Stomach Acid & Acid Reflux: Does Gut Dysbiosis have a role to play?

Acid Reflux is a very common issue with around 25% of the population suffering from this issue at least once a month. If you are experiencing chest pain, heartburn or a hoarse voice after you have taken your meal, then you are in the grip of Acid Reflux.

Acid reflux occurs when stomach acid or food travels back into esophagus resulting in burning sensation. It can even impact our breathing. Most of us  experience this at some point in our life.  However, if it keeps occurring, it is referred to as GERD: gastroesophageal reflux diseases.

Let us discuss stomach acid at length. Our stomach is house to gastric juice of simple acid which is used for digesting proteins. It generally consists of hydrochloric acid, a chemical produced by cells lining the stomach. Since it is acid & it can burn so it is best to be contained in the stomach that is designed to withstand its acidic nature. When this mechanism takes a hit & acid is pushed to your esophagus, tube that joins mouth with stomach.

Where your oesophagus meets your stomach, a muscular valve called the esophageal sphincter ensures one-way flow from the gullet to the stomach. When you eat, it opens to let food pass into your stomach, but for the rest of the time, it should remain tightly shut.

To sum up, stomach acid is essential for digestion else why would our body make it! 

Acid reflux disease is not caused by too much stomach acid but when the stomach acid is at the wrong place. Heartburn or acid reflux is majorly due to poor lifestyle choices: consuming alcohol, fried foods, smoking & lack of exercise. However, these causes are preventable

If the content of your stomach moves upwards to esophagus, you will experience uncomfortable gastric reflux symptoms. Some of the acid reflux symptoms include:

1. Heartburn
2. Sour Taste in your mouth
3. Bad Breath
4. Bloating 
5. Hoarse voice

What can cause Acid Reflux?

1. Weight Gain & Obesity
2. Smoking
3. Physical inactivity.
4. Eating large meals or snacking just before bed.
5. Medications
6. Drinking too much alcohol
7. Lying Flat

Pregnant Women are more susceptible to acid reflux particularly in later stages when the baby pushes upwards onto the stomach. 

Acid Reflux & Diet

We have been observing an increasing prevalence of acid reflux in western world which is mainly due to dietary habits & poor lifestyle choices. By avoiding or reducing the consumption the food( as detailed below) that causes acid reflux, we can prevent it

Foods: Tomatoes, Chocolate, Citrus Fruits

Beverages: Coffee, Fruit Juice, Alcohol, Carbonated Drinks

GERD is diagnosed when heartburn occurs on a regular basis usually twice or thrice per week. It often begins after consuming fatty or spicy food or drinking alcohol. Although heartburn is a typical sign, you can also experience other symptoms. Some of the severe GERD Symptoms include:

1. Difficulty in swallowing
2. Chest Pain
3. Hiccups
4. Vomiting
5. Nausea
6. Acidic Taste 
7. Sore Throat

Does Gut Dysbiosis has anything to do with Acid Reflux?

Our colon is home to trillions of microorganisms. These micro-organisms consisting of bacteria, algae, viruses & various other organisms in return for stay & sustenance, carry out beneficial health functions. Our body needs a balanced microbiome to keep our gut & entire body healthy. Imbalance in this gut composition leads to gut dysbiosis & can result in leaky gut & chronic inflammation, epicentre of all chronic diseases. This imbalance gut bacteria caused by our poor lifestyle choices including dietary habits can result in GERD disease. Our body is a bidirectional & vicious circle. Gut Dysbiosis can result in chronic disease & occurrence of chronic diseases can result in further imbalance in gut flora. However from GERD perspective it is not fully understood if gut imbalance leads to acid reflux or esophageal environment leads to changes in the composition of the gut microbiota.

However, empirical evidence has proved the fact that heartburn or acid reflux may be a symptom of an unbalanced gut microbiome. The reflux might be your body trying to tell you that something is happening in the body which needs to be addressed.  Besides, medications for acid reflux or heartburn may actually lead to gut microbiome imbalance & either reduce the number of health bacteria or increase the number of bacteria at wrong places. We generally use the term leaky gut when we are experiencing gas, bloating, constipation, indigestion, heartburn or even GERD. We generally view acid reflux as excess of stomach acid in our body. However, it is actually opposite. Acid reflux happens when our body does not have enough acid to digest food, making bacteria move to the small intestine for this feast( when food is not digested properly, it is prey for all bacteria). This results in Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth(SIBO). Besides, it does not provide nutrients to bacteria & therefore bacteria ends up eating our gut lining resulting in Leaky Gut.

Acid Reflux medication further exacerbates this situation. Medication or drugs actually wipe-out good and bad bacteria in your body in their effort to remedy the absence of acid in the stomach, resulting in further problems with digestion.

Some common causes of acid reflux

Hiatal Hernia: This is a common cause of Acid Reflux specifically when you get older. This happens when a small part of your stomach pushes up in the chest. This is attributed to weakened flat muscle in the chest that facilitates breathing mechanism. Unfortunately, you can do nothing to prevent this. It is more common in people over 50 years of age.

Obesity & high fat diets: Rise of obesity in the western world is considered to be the most prevalent reason for disease of esophagus. The rise of both is associated with consumption of animal fat diets.Besides, carrying too much weight around your body can cause physical problems associated with GERD. People suffering from obesity are more likely to have a hiatal hernia, which allows stomach acid to access the gullet. But the extra weight also puts pressure on the stomach, which can force gastric juices upwards.

Do you experience acid reflux & heartburns quite often ? Probably you have a leaky gut & less stomach acid! Learn how changing you gut bacteria diversity can help you overcome Gut Dysbiosis & GERD. Sign up for our gut intelligence solution here.