Acid Reflux? Move This

There is one thing everyone suffering from acid reflux knows: It’s very difficult to avoid it!

That was true until a new study on the preprints platform medRxiv revealed a simple solution.

It’s all about moving one thing!

Here is the problem: up to now, most studies on the relationship between sedentary behavior, exercise, and acid reflux have been observational, opening them up to a potential source of inaccuracy.

An observational study is one in which researchers observe what is happening without changing the facts. For example, they monitor who has a sedentary lifestyle and then check whether those people develop acid reflux.

The problem with observational studies is that so many factors might be involved. For example, what if someone sits a lot but also eats a lot of acidic food?

Is it then the sedentary lifestyle or the food that causes the acid reflux?

An observational study cannot tell us that.

A multinational team of researchers used genetics to attempt to answer this question.

They used several genetic databases to identify genetic variants associated with sedentary habits and other variants linked with physical activity of moderate to vigorous intensity.

They then used the UK Biobank database to identify people with these genetic variants and people who developed a range of gastrointestinal diseases, including acid reflux.

From this information, they discovered what they thought they might.

1. Genetically determined sedentary behavior was linked to a higher risk of acid reflux, stomach ulcers, stomach infections, and irritable bowel disease.

2. Genetically determined physical activity was associated with a lower risk of acid reflux and the other conditions mentioned above.

3. Genetically predicted smoking, body mass index, and diabetes weakened the connections slightly, but both a sedentary lifestyle and physical activity were associated with acid reflux.

Importantly, the study showed that reducing sedentary time and increasing exercise were both necessary for acid reflux prevention. Increasing the amount of physical exercise you do cannot completely undo the damage of a sedentary lifestyle.

Therefore, in addition to the recommended 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week, you should try to move as much as possible in between. Take a walking break from sitting every 30 minutes or so. Take a walk during lunch breaks or after dinner. Take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator whenever possible.

If all this seems like too much trouble (and maybe didn’t work in the past), we have a much simpler solution. Thousands of readers have eliminated their acid reflux using three common ingredients explained here (and you already have them in your kitchen) …