Table of Contents
Your Stomach 1
A Very Widespread Problem 2
A Medical Mistake? 3
We Need Stomach Acid 3
Stomach Acid Declines with Age 5
What Really Causes Heartburn 6
What Else Might Cause Acid to Back Up Into the Throat? 7
Why Antacids Might Make the Situation Worse 9
Why Do Antacids Appear to Help- at Least Temporarily? 11
What Is Really Happening? 12
Doesn't Everybody "Know" that Antacids are the Stomach Medicine of Choice? 14
What Drug Companies Actually Say 15
Don't Many Doctors Agree with the Drug Companies? 18
Doesn't the Government Support the Use of Antacids? 19
Why Antacids May Be Bad for Your Bones 19
So Acidity in the Stomach and Acidity in the Rest of the Body are Two Separate Issues? 21
Other Medical Conditions Associated with Low Stomach Acid 22
Antacids and Stomach Ulcers 24
Additional Medical Conditions that Might Be Indirectly Linked to Low Stomach Acid 27
Side Effects of Prescription-Strength Antacids 29
The Case against Antacids 32
The Alternative Approach to Stomach Problems 32
Finding an "Integrative" Doctor Who May Be More Open to Alternative Approaches 39
Notes 41
Bibliography 81
Index 145