Is Heartburn Caused By Too Much Stomach Acid?

**Video Transcript**

What would you think if I said that heartburn or acid reflux is usually a sign that your stomach acid is low?

If that doesn’t make sense, stick with me to find out what I mean.

Understanding Heartburn and Acid Reflux

Most of us have experienced at one time in our lives the sensation of burning in the throat, under the breastbone, or in the pit of the stomach. This is sometimes called “heartburn”. It’s often associated with other symptoms like gas, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation.

Although other health conditions can cause these symptoms, the most common reason they occur is from acid reflux. This happens when acid from the stomach comes up into the esophagus, a part of your body that’s not built to take the acid, like the stomach is. So, it burns!

If this acid reflux happens often enough it’s sometimes diagnosed as Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disease or GERD for short¹. Untreated, GERD can damage the esophagus and lead to other health problems, like iron and Vitamin B12 deficiencies, fatigue, hair loss, muscle weakness, and memory loss.

The Misconception About Stomach Acid

Now, when you get a burning sensation in the stomach or up in the throat, you would think that there’s too much acid being produced by the stomach, right?

Most of the time, you’d be wrong.

Although there are some rare health conditions that can cause your stomach to produce too much stomach acid, the symptoms of acid reflux and GERD are usually associated with too little acid in the stomach. Really? Really.

This state of low stomach acid, called hypochlorhydria, is often caused by reduced activity of the vagus nerve². Also known as cranial nerve ten, the vagus nerve runs from the base of the brain to the chest and abdomen. One of its jobs is to stimulate the stomach to produce acid. So, when the vagus nerve slows down, so does your acid production.

But if you have less acid, why do you get the burning?

Managing Stress for Better Digestion

The vagus nerve does something else too – it tells the valve between your stomach and esophagus, the lower esophageal sphincter, to remain closed. That’s to stop the acid in your stomach from getting up into your esophagus and burning it.

When the vagus nerve slows down, the sphincter relaxes, allowing the acid that is in the stomach to bubble up into the esophagus.

If this is true, what cause the vagus nerve to slow down, then?

Some health conditions, like underactive thyroid or hypothyroidism, can slow down the vagus nerve. But the main factor that I see in my practice which throttles the vagus nerve is stress.

This is why deep breathing, meditation, and physical exercise – all great for relieving stress – have a powerful effect on your digestion and can help reduce heartburn and acid reflux.

It might be tempting to quell the heartburn with antacids or acid-blocking medication, but that may just make the underlying low acid problem even worse.

Thanks for listening! Please don’t forget to like, subscribe, and comment. I’m Dr. Pat Nardini, ND. Keeping Your Wellness First.

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441938/
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537171/

Until next time, this is Dr. Pat Nardini, ND, putting “Your Wellness First!”

If you have questions about naturopathic medicine, or you’d like to take your first step into the world of naturopathy, contact us at Nardini Naturopathic, and let’s book an appointment.