Acid Reflux and Cancer Risk

Published

June 15, 2018

/Updated

June 01, 2009

One out of 5 Americans experience heartburn or acid reflux on a weekly basis; 40 percent of us deal with it at least once a month. In many cases, we just blame the hot sauce and take an over-the-counter medicine to remedy it. Perhaps it’s time to think differently.

Esophageal adenocarcinoma — cancer of the lining of the soft tube that delivers food and drink from the mouth to the stomach — has increased sevenfold since the early 1970s, says Paul Oberstein, director of the gastrointestinal medical oncology program at NYU Langone’s Perlmutter Cancer Center in Manhattan. The American Cancer Society estimates that 15,850 Americans will die of esophageal cancer this year. Eighty-five percent of esophageal cancers are found in people 55 and older; roughly four times as many men get the disease as women.  

“It’s one of the fastest-growing issues we have in our population,” says David Odell, assistant professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, thoracic surgeon at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and lead investigator on a study of esophageal cancer funded by the American Cancer Society.  

The cancer’s increase has paralleled the rise of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), the medical name for when you have bouts of acid reflux two or more times per week. GERD has several causes, led by obesity, a tendency toward large meals and a high-stress lifestyle. But many people don’t realize that common heartburn symptoms can both lead to and mask something more serious. 

Chronic heartburn can sometimes lead to a disorder called Barrett’s esophagus, in which the cells of the esophagus, normally squamous cells like those of your skin, begin to change into glandular cells like those of the stomach. “When it’s exposed to stomach acid, the esophagus tries to make itself look more like the stomach,” Odell explains. “Five percent of GERD patients will develop Barrett’s, and 10 percent of those will go on to develop cancer.”  

Unfortunately, it’s easy to mistake signs of cancer for simple heartburn. That’s exactly what happened to Ellen Tauscher, 66. Her job may have been more stressful than most: Tauscher was an undersecretary of state in the Obama administration. In 2010, during a particularly stressful time of her life (she was in Geneva, negotiating an arms control treaty with Russia), she began to experience classic symptoms of acid reflux. “I had a pain in my chest after most meals and had difficulty swallowing,” she explains. “I wasn’t sure what I was experiencing. A moment went by, and the tight feeling began to ease. I chalked it up to stress and left it at that.”

But over the next five months, her symptoms increased in both frequency and severity. At times, they rendered eating impossible. When she called her primary physician, he concluded that her symptoms were unusual and asked her to come in the next day.  

“If my doctor had told me that day what many patients are told when they first complain of reflux symptoms — take Prilosec for six weeks and see if the symptoms abate — I’d be dead today,” Tauscher says. Instead, he ordered an endoscopy, a procedure in which a thin tube with a light and camera at the end is fed into your digestive tract so the doctor can inspect it. The test revealed that Tauscher’s symptoms were caused by a three-inch-long tumor that had grown nearly three-quarters of the way around the inside of her esophagus. 

One reason Tauscher’s cancer was diagnosed so quickly was that she didn’t have a history of GERD. Chronic reflux sufferers aren’t likely to get such immediate care, which is part of the reason esophageal cancer has a five-year survival rate of less than 20 percent. That’s something Oberstein wants to change.

Is Yogurt Good For Acid Reflux

Heartburn is a common problem that many people experience. It can be caused by various things, including eating certain foods, drinking alcohol, and smoking. If you regularly suffer from heartburn, you may consider adding yogurt to your diet.

Read more: Are There Foods That Help Ease Heartburn?

Yogurt is a probiotic food that can help improve your digestive health and reduce the occurrence of heartburn. We will discuss the benefits of yogurt for acid reflux and provide tips on including it in your diet!

What Is Acid Reflux and How Does It Occur?

Acid reflux, also known as gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) , is a medical condition in which stomach acid flows into the esophagus, causing discomfort and other symptoms. It is caused when the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) fails to close correctly after digesting food, allowing stomach acid to flow into the esophagus. This can cause a burning sensation in the chest, pain, nausea, coughing, and other symptoms. Acid reflux is most common after eating specific foods or drinking certain beverages. Still, it can also be caused by lifestyle factors such as lying down too soon after eating or smoking.

Benefits of Yogurt To Cure Acid Reflux

Yogurt is a popular probiotic food that helps restore the balance of good bacteria in our digestive tract. This can help reduce symptoms associated with acid reflux , such as heartburn and nausea. Here are the main benefits of eating yogurt to reduce acid reflux:

1. Strengthens Digestive System:

Yogurt contains probiotics which can help strengthen the digestive system by restoring balance in your gut bacteria. This helps reduce inflammation and improve digestion, which can ultimately lower the risk of developing symptoms associated with acid reflux.

2. Reduces Acid Reflux Symptoms:

Yogurt also helps reduce the symptoms of acid reflux, such as heartburn and nausea. This is because it has a high alkaline content which helps neutralize stomach acids.

3. Prevents Complications:

Yogurt may help prevent complications associated with acid reflux, such as ulcers or Barrett’s esophagus. This is because it helps reduce inflammation in the stomach, which can ultimately lower your risk of developing these conditions.

4. Improves Nutrient Absorption:

Eating yogurt may help improve the absorption of essential vitamins and minerals from other foods. This can help support overall health and well-being and reduce the risk of acid reflux.

Tips To Consume Yogurt for Acid Reflux

Some types, like Greek yogurt, plain unsweetened yogurt, and low-fat yogurts, are preferable for people with acid reflux. Here are some tips for consuming yogurt so that it can help reduce your acid reflux symptoms:

1. Eat a cup of yogurt at least twice daily – Yogurt contains probiotics which are beneficial bacteria needed to break down food adequately. Eating yogurt can help to reduce the acidity in your stomach, which is a significant cause of acid reflux.

2. Avoid adding sugar or other sweeteners – Yogurt has a naturally high sugar content, so adding anything else will only increase that and may worsen your symptoms. It is best to avoid adding anything else, as it can cause further irritation to your stomach.

3. Eat yogurt on an empty stomach – Eating yogurt on an empty stomach will help the probiotics in the yogurt to work better and faster.

Contact Memorial Heartburn Center for heartburn in Mexico. We offer comprehensive services to diagnose and treat heartburn.

The best products for heartburn: 7 most effective

To get rid of heartburn, first of all, watch your figure: overweight people often complain about this unpleasant condition. Try not to take long breaks between meals and eat these foods.

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What causes heartburn

Do not self-medicate! In our articles, we collect the latest scientific data and the opinions of authoritative health experts. But remember: only a doctor can diagnose and prescribe treatment.

A common cause of heartburn is the ingestion of acidic stomach contents into the esophagus when overeating. This leads to the destruction of the mucosa, which is accompanied by a feeling of discomfort and a sour taste.

Heartburn can also occur if you have been stressed for a long time. This can result in various diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, for example, gastritis, inflammation of the mucous membrane of the esophagus, duodenal ulcer.

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What foods can trigger heartburn

• citrus fruits;
• tomatoes;
• sour vegetables, fruits and berries;
• hot spices;
• fast food;
• rich broths;
• fried foods;
• sweets;
• baking;
• coffee;
• strong tea;
• alcohol.

Foods that reduce heartburn

1. Ginger

Ginger is on the list of foods for heartburn because it has anti-inflammatory properties, calms the nervous system and absorbs stomach acid. To make a drink, cut a few thin slices of ginger and pour boiling water over it. Take it without sugar before meals.

2. Bananas

Sour fruits (oranges, grapefruits, berries) can cause heartburn. But bananas, on the contrary, are an alkaline fruit, so they are great for heartburn and acidity in the stomach, and also reduce unpleasant symptoms.

3. Yogurt

Yogurt is another product that relieves heartburn. Choose natural, not too fatty yoghurts, without fruit additives.

4. Melon

Like bananas, it is considered an alkaline fruit that neutralizes acid and reduces heartburn. Melon pieces can be added to smoothies or smoothies.

5. Green vegetables

There are thousands of reasons why eating green vegetables is healthy and necessary. And here’s another: Kale, asparagus, spinach, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, and lettuce reduce heartburn because they are high pH foods.

6.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal soothes the stomach and is an excellent product for relieving heartburn, and is especially popular with people with other digestive problems. In these cases, it is better to cook it in water, skim or almond milk. You can also add banana slices to the porridge.

7. Chewing gum

This product is eaten for heartburn, as it increases the amount of saliva, which washes away acid from the walls of the esophagus. To fight heartburn, you should not choose mint chewing gums. And an important rule: you can chew gum only after eating, not on an empty stomach.

Foods for heartburn: list, approximate daily diet

Contents

• Foods to reduce heartburn
• Dairy products
• Vegetables and fruits
• Cereals
• Plain water
• Protein
• Eat soups every day
• Some sweets
• Nuts and seeds

900 59

• Approximate daily allowance for frequent heartburn

Nobody around the world keeps accurate estimates but almost every second person in his life experienced burning retrosternal pain on an empty or full stomach. An important, and in some cases the key point is to follow a diet when the first signs appear.

Unfortunately, the time allotted for a patient’s appointment with a doctor in a polyclinic is very limited, so no one provides a complete list of products that help with heartburn in an outpatient facility.

Foods that reduce heartburn

Most often, health workers in their consultations convey information about healthy and necessary food during an exacerbation of gastrointestinal diseases (manifested by the appearance of heartburn) in the standard way. They are limited to handing out branded brochures or medical photocopies, which more indicate harmful products that cause heartburn.

Practically no attention is paid to allowed dishes and “healing food” that relieves burning sensation. Let’s try to fix this inconvenience and collect the maximum list.

Dairy products

Every product made from milk can help with burning pain. And if the majority of patients, according to surveys, milk itself comes first (the most effective help, as it contains calcium that binds aggressive hydrochloric acid, the excess of which causes pain), then doctors recommend sour-milk food more.

Which dairy products help with heartburn? Any dairy products will relieve heartburn, but kefir and drinking yogurt are better tolerated by the body and, in addition, contain lactic acid bacteria that help heal areas of the esophagus and stomach mucosa from inflammation.

Vegetables and fruits

To a greater extent, roasted fruits or vegetables in small quantities help to fight burning. The mechanism of action is very simple – on an empty stomach, these products will attract the secreted gastric juice, and the acid-damaged mucous membranes of the esophagus and stomach will be involved to a lesser extent. There are two important points to remember here.

1. An hour after a snack with an apple, pear or carrot, a full meal is necessary, since any fruit irritates the stomach. Heartburn may return 40 to 60 minutes after this treatment.
2. Legumes, cabbage, onions and garlic are not recommended.

Cereals

These are products that reduce heartburn. With the exception of instant and long-cooked cereals (extra oatmeal, pearl barley, millet and corn grits), any boiled one will do without adding a large amount of oil.

They heal the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract, bind gastric juice, saturate the body with vitamins and minerals that help to cope with inflammation.

Ordinary water

Non-carbonated clean water will help relieve heartburn, even mineral water, if there is no individual intolerance.

Since the most common cause of heartburn is insufficiency of the lower esophageal sphincter, the effect of water on the cause of heartburn will be minimal.

But nevertheless, water slightly dilutes the hydrochloric acid in the stomach, flushes the esophagus, which means that heartburn will not be so pronounced.

Protein

This is not about egg white, but about meat products – that’s what else you can eat heartburn. To give the stomach a little rest in the fight against inflammation, you need to eat fish, poultry and rabbit meat. Suitable veal and low-fat varieties of pork, cooked in the form of pates, casseroles, steam cutlets, boiled fillet.

The body will have to spend a little more energy on this food, and, consequently, the gastric juice will also act on it, and not on the mucous digestive systems.

Eat soups every day

Heartburn-relieving foods include thick pureed soups.

Too liquid or vegetable first courses provoke the production of hydrochloric acid, while puree soup is ideal in the fight against heartburn. But there is one important condition in the process of making soup – in no case should you over-fry the ingredients for it.

Puree-like first courses have a mild effect on the digestive system, envelop the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract, remove aggressive hydrochloric acid.

A bit of sweetness

Many people find it hard to do without something tasty, but the list will have to be significantly reduced during an exacerbation.

What can you eat for heartburn:

• wafers;
• dry biscuits;
• small amounts of marshmallows and marmalade.

Nuts and seeds

For a quick relief from burning sensation, you can eat some seeds or nuts of any kind.

The fact is that seeds and nuts are a protein product, so they well reduce the level of acid in the stomach, thereby relieving heartburn.

Approximate daily allowance for frequent heartburn

What foods relieve heartburn? Almost everything, boiled, baked or stewed.

Breakfast:

• milk porridge;
• boiled egg;
• a piece of yesterday’s bread and butter;
• weak tea.

Second breakfast:

• yogurt;
• milk cheese or cottage cheese with sour cream;
• cookies and juice.

Lunch:

• mushroom puree soup;
• boiled potatoes with baked chicken;
• vegetable salad;
• tea or compote.

Snack:

• homemade cookies with milk;
• apples in dough.