Find out why you may want to use probiotics for acid reflux or heartburn.
Timestamps
0:00 Introduction: Probiotics for acid reflux
0:10 How do probiotics help with acid reflux?
1:33 The gut-brain axis
2:35 Antibiotics and the gut
2:58 Microbes and bile salts
3:27 Natural remedies for acid reflux or heartburn
4:03 Share your success story!
There is an interesting link between using probiotics and improving acid reflux or heartburn. Let’s talk about it.
In one study, they found that 79% of people who took probiotics had relief from acid reflux. But how can a probiotic that affects the gut bacteria also affect the stomach? We need to look at the digestive system as one whole connecting system. When you affect one part of it, the other parts are affected.
One type of bacteria we have is lactic acid bacteria. This type of bacteria acidifies the colon. We also have lactic acid yeast, which acidifies the colon. These microbes help with digestion. The more complete digestion you have in the lower part of the digestive system, the better it’s going to be for the upper part, like the stomach.
If you don’t have enough microbiome in your large intestine, that can lead to an overgrowth of bacteria in your small intestine. This is called SIBO. This can also back up the whole system causing regurgitation of fluids.
There is also a relationship between your brain and your gut, which are connected by the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve is bidirectional. What happens in the gut affects the brain, and what happens in the brain can affect the gut.
The vagus nerve is a part of the autonomic nervous system. The autonomic nervous system controls the valves on the top and bottom of the stomach, which regulate the amount of food that goes through these passages. Someone may have a problem with the vagus nerve if there is a problem in the lower part of the gut.
If you are on antibiotics, one of the big side effects is GERD or acid reflux. Antibiotics destroy your microbes. If you don’t have enough good bacteria, that can severely affect the stomach.
The microbes in the large intestine also make bile salts. If there is a problem, this can lead to more of an acid effect in the small intestine, which can create ulcers and acid reflux.
Dr. Eric Berg
10/25/2021
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