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Are you one of the MILLIONS of adults taking stomach acid medications? With over $6 Billion in sales on antacids, you're not alone. Started them because you felt a little heartburn after you ate? What if I told you that your heartburn was most likely from LOW stomach acid? Say What? It's true. As we get older, our ability to produce most secretions, including stomach acid goes DOWN, not up. (Thanks, physiology classes!) Maybe some of you do have true GERD or reflux.... from a faulty valve (LES) at the top of your stomach. Some of you may be overweight, which pushes up on your stomach (and pushes your trying-to-be-digested food upward). Pregnancy can do this temporarily, as well. Some may have a hiatal hernia (where the top of the stomach pokes up through the diaphragm muscle, where it doesn't belong). Wait, where was "too much stomach acid" on that list??... You're probably wondering "how can I get heartburn from LOW acid?" I'm glad you asked. You need stomach acid to activate your protein-digesting enzymes (pepsin) in the stomach - this breaks protein down into useable amino acids. The low pH produced by stomach acid also inhibits bacterial growth in the stomach and creates the signal to release your food from the stomach (now called chyme) into the small intestine for further digestion. It takes LONGER for you to process a protein-rich meal when you have low acid. Your stomach will dump as much as is (mostly) ready into the small intestine, leaving undigested food to ferment (causing gas) in the stomach. You eventually release MORE acid to try to finish this digestion, making it seem like you have too much stomach acid, when really if you had enough, you wouldn't need a round 2 of acid to finish your meal. The gas from the fermenting food can cause the LES (lower esophageal sphincter) to open up to relieve the pressure. Hence your heartburn sensation. ***If you burp and taste your dinner, you didn't properly digest it! Check out this list of signs and symptoms of LOW stomach acid. How many do YOU have now or are being treated for?  Low stomach acid leads to protein deficiency, poor digestion, vitamin & mineral deficiencies, & related health symptoms. Do not stop taking antacids without support from a qualified health professional. Bloating, gas, indigestion, burping... Heartburn, reflux.... vitamin and mineral deficiencies.... yeast infections (candida), dysbiosis, IRREGULAR BOWELS.... Food sensitivities, allergies, or intolerances.... Bad breath (halitosis), weak nails.....
As well as others not on the above picture: FATIGUE, ADRENAL (cortisol) imbalances.... GLUCOSE imbalances... The repercussions of LOW stomach acid are numerous and go way beyond your digestive system. In the human body, you never affect one organ system without affecting other(s). Functional medicine providers remember that. That's why it's so crucial to evaluate your entire functioning, while ensuring proper foundational function. (Like good acid levels for digestion, preventing this cascade of consequences.) NOW for a very important word of CAUTION. If you are on prescribed antacids, DO NOT go off of them without supervision. Why? The "rebound" phenomenon is powerful. Meaning, you will produce excess acid for a few weeks after reducing/eliminating your dosage, making you feel worse initially. It will pass. Find a doctor that will help you. Side effects of long term use of antacids include: headaches, diarrhea, lowered immune function (making one more prone to problems such as pneumonia and nasty Clostridium difficile (C. diff) infections); the mineral deficiencies lead to: osteoporosis, fractures, muscle spasms, irregular heartbeats, seizures.... ----------------------- When Dr. Welch was expecting baby #2, she experienced heartburn for much of her pregnancy. She DID NOT use antacids (and her OB even told her not to because of the rebound effect - some do remember physiology!!) She used natural methods (especially gravity), such as sleeping at a slight elevation at night, to keep stomach fluids down where they belong. Found this video from a friend in Michigan. If you or someone you care about is suffering from back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, hip pain, or knee pain, or you have limited mobility in those joints (which often starts because of pain) then you need to check this out. Available in central Iowa only at Iowa Functional Health! Thought I would post the follow up treatment video from Dr. Clark. I've never seen anything else compare to the results we get with this machine. You can't get that kind of relief with chiropractic (OK, maybe sometimes...), physical therapy or massage--only the ATM2 can give you huge relief in only a few minutes. Why waste weeks for your back pain to feel better? How much do you value your time? It sucks to have back pain. Statistically 80% of us at one time or another in our lives will have it. It is a common misconception that "it will go away on its own 90% of the time within a month." A study posted back in 2003 disproved this notion, revealing that an average of 62% of back pain sufferers still experienced pain 12 months after their injury. Back pain is the 2nd most common reason for missing work and is a costly injury. A team of Duke Medical Center researchers has found that patients suffering from back pain consume more than $90 billion annually in health-care expenses, with approximately $26 billion of that amount directly attributable to treating the back pain. Tremendous costs are associated with LBP, including lost productivity and income from work, the expense of medical, rehabilitation, and surgical interventions, and the costs of disabling pain and limited daily function. (americanspinal.com) There is also a large number of Americans who, after trying many standard treatments, are still left suffering with serious back pain. If you, your friends, or your family members have been told you have to learn to live with the pain, or if you have tried exercises, medications, and/or shots, even chiropractic adjustments, and you are still suffering, and are now being told you need surgery, then this therapy may be just what you are looking for. Retrain your brain. Check out this video by my former mentor and person who introduced me to this treatment system, Dr. David Clark. If you are a candidate for this care, you will see incredible results for ending your back pain, too. My labs are "normal" but I still feel terrible.....
It's one of the most common statements we hear from a new patient. Did you know that, on average, a patient with an autoimmune condition will see 7 doctors before they find someone that helps them? We've had patients come from a list of even more. What makes us different? First of all, did anyone ever tell you how those "normal" ranges are developed? Would it SHOCK you to learn that those values come from a statistical analysis by the lab itself? The good ol' bell curve. For example, we'll pick on TSH. We have seen TSH have a "normal" range, depending on the lab, of 0.5-5.0 or 0.4-4.0 or 0.4-4.5. So, if you had a TSH value of 4.5, two labs would label you healthy and one would have marked you "H" (or high, for possible hypothyroidism). Who gets a TSH level run more often, a healthy person with no thyroid issues, or a person with symptoms or on an active thyroid treatment? (Hint: It's probably not the healthy person....) So, it would be fair to say that that statistical analysis (bell curve) is based on SICK people, right? Is it accurate to base the curve on sick people? Second, did you have all the right labs run? We often request that you bring in copies of any recent lab work you've had done, and it's stunning how limited the panels are that are brought in. No wonder nothing "abnormal" was found when they checked so little of your body's systems. You won't find it if you don't look for it. We look at labs a little differently. Of course we look at the reference ranges, but we also consider what functional medicine is calling "functional ranges" or a tightened value range for many (not all) reference ranges. This allows us to look at trends before they become major problems. Those values are marked on your report in yellow as a caution level. Plus, we run a comprehensive panel. We look at your liver function, thyroid (more than TSH and T3), vitamin D levels, inflammation markers, a CBC.... a 52 point check up on YOU. We also run hair analysis, looking at heavy metal toxicity and mineral imbalances, and will run other testing as needed. If you're sick and tired of being sick, you've got a call to make. Did you know that a child on medications is significantly more likely to be an adult on medications?Are you looking for a different perspective for you or your child's ADD or ADHD symptoms? A natural approach to ADHD?  By Vector map by NuclearVacuum, data by the CDC [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons It is widely supported that ADHD is a neurological disorder. Several years ago, Dr. Welch was mentored by some phenomenal chiropractic functional neurologists, who trained her in functional neurology rehab for several neurological disorders, including patients with ADHD and ASD. But something profound was realized that changed Dr. Welch's path forever. You see, the group of them decided to be trained in functional medicine and clinical nutrition and the doors opened up. They realized that the functional neurology rehab was great (and still is excellent work), but clinical nutrition worked as well, maybe even BETTER. Help a person FUNDAMENTALLY restore health, and the rest "sorts itself out" if you will. Patients got dramatically better by restoring their functional health through nutrition QUICKER than through the neurological rehab alone. The brain is highly sensitive to toxins like heavy metals, chemicals, and pesticides from our environment. Studies have shown that lead in particular can cause lower IQ levels, learning disabilities, and hyperactive behavior. Hormone imbalances like too much glucose, insulin, or cortisol are actually toxic and damaging to the brain. Digestive issues like food allergies and intolerances, food additives, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and overall poor digestive functions can also play a role in ADHD symptoms. The potential causes are many. There's only one real way to know if yours or your loved one's ADHD symptoms are caused by or escalated because of any of these factors. Get tested. In many cases, changes in behavior can be seen in as little as a few weeks. Let us help. If you have ever suffered the embarrassment or lack of self confidence due to acne, even cystic acne, this message is for you!
You may be asking, what does clinical nutrition/functional medicine have to do with acne? Did you know that acne may be the symptom of a more serious problem developing? Problems such as poor diet, heavy metal toxicity, digestion disorders, mineral deficiencies, even liver dysfunction? What about medications for acne? First of all, they don't address the CAUSE, but try to reduce the symptom. Did you ever read the side effects of those medications? Accutane, a commonly used drug for severe acne, is associated with inflammatory bowel disease, psychiatric problems, and birth defects. In fact, the warnings are very strong about avoiding this drug if pregnancy is a pending possibility. Due to our environment and the processing and farming practices of our food, we are exposed to a higher level of toxins than ever before. Children today are becoming sick with chronic diseases at a younger age and increasing rate than ever before. It has been said that for the first time ever, this generation, our children, will not outlive their parents. There are a lot of things broken with our current status. But you can fix yourself and those you love. More and more people are turning to organic foods and realize that supplements are necessary to replace what's been lost from farming and processing practices. Is that enough? If you have any symptoms, including acne, it probably is NOT enough. That's where testing comes in. Don't GUESS about your health. Lab results don't lie. At Iowa Functional Health we take a comprehensive look at your body's function. We do a 52-point comprehensive blood test and a hair test to check for heavy metal toxicity. After testing is complete, you get a detailed report explaining the test results, diet, and nutrient recommendations. You don't have to be scarred by acne any longer. Get tested and get back to the foundation of good health. Sources: Reuters: Common Acne Treatments Linked to Bowel Problems, http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/08/20/us-acne-bowel-idUSTRE67J3GG20100820 Reuters: Study on Acne Suicide Risk Fuels Debate Over Drugs http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/11/12/us-acne-isotretinoin-idUSTRE6AB01E20101112 |
