As many of our clients know, inflammation serves as one of the major causes of various issues in our bodies. However, most recently, the link between Inflammation and GERD has been making major headlines. Researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and Dallas VA Medical Center have proven that it’s actually an inflammatory response prompted by the secretion of proteins called cytokines. According to this Fox News Report, “refluxed stomach acid stimulates the esophagus to produce cytokines, which begins the process of inflammation.” While these new studies open up the potential of using Protein Pump Inhibitors and other medications to target inflammatory cells, our Medical experts at Nava have a different approach.
Our Director of Medical Operations, Lynn Dudley, PA emphasizes the importance of really utilizing this new research to get to the root of the issue and take a more pro-active approach. While discussing the findings, Lynn noted that “undiagnosed food sensitivities are often the root of inflammation involved with GERD. These food sensitivities arise from an unhealthy environment often caused by an imbalance of good and bad gut flora, as well as, overgrowth of other pathogens such as Candida.” Through our testing at Nava, we can help diagnose and create a plan of action to address the issue without having to be reactive and rely on PPI’s, which may control the immediate symptom of pain, but do nothing to address the underlying problem. In fact, Proton Pump Inhibitors have a whole host of side effects, such as bone loss, increased fracture risk, and even risk of dementia, as cited in this New York Times article.
So what’s the best way to address this? According to Dudley,“the actual solution to GERD involves decreasing the source of inflammation, which means diagnosing and removing the food sensitivities. This is when the healing of the GI tract.” Our team of Nava experts have developed a Comprehensive GI Repair program to facilitate the healing process and restore your health from the inside out!
We hope you learned a lot about the link between Inflammation and GERD.