Reflux Disease Is Not Fate
Reflux literally means "flowing backward." Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) refers to food that has been eaten flowing back from the stomach into the esophagus, sometimes even up into the mouth.
This is a very common condition in our country, because for many reasons we are a society that has drifted away from healthy eating. I say "condition" for reflux, not "disease," because reflux is not a disease but a consequence. It is a consequence of intestinal flora disorder.
So what does intestinal flora mean? It means the internal environment of the intestines; the environment formed by the bacteria that live in our intestines.
Healthy intestines contain beneficial bacteria necessary for overall human health. When the numbers and proportions of these bacteria are disrupted—due to antibiotics, excessive or improper medication use, stress, unhealthy and unbalanced nutrition, surgery, cesarean section, and many other causes—the intestinal flora becomes disordered.
Intestines with disrupted flora cannot perform their functions properly. Contrary to popular belief, the function of the intestines is never simply excretion—that is, serving as the body's sewage system. The intestines have very important functions and duties for the body as a whole. I will share more on this topic in my upcoming articles.
When the intestines, due to their disrupted flora, cannot fully carry out functions such as absorption and excretion, one of the resulting consequences is reflux.
Recommendations for treating reflux—such as using a high pillow, not eating late at night, and eating a fiber-rich diet—are merely suggestions for the patient. The real treatment is correcting the intestinal flora.
REFLUX DISEASE IS NOT FATE
I said reflux is not a disease but a consequence! It is a consequence of dysbiosis, which is diagnosed as a disorder of the intestinal flora. Reflux that develops due to a structural disorder, laxity, or insufficiency at the entrance to the stomach and/or the exit of the esophagus accounts for only a very small portion of common reflux cases. The most common cause of reflux is intestinal flora disorder.
In the presence of intestinal flora disorder—medically known as dysbiosis—the specialized structure and permeability of the intestinal mucosa are disrupted, and along with this, the number of flora bacteria that should naturally be present in the intestines decreases.
In the small and large intestines where this condition prevails, neither absorption, digestion, nor excretion can proceed as they should in a healthy body. As food is being digested, an above-normal amount of gas is released. The increased gas in the intestines and the clinical picture it causes is called meteorism. Depending on the severity of the case, this increased gas causes reflux—the movement of stomach contents or digestive fluids in the direction opposite to gravity. Therefore, the first thing that needs to be done is to correct the intestinal flora.
Correcting the intestinal flora means replacing the missing flora microorganisms with probiotics and, over time, supporting them further with prebiotics as well.
Another condition frequently encountered in intestines with disrupted flora is the overgrowth of intestinal fungus (candida). To treat intestinal fungus, you must strictly avoid refined carbohydrates—that is, white flour and white sugar (all foods containing flour and sugar)—in your diet for at least three months.
YOU SHOULD AVOID A MONOTONOUS DIET
Due to mucosal damage in intestines with disrupted flora, food sensitivity (in other words, intolerance) develops, particularly to foods consumed frequently and in an unbalanced manner. After having a food sensitivity analysis performed (if possible), it is recommended that you avoid the foods found to be sensitive for a certain period. (I will share information about what food sensitivity is, how it develops, and how it is resolved with you in this column as well). If you do not have the option of testing, you should still diversify your diet—that is, avoid a monotonous diet.
In intestines with disrupted flora, the digestive enzymes secreted by the pancreas (substances that break down food) that help with digestion also become insufficient after a while. For this reason, taking natural enzyme preparations before every meal will also contribute to your recovery by reducing gas formation and lightening the burden on the intestines.
Eating your evening meal no later than eight o'clock, drinking 40 ml of water per kilogram of body weight throughout the day (for a 60 kg person, 60 x 40 = 2400 ml), and avoiding alcohol and random chemical medications will also form very important parts of your recovery process.
In my next article, I will address the topic of "reflux treatment."
I wish you happy and healthy days…