Can
milk be a part of an acid reflux
diet? Acid reflux, also known as GERD, affects a
large number of people, arousing the painful
“heartburning” experience. Not too long ago, many
people believed that a glass of cold milk taken
before bedtime acts as an antacid and keeps
heartburn away. However, over time this theory has
been discarded.
Milk
contains calcium in a form that can neutralize
acids. The calcium present in milk neutralizes
acid reflux in the same way as that calcium
tablets do. However, a glass of milk raises the
acidity of the stomach from a normal pH of 1.8 to
about 6.0. At this level, stomach contents are not
digested and they putrefy causing more
reflux.
Cold
milk may feel good initially as it goes down your
throat. But its high fat and protein content will
actually cause the stomach to produce more acid
and make the acid reflux worse. The high fat
content of the milk tend to float on the stomach
contents. The heavier fats also tend to rise to
the top. This lowers the pressure in the LES
causing it to relax and more acid to move up the
esophagus making the heartburn even worse. Low-fat
milk is sometimes better tolerated in patients
with GERD.
For
infants who develop acid reflux syndrome, breast
milk is extremely important as there are fewer
incidences of acid reflux in breast-fed infants.
However, though breast feeding is important, it is
also important that the mother watches what she
eats as it can pass through the mother’s milk to
the baby. Breast-feeding mothers should avoid
foods that trigger acid reflux syndromes. Studies
indicate that in about 20% of infants an allergy
to cow’s milk was the cause of GERD and the
symptoms improved by stopping milk from the diet.
There
is another risk of consuming milk for people
suffering from acid reflux and that is the
“milk-alkali syndrome”. It is a form of metabolic
acidosis that results from excessive consumption
of both milk, which is rich in calcium, and
antacids such as calcium carbonate over a
prolonged period of time. It was formerly
considered a side effect in the treatment of
peptic ulcer disease but now with new medications
its incidence has gone down considerably. Calcium
deposits are seen in kidneys and other tissues.
The condition is reversible in early stages but
often goes undetected as there are rarely any
symptoms. If left untreated, it generally
progresses to renal failure.
Some
people experience relief of acid reflux
symptoms by eliminating milk from the diet.
However, just eliminating milk or other foods that
trigger acid reflux may not help cure GERD. A
visit to a holistic medical practitioner will
definitely help. He will take into consideration
the entire body; suggest lifestyle changes,
behavioral therapy, dietary modifications, stress
management, and other modalities to bring about
complete cure safely and effectively.
