More Bad News About Heartburn Medications

It seems like every time I turn around, I’m reading about new health risks associated with a popular class of heartburn medications called Proton Pump Inhibitors (PPIs).

In December 2013., in response to research showing that PPIs can increase the risk of developing vitamin B-12 deficiency, I wrote an article about heartburn and heartburn medications.

Just last month I was compelled again to write about PPIs as they were recently linked to chronic kidney disease.

Now we have this CBS article from Feb 15, 2016 which describes a German study that shows an association between PPIs and increased risk for dementia. The article clearly points out that the study was not designed to uncover a cause-and-effect link.

Keith Fargo, director of scientific programs and outreach for the Alzheimer’s Association states that one of the paper’s main flaws is that researchers could not control for diet and body weight as risk factors.

This is an important point. It’s likely that people who require PPIs for their heartburn symptoms are eating diets that put them at greater risk for developing dementia. Further research may eventually reveal that PPIs add to their risk.

Dr. Malaz Boustani, an aging expert, has been recommending PPIs to his patients rather than H2 blockers, another type of antacid. Earlier studies have linked H2 blockers with an increased risk of dementia. Now he will share the latest information about PPIs with his patients and leave them to decide if they want to continue taking PPIs.

The CBS article shared the opinions of a few more medical doctors, but none of the MDs who were interviewed commented on the reason why PPIs and H2 blockers are so commonly prescribed in the first place.

They are commonly prescribed because so many people eat crappy diets. I’m willing to bet that not one of these physicians has an antacid-taking patient who follows a WFPB diet. Some people who have suffered for years from heartburn due to gastric esophageal reflux disease (GERD) have been known to cure their GERD with a WFPB diet.

If you are suffering from chronic heartburn and want to avoid treating the symptoms with antacids, please consider trying a whole food plant based diet. Not only will your stomach thank you, your kidneys and brain will eventually thank you too.

Click here for some free basic information to get you started.