Low carb diet - miracle cure for acid reflux!
Posted , 11 users are following.
Hi all, glad I found this forum as I'm a huge health enthusiast after suffering for many years from so many things. Everywhere I go it seems that more and more people are suffering as I was from acid reflux. Mine was so bad that before I even knew I had GERD I had already developed Barrets oesophagis and eosinophilic oesophagitis, which are both caused by prolonged damage done by acid. My surgeon said never in his 30 years of practicing had he seen someone in their mid 20's develop both conditions so rapidly. So yeah needless to say it was an aggressive case of acid reflux.
I went on Nexium (osameprazole) which only helped in varying amounts. I still had to cut out a lot of food from my diet to avoid aggravating it. Then one after my usual search for 'natural reflux remedies' I found an article explaiming how the primary cause of acid reflux is intra-abdominal pressure which is caused by undigested carbohydrates in the gut or intestines. Basically the carbs don't get digested well enough and form with the bacteria inside to cause a gas, which is what causes the reflux. The solution is remarkably simple: eat less carbs! (It also mentions ways in dealing with the h.plyori bacteria which may be present but I think this is less of an issue that gets resolved on its own anyway).
I adopted a low-carbs diet (like ketogenic or Aitkins diet) and I swear within a day I was already feeling the difference. I could now eat all my favourite foods like meat and eggs and I would get no reaction at all (previously alll of these things would give me instant reflux). I kept my carbohydrate intake down to 30-50 grams a day, which is considered close to the lowest possible. That means eating only eggs, meat, and vegetables. Bread, pasta, grains, nuts, legumes, beans, and sweet stuff (including fruit) etc are very carb heavy so cut them out. Within a couple of days you should notice much less burping and discomfort. It would also be wise to take a digestive supplement (especially if you do indulge in something high in carbs one in a while) as this helps your body digest the food more quickly which reduces the chance of the acid getting sent back up.
I would advise everyone suffering from reflux try this simple remedy. There's no danger in it since your body does not actually need carbohydrates to function. Focus your diet on healthy fats instead. After a while you can reintroduce carbs slowly at your own pace until you find a sustainable threshold. The trick is to save your carb limit for actual useful stuff like an occasional serving of pasta or rice. Don't eat lollies or sweetened biscuits as these are just full of empty carbs which won't even satisfy you for long. Also be careful as a few vegetables like potatoes and beetroot contain a lot of carbs so best avoid them.
Hopefully this helps everyone the same way it helped me. Please let me know if you try this and how it goes. I'm now off Nexium completely and almost never get reflux, although I've been eating healthy for about a year now so it could've healed naturally. I would also try to limit your meat intake as much as possible and focus more on vegerables. Slippery elm powder also works wonders after meals at keeping any loose food or acid down into your gut.
Best
3 likes, 16 replies
caroline1408 DMP1391
Posted
I have SIBO following Cancer surgery on my small bowel and also Barretts on 40mg of omeprozole and in last few weeks have started suffering from asthma so badly that I have spent 8 days in hospital. The Doctors think I have silent reflux possibly from the SIBO which has caused the asthma - it is really affected my life which feels like it is on hold so to read about a low carb diet sounds too good not to try - fingers crossed it will help - I am going to try the slippery elm as well. I now have a whole host of tablets and puffers to take every day and need to try and take charge of my own health - I am hoping if I can sort out the reflux some of the rest will get better.
Thanks