There is one common vitamin you absolutely must take if you suffer acid reflux. This is according to new research in the journal Quality in Sport.
Not only does it help alleviate your acid reflux symptoms, it can even eliminate them.
More importantly, there are aspects of acid reflux that suck this life-essential vitamin out of your body.
Fortunately, it is dirt cheap and you can buy it everywhere or get it from food several food sources.
Vitamin B12 is particularly important for nerve health, but many studies have also linked it to various gastrointestinal issues, including gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), inflammation of the stomach lining, and inflammatory bowel disease.
To explore this further, the authors of this study conducted a review of the available scientific literature to determine whether there is a consensus on the relationship.
From the research they surveyed, they found some interesting relationships.
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1. There aren’t any studies that show that vitamin B12 deficiency directly causes acid reflux, but it can do so indirectly and worsen its symptoms.
2. A deficiency in vitamin B12 can worsen acid reflux symptoms by increasing the need for proton pump inhibitor (PPI) drugs, which in turn worsen acid reflux over time.
3. Supplementing with vitamin B12 reduces the need for PPIs. In a study comparing acid reflux patients taking only PPIs with those supplementing with vitamin B12, 100%, compared to 67.5% in the respective groups, reported complete relief from reflux symptoms after 40 days.
4. Normal vitamin B12 levels reduce the need for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), which people often take for various types of pain. This happens because B12 is a natural pain killer. NSAIDs directly cause acid reflux and worsen the symptoms.
5. PPIs reduce the body’s absorption of B12. In one study, the absorption of B12 dropped from 32% to less than 1% after two weeks of treatment.
6. People with gastritis, an inflammation and thinning of the stomach lining, are more likely to have acid reflux. Since they have less stomach acid, the acid has to churn so violently that it tends to flow upwards into the esophagus. This condition also causes a reduced absorption of vitamin B12.
7. Both inflammatory bowel disease and small intestinal bacterial overgrowth can lead to vitamin B12 deficiency.
From these findings, you will see that the relationship works both ways: low vitamin B12 can indirectly cause acid reflux while worsening its symptoms; and at the same time, acid reflux medication and other gastrointestinal conditions can lower vitamin B12.
Luckily, vitamin B12 is easily obtainable from foods like meat, milk, and eggs. Vitamin B12 supplements are also available in all pharmacies and supermarkets.