the market and were claimed to help those with both acid reflux and indigestion.  Unfortunately, it’s well known that taking anti-acids can further worsen the digestion of an individual suffering from acid reflux.

With that said, if anti-acids are so bad, then why do they help stop symptoms related to indigestion and acid reflux?  The answer to this question is quite simple, but we must first understand what acid reflux really is.

Acid reflux is simply a symptom that occurs when the body does not have enough stomach acid to digest the food being consumed.  In fact, the feeling of heartburn, bloating, and indigestion is a sign of food being fermented and putrefied in the gut due to an alkaline stomach.  By consuming anti-acids, you naturally stop this fermentation process, but also raise the stomach acid PH even further.  It’s for this reason, that over time, many become worse after taking anti-acids for long periods of times.

The only way to deal acid reflux effectively is to inhibit the growth of candida in the gut and raise stomach acid levels.

How Candida Lowers Stomach Acid

As mentioned before, those suffering from a candida overgrowth are typically low in stomach acid.  This is because most bacteria and fungus prefer an alkaline environment.  It should be understood that stomach acid not only helps in our digestion, but it helps neutralize bacteria, yeast, and fungus that may be present in the gut.  It’s for this reason that attempting to become more “alkaline” is one of the worst things you can do!

So, what came first, the candida or low stomach acid levels?

In all of our research and experimentation we have come to the conclusion that it’s usually a combination of both.  Those with candida overgrowth often follow a diet high in sugar and starchy foods.  These foods naturally neutralize stomach acid levels in the body and can allow candida to take over the gut.

Once candida is in its fungal form, it’s then able to further neutralize stomach acid due to the high amounts of toxic byproducts in which it releases.  These toxic byproducts not only can have a negative effect on stomach acid levels, but they can also cause serious problems with the body’s lymphatic system.

The best way to inhibit the growth of candida and raise stomach acid levels is to follow a correct candida diet.  We highly recommend you check out our candida diet protocol page for an in depth eating strategy that was designed to inhibit the growth of candida and bring health back to an optimal state.

The Worst Foods for Acid Reflux

When it comes to acid reflux, there are several different foods in which you will want to avoid.  As mentioned before, acid reflux typically is a direct result of food matter being fermented and putrefied in the gut by bacterial and fungal pathogens.  As a result, you will want to avoid foods that can feed candida and contribute to this fermentation process.

Below is a list of foods that should be avoided if you suffer from acid reflux and are dealing with a candida overgrowth in the body.

• All Forms of Sugar (raw honey OK)
• Starchy Carbohydrates
• Processed foods
• Alcohol
• Sugary Fruit

These foods are the biggest culprits when it comes to acid reflux in the body.  In fact, all of these foods can effectively feed candida and can make digestive conditions much worse.  In particular, we highly recommend that you avoid sugar and alcohol at all costs.

It’s important to understand that candida operates on a sugar metabolism.  This is means it takes sugars, ferments them, and produces small amounts of alcohol as an end product.  During this process, it also release over 70 different toxic byproducts which can cause all sorts of dysfunctions in the body.

Strategies for Increasing Stomach Acid

As well as following our candida diet protocol, there are various strategies that can be implemented in order to naturally increase stomach acid levels in the body.  Below you will find a small list of ways that can help build stomach acid levels in the body.

1. Bitter Herbs

Bitter herbs can be great for anyone dealing with acid reflux due to low stomach acid levels.  This is because bitter herbs and foods stimulate the vagus nerve on the back of the tongue which signals to the brain and stomach to produce more digestive secretions (1).  It’s for this reason that Chinese medicine recommends consuming a bitter beverage with meals in order to help facilitate in digestion.

In small amounts, bitter foods can also have a cleansing effect on the body and can be great for clearing stagnation in the liver.  Unfortunately, bitter foods are almost never consumed by today’s modern society.

2. Animal Protein

Unlike plant foods, animal protein requires a strong stomach acid in order to break down.  Consequently, when we consume animal protein, the body is forced to produce a strong stomach acid.  Putting a strong emphases on high quality animal foods in the diet is a great way to naturally increase stomach acid production in the body.

However, those with chronically low stomach acid levels in the body may have difficulty digesting animal protein in the beginning.  It’s for this reason that we recommend you consume bone broth in order to help build up gastric juices in the stomach.

3. Sea Salt

Sea salt is a powerful substances with potent anti-microbial and anti-fungal properties.   Salting food to taste can be a great way to naturally inhibit the growth of candida in the body.

Also, sea salt contains an important mineral called chloride.  Chloride is needed in order for the formation of stomach acid in the body.  By salting food to taste, we can help assist the body in the production of stomach acid.  However, always be sure to use a high quality sea salt such as Celtic or Pink Himalayan and avoid table salt at all costs.

4. Bone Broth

As mentioned before, bone broths can be great for facilitating in digestion.  This is because bone broths naturally attract gastric juices in the stomach and can help in the breakdown of food.

Bone broths are also an amazing source of electrolytes which can help hydrate the body and improve several different biological processes.  We highly recommend you make bone broths a staple in your diet due to their gut healing abilities.

Cook Anti-Candida Meals

When switching over to an anti-candida diet such as the one laid out in our protocol, it’s important that you enjoy the food you are eating so that you stick with it.

Knowing the difficulty that comes with switching diets, we created our Crush Candida Recipe Cook Book in order to make this transition as smooth as possible.  This cook book contains both delicious and healthy recipes that can be great for inhibiting the growth of candida and resolving digestive disorders such as acid reflux.

Also, many of the recipes included in this cook book can be easily modified to satisfy any palate!  All the recipes in our cook book are low carbohydrate and low sugar.  So, if you’re worried about sticking to our candida diet protocol, we highly recommend you try our cook book in order to make the transition as simple as possible!