The Root Cause Clinic

24/11/2022

Some great deals from good companies..

23/02/2021

6 easy ways to support your body, boost your micronutrient intake to support a resolution of HPV infection

24/12/2020

A tough year in so many ways, enjoy the rest and respite if you can, breathe and look forward to new beginnings. ###

15/12/2020

Show someone you really care & give a gift towards better health

06/12/2020

As acid supressing medications work so well, when we experience heartburn or acid reflux we think it is an excess of stomach acid - often the opposite is true - Low stomach acid.
When we have low stomach acid, food isn't digested efficiently and tends to hang around; carbs begin to ferment (burping & belching), proteins and fats putrefy.
Whilst it is important to get unresolved heartburn checked out, this will often lead to a taking acid supressing medication such as ppi's or antacids which may provide temporary relief, but not address the underlying issue.
Nutritional therapy and functional medicine seek to understand the root cause not just suppress the symptom.
Some stomach acid boosting suggestions to follow.

04/12/2020

PPI’s (or Proton Pump Inhibitors) are great at the job of reducing heartburn, but did you know that prolonged use of a proton pump inhibitor may reduce your stomach acid, but could also be depleting your nutrients, leaving you feeling quite yucky?

PPI’s were originally intended for relatively short-term use of around 4 to 8 weeks, when suffering from dyspepsia. Public Health England (PHE) now advise that if acid supressing medication is required, you should take the smallest effective dose for the shortest time – particularly if it is a PPI. However, as they are now available as over the counter and are regularly prescribed by gp's (8% of all prescriptions), there are lots of us who maybe taking these for longer than intended.

Did you know:

Ø PPI’s can deplete your nutrients?
Lowering your stomach acid may provide relief from heartburn, but it can also affect your ability to breakdown, digest & absorb nutrients. If you have been taking a PPI for 3 months or more, your magnesium levels may begin to fall due to impaired absorption. It is important that if you begin to experience any of the following symptoms you return to your GP to get checked and monitored:
Fatigue, involuntary muscle contractions, disorientation, convulsions, dizziness, increased heart rate.
It’s not just magnesium, other studies have revealed that B12, iron and zinc are also affected by prolonged PPI use.
Ø Increase your risk of fracture
Low levels of magnesium can also lead to a reduction in potassium or calcium levels in the blood. In fact, for those on omeprazole for longer than a year, the data shows a slightly increased risk of fracturing their hip, wrist or spine.
Ø Play havoc with your gut health
Just 30 days of PPI use has been shown to change the bacteria that reside in the gut, less beneficial bacteria have the chance to proliferate, crowding out your beneficial bacteria which in turn predisposes to an unsettled tummy or even diarrhoea.
Stomach acid is also a protective mechanism against pathogens that can enter our body orally, for example, in contaminated food or water – lowering the stomach acid, lowers this protection.

So why do we take PPI’s? For fast symptom relief, but what is the underlying cause? It may surprise you to know that having LOW stomach acid may be the reason you are experiencing acid reflux. Yes, LOW stomach acid. Inadequate amounts of acid mean that food remains in the stomach for longer and begins to putrefy and ferment.

A Functional Medicine Practitioner will seek to understand the root cause of your condition, rather than just treat the symptom. See the next post for symptoms and possible root causes.

*It is important to get unresolved dyspepsia checked out by your Healthcare Professional*

30/11/2020

Public Health England have called to raise public & health professional awareness of the importance of adequate Vitamin D

19/11/2020

18/11/2020

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05/10/2020

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18/09/2020

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15/06/2020

The Root Cause Clinic believe in the benefit of choosing food as close to nature as possible. Grass fed, pasture raised, hormone & GMO free offer the most nutrients for our bodies, whilst ensuring a better existence and better health for farmed animals. In a recent worrying move, MPs voted down amen...