The FDA is an enabler. It hands out countless second chances for drugs that do incredible amounts of harm.

In fact, the FDA now admits...

Yes, an insanely popular class of drugs (especially among seniors) could lead to heart problems and seizures.

Yes, this isn't the drugs' first offense. Last year, studies showed that these drugs could increase your fracture risk by up to 25 percent.

Yes, hundreds of millions of Americans could be affected.

But, no, they won't recall the drugs. They've issued a warning. (Way to stand firm, FDA.)

Reflux drugs cause major mineral deficiencies

More than 100 million Americans (even children) take proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) to deal with acid reflux, ulcers, and heartburn. I've talked about PPIs before. They work by reducing stomach acid. But they also interfere with your body's absorption of protein and vital nutrients, especially magnesium.

In fact, earlier this month the FDA issued a warning that taking a PPI for a prolonged period may cause severe magnesium deficiencies.

Doesn't sound like such a big deal, but for a nutritionist like me, this sends up all sorts of red flags.

You see...

Magnesium helps every organ in your body, especially your heart. It also relaxes your blood vessels and helps regulate your blood pressure. But without enough magnesium, you run the risk of developing tremors, heart arrhythmias, and even seizures.

The FDA says most patients who experienced these symptoms took a PPI for a year or more. But some of the adverse events occurred in men and women who took a PPI for just three months.

This is pretty scary stuff...especially when you consider that most men and women take PPIs for an average of six months!

Would it kill the FDA to use a little common sense?

The FDA wants doctors to check magnesium levels in their patients taking PPIs. In patients who do have low levels, the FDA says a magnesium supplement may help.

The FDA also said that in about 25 percent of the cases, supplementation does not help and these patients may have to stop (gasp!) taking the PPI.

Now, here's the good news if you were ever suckered into taking one of these drugs...

The hit to your magnesium levels doesn't appear permanent.

According to the FDA report, magnesium levels seem to normalize within about a week of stopping the PPI. (Also be wary of taking a PPI again or the magnesium problem could come back with a vengeance...usually within two weeks, according to the FDA's own data.)

OTC patients left out to dry

Here's my other big problem with the FDA: Their warning only applied to prescription PPIs, such as Nexium. The agency did nothing to protect patients who take over-the-counter PPIs.

According to the FDA, you're only supposed to take an over-the-counter PPI for 14 days (three times a year). If you follow those directions, you shouldn't ever develop a magnesium problem. So they aren't adding a warning to the boxes of Prilosec OTC, Zegerid OTC, or Prevacid 24HR.

But here's the problem...

You and I both know that nobody reads those OTC boxes carefully.

There are probably thousands (even millions) of men and women out there who ignore the directions on these boxes and take over-the-counter PPIs for longer than 14 days. How the heck is John the plumber going to know what to do when his heart starts racing a mile a minute?

(In fact if you know someone on one of these drugs you might want to take a moment to forward them this information. Just click here to send an email.)

Cure it, don't mask it

Without a doubt, acid reflux is one curable problem. You just need to increase your stomach acid. That's right. I said "increase" it.

The truth is, most people who complain of acid reflux or heartburn actually have too little stomach acid. In fact, Dr. Jonathan Wright, editor of one of our affiliate publications whom I consider the premiere nutritionist of our time, says that 90 percent of his patients have low stomach acid.

You see, as the body ages, it produces fewer digestive enzymes. As a result, your stomach produces less acid and your sphincter doesn't bother to stay tight. Then, when a little acid does creep up into the esophagus, it irritates the heck out of your upper digestive tract.

If you suspect you have low stomach acid, make sure to ask your doctor for a Heidelburg gastrogram. This test is not cheap and most insurance plans won't cover it. But it's non-invasive (unlike the original stomach acid test) and very effective.

The truth about acid reflux

Adding acid and natural digestive enzymes effectively and safely solve the problem of acid reflux. The enzymes help replenish your diminished supply. Plus, they restart your stomach's motor and help reduce your symptoms.

You can find digestive enzymes almost anywhere these days, even the grocery store. Basically, you want to look for capsules that are "full spectrum." These will help you break down and digest all three types of food groups: proteins, fats, and carbs.

If the words "full spectrum" don't appear on the label, just make sure capsules contain all three types of enzymes:

• Proteolytic (proteo means protein)
• Lipolytic (lipo means fat)
• Amylolytic (amylo means carbohydrate)

You also want to make sure your digestive enzyme supplement contains betaine hydrochloride (or HCl). It's a plant-based substitute for hydrochloric acid.

The bottle will probably suggest you take your enzymes before meals. But in my opinion that's a mistake. In most cases, it's best to take digestive enzyme immediately after meals (or toward the end of your meal, if your symptoms are really severe). This will ensure you just augment -- not replace -- the body's manufacture of its own enzymes.

Create a healthy digestive tract

Besides digestive enzymes, you'll also want to make sure that you take a probiotic that contains billions of units of active cultures of "friendly" bacteria.

Just pour the capsule contents down your throat. Let your natural saliva wash it down. This way, all the friendly bacteria coat your throat and esophagus. It will also aid in your overall digestion. Following this two-part regimen, you should notice an improvement in about a week, if not days. For really tough cases of acid reflux, you can also try DGL. It's a form of licorice, with one component removed, that helps your digestive system. Chew or suck on it 20 minutes before eating.

Lastly, you'll also want to avoid known reflux triggers such as spicy and acidic foods, flour products, sugar, and alcohol.

Printer-friendly version