`GERD' strikes millions - newsbites - gastro-esophageal reflux disease - Brief Article

Better Nutrition, Dec, 2002

It's an old malady with a flashy new handle: gastro-esophageal reflux disease, or GERD. If you're one of the more than 100 million Americans who suffer from GERD, try identifying the foods that bring it on. Chocolate, citrus fruits, tomatoes and coffee can cause GERD, as can smoking. Running jostles your stomach, so runners often suffer from heartburn. Even washboard abs can contribute to GERD because rippling bellies--and fat ones--can press against the stomach, squeezing acids up. Tight pants are yet another culprit. For natural GERD cures, simmer a 3-inch piece of gingerroot in a quart of water, or eat a papaya, which contains a substance that mirrors stomach enzymes. Taking licorice root capsules before a meal also can neutralize excess acid. And seaweed can help form gels that bind up stomach acid.

If, in addition to heartburn, you experience symptoms such as shortness of breath, faintness or pain radiating from your chest to your back, jaw or arms, forget the seaweed and call 911. It could indicate a heart attack.