Reflux
If you are battling with ongoing acid reflux, heartburn and indigestion and not finding any relief, feel at ease with our integrative solutions.
While traditional thinking was that reflux was caused by too much stomach acid, we now know that in many cases reflux and heartburn may be caused by too little stomach acid. Finding the causes of why there is insufficient stomach acid and correcting these is essential to provide long-lasting relief of reflux.
Natural Clinic Clinical Guide to Reflux
Book your appointment with a qualified practitioner who will…
Work with you to determine underlying food intolerances and sensitivities
Assess for, and treat imbalance in gut bacteria as a key driving factor for reflux
Provide expert dietary and lifestyle coaching to heal your gut lining and optimise digestive function
Give you access to practitioner-grade nutritional and herbal medicine tailored to you to provide relief of indigestion
Book here to stop your heartburn.
Book AppointmentTo learn more about the condition and kickstart the healing process, read on for our Natural Clinic Clinical Guide to Reflux.
Natural Clinic Reflux Consult: $75
-
30-minute naturopathic consult to treat any digestive dysfunction contributing to
reflux symptoms
-
Facilitation of further testing, where appropriate
-
Access to practitioner-grade products
-
Prescriptions for custom-made products designed especially for you:
-
Liquid herbal formulas
-
Compounded creams
-
Compounded nutritionals
-
Written treatment plan, including dietary and lifestyle advice, to help you stay on
track
Natural Clinic Clinical Guide to Reflux
WHAT IS IT?
Reflux, heartburn, and indigestion are all indications of Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD). Characteristics of GERD include regurgitation, burning pain in the stomach that moves up to the oesophagus and throat, chest pain, excess saliva, and the sensation that there is a lump of food sitting in the stomach.
The digestive tract is intended to be a one-way path, with muscles that act as doors to prevent backward movement. As you can imagine, or may have experienced, reversed movement of acid and food up the gastrointestinal tract causes significant discomfort. GERD is one of the most common digestive complaints in Australia, and if left untreated can cause inflammation and erosion of the oesophagus, as well as Barrett’s Oesophagus. The idea then, is that we treat reflux and heartburn before these more pathological processes develop.
CAUSES AND TRIGGERS
Histamine intolerance causes aggravation and inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract, affecting digestive processes from the mouth all the way through to the colon. Reflux is a key symptom of histamine reactivity.
Smoking directly provokes reflux, and reduces lower oesophageal sphincter tone so that stomach acid flows freely backward into the oesphagus.
Too little stomach acid is one of the most common drivers of reflux. Low stomach acid reduces gastric emptying and reduces the breakdown of food in the gut, meaning food is sitting in the stomach for longer and places more pressure on the oesphageal sphincter.
Overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria and insufficient levels of beneficial bacteria in the gut are linked to increased reflux events. Compounding this is the effects of leaky gut syndrome, where food is not broken down properly and causes fermentation in the gut, triggering reflux.
Being overweight puts extra pressure on the valves and sphincters that control the release of acid and reduces the ability of the sphincter to stop food from travelling back up the gastrointestinal tract into the oesophagus.
Food sensitivities and allergies complicate digestive processes and affect both gastric acid production and gastric emptying, exacerbating reflux and heartburn. Common food sensitivities that aggravate reflux include wheat, yeast, and dairy.
Coffee and alcohol increase acid secretions and reduces lower oesophageal pressure. Basically, the perfect recipe for food to travel back up the gastrointestinal tract in a reflux event.
Overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria and insufficient levels of beneficial bacteria in the gut are linked to increased reflux events. Compounding this is the effects of leaky gut syndrome, where food is not broken down properly and causes fermentation in the gut, triggering reflux.
Being overweight puts extra pressure on the valves and sphincters that control the release of acid and reduces the ability of the sphincter to stop food from travelling back up the gastrointestinal tract into the oesophagus.
Food sensitivities and allergies complicate digestive processes and affect both gastric acid production and gastric emptying, exacerbating reflux and heartburn. Common food sensitivities that aggravate reflux include wheat, yeast, and dairy.
Coffee and alcohol increase acid secretions and reduces lower oesophageal pressure. Basically, the perfect recipe for food to travel back up the gastrointestinal tract in a reflux event.
Find out what is driving your reflux with a one-on-one consultation today.
Remove the guessing-game and get results.How your diet plays a role
Avoid aggravating foods / beverages
- Alcohol
- Coffee
- Processed, fatty foods cooked in inflammatory oils (vegetable oil, sunflower oil, safflower oil)
- Spicy foods
- Peppermint
Include protein rich foods
- Collagen-rich, grass-fed meats
- Bone broths and meat off the bone (for glutamine and glycine)
- Eggs
- Fish & lean white meats
- Tofu and tempeh, legumes if tolerated
Include a variety of dietary fibres
- Psyllium husk
- Flaxseed meal
- Oatmeal
- Slippery elm
- Green Banana Resistant Starch
Increase water intake
- 1.5 – 2L per day is optimal
- Avoid drinking excessive water before and after eating
Include alkaline and polyphenol-rich foods
- Root vegetables
- Green vegetables
- Melons
- Fennel
- Celery
- Cucumber
Pharmaceutical and conventional treatments for reflux
- Antacids to neutralize stomach acids for quick relief. It is recommended not to stay on these long-term.
- H-2 Blockers to decrease stomach acid production.
- Proton pump inhibitors to block stomach acid production.
Natural treatments to manage your reflux
To coat the digestive tract, soothe inflamed tissues and protect the oesophagus from the acidic contents of the stomach.
High dose of beneficial strains to correct bacterial imbalance in the gut that may be driving reflux symptoms. Probiotics also increase mucin production in the gut for tissue protection, improve digestion, increase gastric emptying to reduce pressure on sphincter, and improve overall tone of the gastrointestinal tract.
Works to decrease histamine reactions in the gut that may be driving reflux symptoms. As a potent polyphenol, quercetin will help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation in both the gut lining and the oesophagus.
Licorice root tea has demulcent effects, soothing the whole gastrointestinal tract from the oesophagus right through to the bowels. It is anti-inflammatory and has been effectively used for reflux throughout history. If you have high blood pressure, we recommend switching to marshmallow root tea.
To prime your digestive tract and increase food break-down for optimal nutrient absorption. Digestive enzymes will help prevent food from fermenting in the stomach by assisting metabolism, to reduce reflux episodes.
Reflux Relief Nutritional Compound
We can compound your very own, individualised nutritional formula with nutrients and therapeutic dosages to increase your immunity.
Invest in a product designed for you- a product not available anywhere else.
Speak to one of our practitioners for access to your very own custom nutritional formula to reduce frequency and severity of reflux events.
The benefits:
- Ease & convenience of taking only one supplement
- Your body is unique to you. Your medicine should also be unique to you.
- Avoid the inconcenience of supplements in your protocol running out at different times.
- Dosing is specific to your metabolic needs & deficiencies.
- Formula can be adjusted over time to support each stage of the healing process.
Speak to one of our practitioners.
Book NowStop reflux once and for all
Book your Natural Clinic Reflux Consult for professional advice.
Georgia Fugar
Clinical Naturopath
Book a Consult with GeorgiaAreas of interest
- Women’s health
- Skin disorders
- SIBO
- Gut health
- Mental health
Georgia is a passionate naturopath with particular clinical focus on supporting mental health, hormonal disorders, gut health and auto-immunity. With a long-standing interest in human biochemistry and its interplay with nutritional and herbal medicines, Georgia uses a range of standard and functional testing to determine the root cause of patient symptoms and provide treatment that is highly tailored and clinical.
Thorough education around all symptoms, disease pathophysiology and treatment options can be expected from a consultation with Georgia, reflecting the importance of education as the first tool to achieving any health outcome. Continuous appraisal of progress throughout treatment protocols ensures that you leave feeling supported and confident in the healing process.
Georgia aims to correct imbalances on the deepest cellular and biochemical level to ensure healing occurs from the inside out.
Tayla Lovering
Clinical Naturopath
Book a Consult with Tayla LoveringAreas of interest
- Digestive
- Skin health
- Mental health
- Migraines
- General health
- Fertility + pregnancy + post partum
Tayla is a qualified Naturopath with a passion for gut health, hormonal health (both males and females), fertility and mental health. Tayla combines clinical case taking, pathology and functional laboratory testing to get to the root cause of your symptoms. Her approach is truly wholistic and she will spend the time to uncover the uniqueness of your health.
A remarkably empathic practitioner with a real gift for making patients feel supported. Tayla understands how overwhelming it can feel to embark on a healing journey and focuses on simplifying this for you in a step-by-step manner, whilst also making changes that fit you and your lifestyle. Tayla has a particular passion for establishing a healthy foundation for her clients, so they can avoid traveling down the same path that led them here.
Tayla is happiest when amongst nature and when communicating with fellow humans. Tayla grew up on a farm on the beautiful Kangaroo Island of South Australia and quickly learnt the value of nature’s healing powers after her time at boarding school where she noticed nutrition and lifestyle choices began reflecting poor health.
Annie Stewart
Clinical Naturopath
Book a Consult with Annie StewartAreas of interest
- Sports performance and recovery
- Digestive conditions
- Mental health
- Men & women's health
Annie is a qualified Naturopath who considers herself a bit of a “professional generalist”. With experience treating a wide array of conditions, Annie particularly finds those more challenging multifaceted cases fulfilling. Her adventurous curiosity is what drives Annie to get to the underlying cause of disease adopting a truly holistic approach with each patient.
With 5+ years of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu under her belt, Annie has a keen interest in helping athletes reach their sport performance goals and draws on her competition experience to achieve this.
Evidence based medicine underpins all of Annie’s clinical decisions. She regularly uses standard pathology and functional testing to establish base line health parameters, which are then used to refine her treatment approach for each client. Application of nutritional and herbal interventions with an emphasis on lifestyle and dietary education can be expected in a consult with Annie.
Diana Boot
Compounding Pharmacist & Nutritionist
Book a Consult with Diana BootAreas of interest
- De-prescribing – helping you to reduce your need for prescription medications
- Mental health
Digestive health
Women’s health
Diana is the Co-founder and Clinical Lead of Natural Chemist. She has practiced as a community pharmacist for over 30 years and as a Nutritionist for 12 years. She is continually learning to update her knowledge and is on track to graduate in 2023 as a Naturopath.
Diana is a rare combination of empathy, balance, maturity and knowledge. She listens and asks sensitive questions. She provides answers about what’s behind your presenting symptoms and she offers feasible, evidence-based solutions to help you regain optimal health.
Diana’s approach is truly integrative. Her training and experience put her in a unique position to advise what combination of conventional/mainstream and natural/alternative treatments are best for your situation.
Diana is also the senior partner in two independent community pharmacies in Sydney. She launched Natural Chemist in 2014 with her husband and business partner. Their goal was to work out how to take the level of service provided in their physical pharmacies and make it available for more people. Diana is supported by a wonderful and growing team of qualified professionals; all with the same dedicated focus on quality health outcomes.
Natural Clinic Reflux Consult: $75
-
30-minute naturopathic consult to treat any digestive dysfunction contributing to
reflux symptoms
-
Facilitation of further testing, where appropriate
-
Access to practitioner-grade products
-
Prescriptions for custom-made products designed especially for you:
-
Liquid herbal formulas
-
Compounded creams
-
Compounded nutritionals
-
Written treatment plan, including dietary and lifestyle advice, to help you stay on
track
References:
Kohata, Y., Fujiwara, Y., Watanabe, T., Kobayashi, M., Takemoto, Y., et al. (2016). Long-Term Benefits of Smoking Cessation on Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease and Health-Related Quality of Life. PLOS ONE 11(2).
Cheng, J., & Ouwehand, A.C. (2020). Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease and Probiotics: A Systematic Review. Nutrients, 12(1).